borrowmydoggy

[listsandbudgets]

Has anyone used them? what did you think?

We're wondering about this too.
My dd started borrowing a lovely dog belonging to a lady with a disability while she was a student - apparently he's incredibly friendly so apart from the exercise it's to give him a great social life. It's a real win-win.

It depends what you want to use it for, I think.

Ad-hoc care - fine, but I wouldn't rely on it for regular care so you can work etc.

Be very careful though, pretty much anyone can register for that website and they don't run any checks.

This.

Anyone can register. They don't run checks. No guarantee your dog isn't 'borrowed' by someone who just takes it or abuses it.

Dogs are worth more than being dumped off on randomers off an app because you can't be bothered to hire and vet a dog walker (which is why most people use it).

I agree with this.

If you want to walk someone's dog why not volunteer for The Cinnamon Trust? They provide walkers for the elderly, or anyone unable to walk their own dog due to illness/disability. They would insure you as well. I've been a volunteer for 10 years and find it very rewarding.

Yes The Cinnamon Trust are an excellent charity who help the elderly and sick with their pets. Well worth contacting.

Ahhh I was looking at borrow my doggy yesterday for my husband. I was looking at the cinnamon trust there but I don't think it applies in Northern Ireland

I used it as I walk a lot and I wanted to find just one dog to bond with so he could join me. A year and a half later me and Bruno the spaniel go on regular walks together and whenever his owners tell him I'm coming he's sat by the window waiting for me. I've become close to his owners too and it's all worked out well.

I've told them I think they're mad for using it though, I could have been anyone!

I cannot understand why anyone would sign up to let randoms borrow their dog. You wouldn’t sign up to a service that let someone borrow one of your kids. I genuinely find the whole thing mind-blowing.

No offence @PleaseBeHappier I’m sure it was intended for people like you, but I can’t get past the fact that you are likely to be in a minority.

No offence taken I completely agree with you! It's madness and I would never let a stranger near any pet of mine same as I wouldn't give them a key to my house

Thank you - I don't want to trust my beautiful, mad spaniel to just ANYONE and you've confirmed what I'm worried about - that no checks are made. one of my first thoughts was that it would be a very easy way to steal dogs - just register with a different name and off you (and the dog) go.

I was intrigued by the concept though I'd be looking for regular walks so would prefer a dog walker anyway

@PleaseBeHappier It's great you and Bruno have such a wonderful time together. Spaniels are the absolute best dogs - not that I'm biased or anything

nothing like a good walk though!

He is beautiful - even by spaniel standards!

We're looking at it from the other side, having lost our old boy some time ago and not being at a stage where we can have another. The concern is more that there may be people using this who should be having proper doggy daycare and/or walkers

My daughter wanted a dog when she was younger and we signed up when she was about 8. We ended up looking after a poochon in our village for a couple of years. She loved it. We still see the dog and she runs up to my daughter and she’s 15 now! It only stopped due to Covid.

@ErrolTheDragon Sorry you lost your dog, it's absolutely heart breaking. I really do hope you can find another to lose your heart to when the time is right.

@Runninghappy It sounds like you had a lovely experience. It's such a shame that Covid stopped so many of these lovely experiences for people

DD has just taken dog on a very long wet muddy walk - she's curled up with her tail over her nose and I don't think she'll be moving for quite a while

I joined originally as a dog owner. I spotted a family I knew on the website, they were looking to borrow, and we ended up with a brilliant one-day-week arrangement that lasted for years. They were my dog’s ’second family’. We were very lucky.

My darling dog died last year and I’m not able to get another for the foreseeable future so I’m now a borrower myself. I’ve been walking a dog weekly but he’s a bit boisterous for me (after years with my elderly Lab!) so I’m going to keep looking.

I understand people’s concerns but I do know quite a few people who’ve had success stories from BMD. I’d love to find a match the way @PleaseBeHappier has!

I've borrowed a dog before. The lady had "interviewed" a few before me and politely declined for various reasons. She came to my house and questioned me on my position on things like off lead walking, meeting other dogs, her dog being nervous, diet etc and also met my daughter. She had poor mobility and low income so it was a godsend for her. It can be really rewarding if you do it wisely, and a way for someone to bond with your dog and give it 1-1 care and attention. Plus people on there are doing it for love, not money so the majority im sure are genuine. A dog walker could be an arse just the same, paying them doesn't make them any more trustworthy. In fact I've met some vile down walkers out with my reactive dog putting their packs in danger at points letting them run wild and approach other dogs etc

I used it several times with my old dog, not because I needed it, but because I'd thought it would be nice for my dog (who was highly social) to make new friends.

I've only met very nice people on it, always met them beforehands, never had an issue with anyone.

One of his regular borrower was taking him to her office once a week, one day I was walking him and 4 people came to us to say hi, they were the borrower's colleagues and absolutely loved my dog, that was so nice.

He was a very easy dog, super comfortable with everyone, just a happy little chap really, I left him with a lot of friends who were always happy to be looking after him.

My now dog, I wouldn't leave them with borrowers, just because he's way more high maintenance, so I prefer to pay. But I still quite often leave him with dogsitters that I've met on rover, and likewise, never had an issue. I set some rules (only one dog - mine - at a time, never leave him alone, no off leash walk etc...)

I've been using dogsitters / dogwalkers for 20 odd years, and up until recently, it was not a regulated trade in my country (not sure it actually is now), you just have to meet people and trust them at some point. I must be a good judge of character because really, I never had a problem.

On the other hand I would never leave my dog in a kennel or take him to doggy day care, all of my dogs would have hated it.