Some of you may be acutely aware that I’m a fan of dogs.
And when I say ‘fan’, I’m talking about 1D fandom here. I’m talking hanging off a balcony screaming ‘SCHNAUZERS I HEART YOU’ kinda fandom.
I went to Discover Dogs at the Excel last year and nearly passed out with complete happiness. I nearly crash my car every time I see an Irish wolfhound or a red setter walking along the pavement. I follow an insane amount of dogs on Instagram and basically I think dogs epitomise what love is.
In case you need persuading, here’s some very good reasons why dogs are ace:
– Dogs are always happy to see you. If you ever needed a reason to feel wanted in the world, a dog will sure as hell give it to you. Gone 5 mins? OH MY GOSH YOU’RE BACK THANK GOD I MISSED YOU SO MUCH (response of a typical golden retriever).
– Dogs don’t judge. Ate the last slice of cake? No worries. Forgot a friends birthday? Don’t sweat it. Blimey, you murdered someone? No biggie. A dog will literally love you no matter what you do.
– Dogs are emotional mirroring machines. If you’re sad, a dog will be sad too, laying by your feet and woeing the world with you. If you’re happy, a dog will join you in your joy with excessive tail wagging and HEY LETS RUN RINGS ROUND THE GARDEN TO CELEBRATE. They like FEEL you. They get you.
-Dogs can help to improve your health. They have that ‘let’s get out in the fresh air and walk until our paws/feet are tired’ kinda vibe. And that’s the vibe that’s gonna keep you alive longer folks.
-Dogs bring people/families together. Dogs can give people common ground and a common focus. My family welcomed a Tibetan Terrier into our home three years ago and he literally turned our world upside down. Now we ALWAYS have something to talk about over dinner (“Milo fell off the sea wall today and it was mega lols”) and it gives us something to do together as a family. Like going out on walks and taking him to the groomers.
So you can imagine my turmoil when I moved out the family home in December, leaving my furry best friend behind. It’s pretty tragic.
Due to working hours and commitments, Max and I can’t have a dog of our own because we just couldn’t give it the attention that it needs. So what’s a gal to do?
Enter ‘Borrow my Doggy’. And yes, it’s exactly what it says it is. A site that allows adoring dog fans (like myself) to borrow other peoples dogs.
Both borrower and borrowees create a profile and pay a yearly fee (£9.99 for a borrower, £44.99 for a borrowee) and then they match you up with local dog owners. Contact can then be made, and hopefully it results in a match.
Kinda like dating. With dogs. But no romance just pure dog friendship.
The benefits for both parties are huge. Doggy day care can be super expensive these days and many dog owners aren’t keen on traditional dog kennels. And why pay so much for that service when there are adoring doggy fans like me willing to look after a dog for no financial gain?
In return I get the company of a dog with zero pressures of having a dog full time. The dog owner gets the peace of mind that their dog is being looked after by someone on a one-to-one basis.
It’s a win/win situation right?
Plus, all members of the site are covered by third party insurance and there’s a 24 hour vet line in case of emergencies. This keeps everyone feeling relaxed and cool about the situation that you’re essentially letting a stranger look after your beloved pooch.
In theory it all sounds dandy, so I was super keen to try it out. I hurriedly put together my profile, hoping not to come across too keen. I rewrote my bio about 10 times and searched for a perfect profile photo that said ‘I LIKE DOGS BUT I’M NOT WEIRD. PROMISE.’
Profile submitted and fee paid, I was then able to see all the dog owners in my area that were looking for a borrower. It wasn’t long before I made contact with the owners of a beautiful shnoodle called Jupiter. We decided to meet for a ‘Welcome Woof’ as suggested by the site, which is basically a walk in the local park to see if both borrower and dog are well matched. The first date.
It was a refreshingly weird but wonderful situation. There we were, meeting with strangers for a dog walk.
The couple were lovely and despite the knee deep mud we waded through for the entire walk, we had a really great time. Jupiter didn’t seem to take any dislike to us, and the couple were seriously laid back about sharing their dog.
In fact, it was left that if we ever woke up one morning and really fancied taking a dog for a walk then we could just text them, pick him up and borrow him for a couple of hours. As simple as that.
I guess every dog owner is different, so everyone’s experiences will differ. As an example of this, I’ve just been contacted by a lady who’s recently had a hip operation and her dog could do with a few extra walks a week. This is obviously a completely different situation, but one that I would really like to help out with.
I think the bottom line is; ‘Borrow my Doggy’ can work in lots of different ways for lots of different people. It’s about connecting people who share a common interest and love for dogs. And at it very core, it’s about people just, y’know, helping people out.
And that my friends, restores my faith in the human race.
