Has anyone used Borrow my Doggie?

BaconAndAvocado · 2022-02-19T13:13:41+00:00

Met a woman on the beach who was planning to use this service as she works from home and needed a break from her lively cockerpoo. Not sure if I would ever need to use it but, having just been on their website, it looks good.

TheVanguardSix · 19/02/2022 13:19

My friend used to use it before getting a dog. What I learned from observing my friend is that I’d be unwilling to hand my dog over to any ol’ ‘dog lover’. My friend was so careless with the dog she habitually borrowed. She now has a cockapoo and that’s just a whole other saga.

I mean, the concept is a good one. But honestly, you just don’t hand your dog over to any random person. Or do you?

BiteyShark · 19/02/2022 13:40

I wouldn't use it for my dog.

I use paid dog walkers/daycare because I want the reassurance that those people are invested in looking after my dog as it's their job.

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 19/02/2022 14:46

I'd never use it.

I don't want to hand my dog over to any random person from the internet.

As a dog walker myself, my own dog goes to licensed kennels, daycare or walkers when I can't walk him.

Onatree · 19/02/2022 14:48

I can see the benefits for authentic genuine people .

Never would I hand over my dog to a random off a website. To a registered dog sitter or boarder with legitimate reviews or - alternatively - to a long standing friend.

Absolutely unthinkable that I’d just hand my dog over to anyone from a website.

Bitezbabe · 19/02/2022 14:49

My friend uses it with her dog. A local family have her dog one day a week and help out when she’s on holiday. Works for both parties. The family borrowing the dog love her and the dog is happy to be left. My friend is very confident leaving her dog there.

KnottyKnitting · 19/02/2022 15:01

My DD and her partner walk a dog local to her through Borrow my Doggie. They had an initial meeting with the owner and took him for a joint walk.
She is nuts about dogs and absolutely loves it as they do not live somewhere that's suitable to own a dog at the moment.

I am not sure that I would be happy about letting someone I didn't know take my dog out. I think the money you pay as an owner and walker covers things like insurance.

Original poster

BaconAndAvocado · 19/02/2022 15:09

I gather from the website that you meet up as many times together with the borrower and you and your dog until you feel comfortable.

The responses from the majority of posters was exactly my first response but I think, if done correctly, it doesn't have to be like that.
It sounds like a good last resort option for anyone finding doggy daycare too expensive.

OP posts:

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2022 15:16

We did it during lockdown as it was a great way to get dc out in snow and rain regardless

Dc also wanted a dog so it was a way to show them what it entailed

We really were just handed the dogs, we just took them round to the park and threw balls etc

We took pics to show what a great time they were having and met some people who recognised them

We stopped after a while as weekend activities picked up again and we didn’t have the time

lucillelarusso · 19/02/2022 15:20

My DBF used to borrow a dog from BMD and now she owns the dog. She realised she was basically walking dogs from a puppy mill and eventually she pleased with the owner and bought the dog for £500.

Hoppinggreen · 19/02/2022 15:36

We were borrowers for a bit
Some people were absolutely piss takers and just clearly wanted free regular dog care but we did meet one lady who’s dog we looked after on and off for a bit. She got very shirty when we couldn’t have the dog once at short notice and that was that.
I have a dog now and while I can see how hard it would be to just hand him over to a stranger he goes to stay with a lovely lady who I met online through a breed group (she had lost her dog a few month previously). He went there with me for a while, then on his own for a day, then a weekend and so on until we are all happy with the arrangement for holidays etc.

bilbodog · 19/02/2022 15:39

My DD and partner did this for a few months and then got a dog of their own, they loved doing it and the dog loved coming to them and even bought them a christmas present!

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 19/02/2022 15:41

It sounds like a good last resort option for anyone finding doggy daycare too expensive.

The problem with this, is that the borrower can just...stop having the dog with no notice. And the borrower could be someone with absolutely no knowledge of dogs whatsoever.

Proper daycares have to be licensed by the council, insured, and the staff working in them have to have various qualifications in first aid etc.

Would the "borrower" know, for example, to get the dog to a vet if they ate raisins or grapes? Would they know how to administer first aid if the dog cut his foot? Would they know how to split up a dog fight? What would they do if the dog slipped its' lead or ran off on a walk?

I know someone will come along and say "well, most owners don't know those things" but IMO a dog running off on its' owners is very different to you entrusting another person and an accident happening in their care.

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2022 15:41

That reminded me - the dogs got to know us as they saw us randomly in another park and ran over very excited

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2022 15:43

Tbh I think it’s better for walks than getting free doggy daycare

Totalwasteofpaper · 19/02/2022 16:00

I tried it as a non dog owner and may just have been pot luck but I found the dog owners thought they were doing you MASSIVE favour and you should be delighted to bend over backwards in terms of timings walks and meet ups. A lot had v specific requirements (routes timings etc)

As a now dog owner it would very much be a last resort and I would need to be financially desperate to hand over my beloved furbaby to a potential stranger danger kidnapper

Only joking... sort of

Hoppinggreen · 19/02/2022 17:01

@fairylightsandwaxmelts

It sounds like a good last resort option for anyone finding doggy daycare too expensive.

The problem with this, is that the borrower can just...stop having the dog with no notice. And the borrower could be someone with absolutely no knowledge of dogs whatsoever.

Proper daycares have to be licensed by the council, insured, and the staff working in them have to have various qualifications in first aid etc.

Would the "borrower" know, for example, to get the dog to a vet if they ate raisins or grapes? Would they know how to administer first aid if the dog cut his foot? Would they know how to split up a dog fight? What would they do if the dog slipped its' lead or ran off on a walk?

I know someone will come along and say "well, most owners don't know those things" but IMO a dog running off on its' owners is very different to you entrusting another person and an accident happening in their care.

To be fair yes I did know all of those things as I had owned dogs myself since the age of 10 But the owner didn’t know that for sure and I was slightly surprised as the level of trust I was given pretty quickly- but I think she was desperate for doggy daycare but couldn’t afford it

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 19/02/2022 17:34

But the owner didn’t know that for sure and I was slightly surprised as the level of trust I was given pretty quickly- but I think she was desperate for doggy daycare but couldn’t afford it

Yeah, desperation makes people do risky things, I guess.

I'm sure there are some fantastic borrowers on there but it's a huge risk to take IMO.

Wolfiefan · 19/02/2022 17:36

I wouldn’t. I would rather pay someone I had a contract with. Whose references and insurance etc I had checked out.
As a Walker. I volunteered for Cinnamon Trust and local rescue.

MarshaBradyo · 19/02/2022 17:52

I think the benefit has to feel mutual

Ie if I thought the owner wanted something as permanent and just like doggy daycare I wouldn’t have bothered

We were clear on why we wanted to do it - mostly for 11 year old to try it out