Borrow my doggy

[ImpatientlyWaitingForSummer]

Does anyone have any experience using this? Normally our little dog stays with the same family member on the very rare occasion we go away without her! But we’re planning a holiday abroad this year and family member can’t look after her so looking at alternate options, has anyone ever used Borrow My Doggy and if so what was your experience? Obviously would need to make sure my pup was in good hands before planning a holiday without her

Not sure if you missed the post where I said I would rather not go away at all than leave my dog in kennels or somewhere where they’re not comfortable. Please don’t make assumptions about where my priorities lie when it comes to my dog

@ImpatientlyWaitingForSummer with any Borrowmydoggy borrower I would go out on the first walk. From that it’s pretty obvious if they are comfortable with dogs and if you trust them. But we’re pretty trusting people tbh. I don’t think it’s for you if you want to go out with them loads before letting them solo dog walk.

Yes I agree, I don’t think this will really be a viable option for us but was curious as to what other people’s experience was. I’m confident I’ll end up ruling it out though

I do get it. I’d never use kennels. Hmmmm. Actually my puppy’s breeder runs kennels so possibly I might. Actually no, they’d still be miserable even though looked after. They’d be ok with home boarding but it’s finding someone you’d trust which is the issue.

For using something like Trusted Housesitters, it’s also a risk versus reward approach. Rookiedog loves being at home and is a fairly low maintenance pooch. If we choose a well reviewed sitter, then the most likely thing that might go wrong is that he would be left by himself a bit too long or not get as many walks. We can all live with that, versus my friends put their young dog into kennels and when they picked him up he promptly tried to bite his owner ( it was a lab with no history of aggression) and wet himself ( previously toilet trained). I just don’t trust kennels at all and if someone has 20+ positive reviews for pet sitting, I am happy to leave our dog in their care.

@rookiemere thank you I will look into this as an alternative option, I’d never actually heard of this!

We used to use kennels but stopped as our dog has summer allergies and would tear at her paws. Once she came home with an open wound that took months to heal so we stopped. For overseas trips now we've been using boarders from Pawshake, she stays in their home and is much happier and has closer supervision. We are actually meeting a new sitter soon as our current one is pregnant and taking a break.

We use Rover, and would recommend. Not had any issues at all in 8 years. The sitters information, experience and reviews are all available to see, they are insured and monitored.

The Rover guarantee isn't worth the paper its' written on. Please don't depend on it to provide any kind of insurance - all sitters should have their own insurance and follow their own local laws with regards to licensing. As for monitoring - they do none whatsoever. it's just an advertising/booking platform, nothing else.

@ImpatientlyWaitingForSummer I think you might be better off using something like Rover rather than Trusted Housesitters as it’s still strangers that will be coming to your house. We used Rover a few times - rookiedog went to the sitters- but it turned into a bit of a faff as I picked the one who had the best reviews and although he was marvellous, he was a fair trek across town. For paid sitter when we need one now, DH identified a dog walker he thought did a good job and rookiedog liked so we use her on some occasions.

I have a dog , a Rottweiler who can be reactive with other dogs, therefore I wouldn’t leave him with anyone apart from his dog walker who’s he’s known since he came home with me , his quirky personality just wouldn’t lend itself to people who don’t know him ,
But I have a friend who walks a dog through BMD and has done for several years , and the arrangement works fabulously , she is a much less high maintenance dog than mine though ,
so probably similar to children , if it works for your dog then great 😊 . You will know in your gut you trust this person fairly early on I think .

We used them as a borrower after losing several dogs close together and missing them so very much. I didn’t feel ready at that point to get another dog but very much missed a dog around the house. At home due to health issues and have a house/ garden that’s great for dogs so felt we’d be a good fit for someone who needed a little bit of companionship for their dogs when at work.

We were lucky to meet a lovely lady who was looking for exactly this. Just someone she could drop him off with for a few hours so he wasn’t left alone when meetings or appointments popped up. Although I think we were lucky as others who contacted us seemed to want holiday care which I was reluctant to do for a dog I didn’t know.

We took the meet ups very slowly which was perfect. First couple of times she just popped around for a chat and once we felt comfortable then popped out for half an hour and gradually increased it. We met quite frequently initially and just went at the dogs pace tbh and we made sure he had a great time with agreed treats and toys. It was mutually beneficial, I looked after him as I genuinely enjoyed his doggy company and he helped me heal after a difficult spell and his lovely owner got someone to help out if she needed. She was respectful not to ask us too often which I appreciated.

We met with one other owner but we didn't really gel in the same way and the days/ timings they wanted didn't really match with ours.

We have our own little rescue dog now but we’re still in touch and meet up from time to time.

I’m a new borrower on Borrow My Doggy. After losing my 2 beautiful girls in the last few years the house felt empty and depressing. We decided to prioritise holidays this year though as the last few years we just holidayed in the UK with the dogs as we didn’t want to leave them with anyone.

Anyway, currently sat here at home with our borrowed doggie for the day! It’s her second time with us and we are loving having her, she’s a small breed just like my much missed girls and reminds me looks and personality wise of one of them.

When I put my profile up, I included pictures of my girls and a picture of me with them. One of the pictures shows one of my girls celebrating her 16th birthday (with a balloon) so people could see how well cared for they were.

Best £12.99 I’ve spent in ages!

I’ve had a lot of enquiries, but I’m just going to stick to one dog at a time for now. Hopefully the current arrangement will continue 😍😍

Try your local vet. Ours has lots of ads on the board for pet sitting and home stays with people who are known to the practice, including some of their nurses.

Absolutely not a chance in hell.

I just think surely this is how sick f*cked up people who like to abuse animals would gain access to animals.

No fucking way. It only takes one sicko and i would NEVER forgive myself. Even when you return, you have no way of knowing what happened while you were away and your dog cannot tell you.

I would cancel the holiday if I couldnt find a trusted arrangement with someone we both already know. Are you actually going to enjoy it, wondering and hoping your dog is safe with that stranger from the internet?

We have just lost our beloved cat and DH and I due to travelling about have decided we cannot commit to another pet. We were thinking if doing something like this as it would suit us, are people not vetted and checked? The Cinnamon trust do vet people so we were thinking of offering this in a few months, but that’s only for people who are unwell and need dog walkers and sitters.

I would look at Rover app before borrow my doggy, but don’t think either is ideal. I’d rather find someone for the afternoon and see how that goes than advertise for a week

I use borrow my doggy and my dog loves her borrowers, but it is very much at their pace, when they fancy taking her out for a walk, but I wouldn’t use them for holidays it’s too much responsibility. She might go camping with them because she loves it and I trust them but I would be around to collect her if needed. I would use a local licensed dog boarder where your dog stays in their house and just get recommendations from local dog walkers. She goes to family but I know who I would use if she couldn’t. Rover is very hit and miss, I found a fantastic sitter on there but the other two times it wasn’t a great experience.

Go on your local fb page and ask for recommendations. I would then
leave my dog for a night beforehand just to see how they are when they return .

If you use Trusted Housesitters, I would suggest only using an experienced sitter with plenty of reviews. The sitter stays in your house during your holiday which is good for the dog as it stays in familiar environment. I've been doing sitting through this website for 5 years and love it! I've met a lot of sitters who would do whatever your dog needs, but it is up to you to find a great sitter. If you have any questions about the service or want a 25% discount code, let me know.

.oops didn't mean to respond to this message

A friend and her partner do dog sitting, they started off as being on one of the dog sitting websites but now have their regulars. They always had a visit from the dog first and usually a trial overnight, they have refused dogs in the past who were too difficult ( usually the owner not the dog 😊). So pick your people carefully.

Try Trusted Houseitters. I though Borrow My Doggy was just for walks ?
A family member is a borrower, can’t own a dog atm. She’s built a lovely relationship with the dog and owner.

I used them as a borrower and was stunned how cheeky people are. Requests for all day care Mon-Friday, or week long stays from the start. Or people who wanted complicated care arrangements, like accessing alarmed houses etc. when they’re at work or asking for references..
I met a dog and had a nice time but it didn’t quite gel - soon afterwards we got a dog ourselves.
When I retire and when my own dog passes on, I’d consider it again when I could filter through the cheeky owners.

Also one of my friends used BMD and grew fond of a dog: weekends, holidays etc.
Then the owners just said “do you want to keep the dog?” and they did! They couldn’t bear the idea of the dog going to a shelter as the owner had lost interest.
It sums up some of the borrowers’ mentality.