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BorrowMyDoggy - Anyone using it?

91 replies

lovenotwar149 · 06/05/2025 15:12

Hi, I am on BorrowMyDoggy and I am now borrowing 2 different dogs each wk and its going very well. In terms of making arrangements each wk i.e. time/day etc ,we correspond via WhatsApp only. I think this is fine and wanted to ask others who might be on it too and if they too are corresponding via WhatsApp too and not via the BorrowMyDoggy portal page. Many thanks!

OP posts:
ThisQuirkyPoet · 06/05/2025 16:20

I signed up a while back. I was immediately contacted by a couple who wanted me to walk their dog and they told me communication via Whatsapp was easier, so I went along with it.
It became very clear, very quickly that what they actually wanted was a full time dog walker to take their dog out three times a day for free. I blocked them and never used the site again.

LandSharksAnonymous · 06/05/2025 16:24

@faerietales 100% agree.

Particularly if you have a ‘desirable’ breed (Golden, GSD, Cocker, Poodle) where you run the risk of them being taken and used for breeding.

I’d never risk it for those reasons alone.

More broadly I do wonder about people whose dogs obey commands from strangers and they’re happy with it. I always find fascinating that people say ‘my dog will recall with anyone’ because I’ve deliberately trained mine not to respond to commands from others. Dog walkers are slightly different as they go through (I hope) a proper process and vetting, but random people off an app? I can’t think of anything I’d like less than my dog responding to their commands…

faerietales · 06/05/2025 16:28

Well, that too @LandSharksAnonymous !

I know I'm bias as a dog walker, but when I think of all the stuff I have in place to protect the dogs (as well as to protect me and the owners) I just find it baffling that people would hand their dogs off over to Joe or Jane Doe off the internet.

I know there's apparently "insurance" in place to protect the owner but I do wonder whether it would cover you if your "borrower" went against your wishes, or dropped the lead, or allowed your dog to meet an unknown dog and a fight broke out etc.

HiddenInCubeOfCheese · 06/05/2025 16:33

I never even thought about someone doing dodgy stud dog stuff!

OP, it doesn’t have to be some wannabe dog napper. Just someone reckless or careless. Pulls the lead too hard, feeds it bread or, if you have a delicate breed, picks them up incorrectly or lets them jump. Let’s them rehearse bad behaviours etc

Freysimo · 06/05/2025 16:43

If anyone is worried about risks of BMD, why not volunteer for The Cinammon Trust, which is a charity for people too elderly or ill to walk their own dogs? I've been volunteering for 12 years now and it's been great. Ve met some lovely people and their dogs. Owners are reassured that I'm insured by TCT and you are helping both dogs and their owners.

Gribbit987 · 06/05/2025 16:45

ThisQuirkyPoet · 06/05/2025 16:20

I signed up a while back. I was immediately contacted by a couple who wanted me to walk their dog and they told me communication via Whatsapp was easier, so I went along with it.
It became very clear, very quickly that what they actually wanted was a full time dog walker to take their dog out three times a day for free. I blocked them and never used the site again.

Seems a rather extreme response and surely only impacts you negatively? Why couldn’t you just say “sorry that doesn’t work for me” and look for a situation that does?

I have an account. I have dogs and foster dogs. I was looking for dogs to be friends with a timid dog and wanted certain breeds and personalities I thought would work well with her and bring her out of her shell.

I found the people who tended to contact me were mostly looking for very consistent dog support - holiday cover, walking a dog when their work schedule now meant it was left a very long time… things like this. Also, some who were very desperate: changed job and didn’t know what to do with the dog and couldn’t afford daily daycare, had a progressive disability and couldn’t walk their dog...things like this. You will probably hear the odd sad story. I had to trawl the profiles and select dogs I deemed a good fit. But I also think my requirements were unusual.

I think it really depends how you view society generally. If you use apps like olio or meetup, believe in community and believe most people are fundamentally good you can understand why it’s a concept that works. Lots of people love dogs but aren’t in a position to own one full time. Lots of people own dogs but often feel their dog could have a better lifestyle if it had more focus and attention.

I have borrowed a couple of dogs. You usually meet the owner, have a walk, a chat. One came for tea and presumably to homecheck me. It’s pretty straightforward. It’s perfectly normal - no different to making a new friend at any other club. You can get the feel for people pretty easily. Always communicated via WhatsApp.

Would I loan out my dogs? No. But I also wouldn’t do lots of things others will. If I was a person with no network/a restrictive job maybe I would have to 🤷‍♀️ I’ve never talked to an owner who didn’t clearly love their dog.

lovenotwar149 · 06/05/2025 17:02

Gribbit987

You sound very grounded! :)

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 06/05/2025 17:06

I have several dogs that I tend to have for short holidays via this- I really enjoy it - we rent a pretty nice house so although we could in theory have a dog- we’ve chosen not too , also have to do quite a few overnighters in London etc

we look after them really well but in all honesty only have breeds we can handle and in several cases we’ve only had them once as one dog insisted on sleeping on the bed and my H got fed up of that and in the other case he was a badly trained8 month old lab and was digging our garden up

love having the ones we do .

Duh · 06/05/2025 18:14

I used Borrowmydoggy and walked the most wonderful dog for years until I moved away. I still visit her when I’m in the area. It was a wonderful experience and I think it’s great.

To answer your question OP yes I used WhatsApp with the owner.

rookiemere · 06/05/2025 18:24

I used it a few years back and we have a wonderful lady who comes to our house and looks after rookiedog when we are away. I buy her chocolates , fizz and get her a voucher for a local restaurant or M&S, she tells me not to because she enjoys looking after him.

We have had a few walkers as well but tbh we haven’t really got an issue walking him and that’s what a lot of people mostly want, so I haven’t been on it for a while.

I think you absolutely cannot use it as your primary source of dog walking as if you want reliability you pay for it. But rookiedog genuinely loves meeting and being walked by new people. We wouldn’t let him go with anyone I got bad vibes about.

DerryleaDunker · 06/05/2025 18:25

I've used the site as both an owner and borrower for quite a while now and have only had positive experiences. My dogs love their days out with their new friends and we've also formed longterm friendships over the years. We communicated via both WhatsApp and the portal, if that helps.

Crikeyalmighty · 06/05/2025 18:45

If I can just say every single owner has come round for an evening at ours- knows exactly where we are and trusts us implicitly and I’ve offered them other owners to reference us against. anyone doing anything dodgy would very quickly be found out - you have to upload all sorts of stuff to verify ID and addresses etc - and would be easy to report someone - and yep I have breeds that have been mentioned - a very lazy 4 year old male cockapoo , a 9 year old black male lab who is so amazingly well trained, a total sweetheart and a 3 year old female totally hyperactive but very loveable red spaniel

I am not interested though in folk who think we can just be cheap day dog walkers as that wouldn’t suit us either -

HiddenInCubeOfCheese · 06/05/2025 19:34

The first time I used it, I met the owner in a park. After literally 5 mins she left me to it for a few hours.

Fine, I’m a put together person and present well, but I was taken aback. She had a toy breed that needs to be picked up a certain way etc and she just had no clue if I’d know that.

Crikeyalmighty · 06/05/2025 20:17

@HiddenInCubeOfCheese yep in the case of the poorly behaved lab I mentioned earlier - I reckon the owners were far more of a liability than I am -

Communitywebbing · 06/05/2025 20:50

I borrowed a doggy once. Never again. He didn’t walk on the lead properly and injured my shoulder tugging. When I took him back the owner had accidentally let another of her dogs out and asked me to go and search for him even though I’d never been introduced to him. Disaster all round.

B0D · 06/05/2025 20:58

I used it as a borrower for a while. I can’t keep a dog myself because I live alone and have a job. I’m very responsible. Since Covid I came off it because all the lenders are people who got a dog but can’t really care for it because they live alone and have a job. Didn’t really work for me on that basis.

ACynicalDad · 06/05/2025 21:31

I would love to find someone who would take ours occasionally and give him extra walks. I put him on the app, got some matches but quickly deleted it without replying, I just can't be sure who would have him and it scared me.

Blueberrymuffin80 · 07/05/2025 09:13

I think it's hilarious that people are so gullible.
It plays on the heart of people who can't have a dog into walking dog for free because owners don't want to pay a insured company.

lovenotwar149 · 07/05/2025 12:54

Blueberrymuffin80

interesting perspective!

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 07/05/2025 12:56

@lovenotwar149 don’t know about you but I don’t feel like that- I’ve gained as much as the doggies have - mind you I only do holiday care not daily walking etc

MyOliveHelper · 07/05/2025 12:58

How do they verify your identity? Is it similar to those task apps where you have to upload government ID?

lovenotwar149 · 07/05/2025 13:02

I have jut returned from a long dog walk and a short playtime in my garden after and a little cuddle inside my house after. With a dog from BorrowMyDoggy. 10 th time I have had her. Went swimmingly well. Owner trusts me and why wouldn't he...I am lovely and trustworthy!! I like BorrowMyDoggy!!

OP posts:
Octopusespunchforfun · 07/05/2025 13:02

faerietales · 06/05/2025 15:24

I can’t believe that people use that platform tbh - it’s batshit to me that you’d just hand your dog over to a stranger with no experience or training 😬

Edited

Sorry, but this. Not that I think they’d run off with him but with trained /professional walkers you know they can handle certain situations. I’d hate to put my dog or the walker in a stressful situation i.e another aggressive dog.

TeaIsNice · 07/05/2025 13:04

nah would never outsource my dog

HiddenInCubeOfCheese · 07/05/2025 13:05

Yes, you might be lovely and trustworthy but a heck of a lot of people aren’t (either intentionally or recklessly)