New to this

Hi everyone

I am completely new to this so bare with me.
I have a question to ask you all regarding an idea i have. Would you use a service that allowed you to match your furry friend with a local dog lover (some one who'd love to look after pooch for free every now and then)?
Providing there were safety checks and some kind of insurance in place, would you have any other concerns of using a service like this?

thanks heaps in advance for any comments all very much appreciated, good and bad!

Hi.Welcome to Dogsey
Sounds like a great idea but I think most dog owners would have questions about the service.I know I do,such as;
On reading the information given it sounds like the members of this service are dog lovers,would love to have the experience and company of a dog,maybe for some reason they can't have one of there own,is that correct?
If so and they are willing to look after dogs for free,would it not be a better idea to offer the service to local rescues?Having the added bonus of dogs always being available and also giving them a much needed break from kennels?Be a huge benefit to both parties I'd imagine
Maybe I'm wrong and the service offered is for a different reason,if so,I apologise and I can see how the service would benefit some people.
For me,and I'm being totally honest to help you from a dog owner and potential client's view point the words "for free" ring alarm bells for most people If you can explain further the reasons behind that while offering the service I think more people would be interested.

Hi Lacey!!

Awesome feedback and thoughts, thanks!!

When I free I mean after the initial fee, sorry i should have clarified that a bit more The intention would be to charge an annual subscription, both for dog lovers and dog owners, which would a) provide safety mechanisms such as insurance and access to a 24/7 vet line, and b) try to ensure that people would not use the service for the wrong reasons. There are so many of us out there, myself included that feel guilty about leaving our beloved pets at home alone all day and I thought this might be a way to make the dogs life better day to day - after all, for most dogs the more attention the better! haha. But yes you are right that it would be dog lovers who for whatever reason could not have a dog themselves and want some quality time with a fury companion that would appreciate them!

Oh that's a whole different ball game then Wish we had a service like that closer to me for holiday time especially Would like to get to know the person mine would be paired with though,for a while before I'd let her go with them.Also like to check out where she'd be staying etc,same as I would with kennels.Change of tune for me then think the service is a great idea

Definitely! And I'm exactly the same, would absolutely want to meet them on a few occasions to make sure the dog was comfortable. Thanks so much for your comments, really appreciated

Are you talking about boarding, if only for a short time? I would make sure they have a home boarding licence in the first place. It really does not matter how much or what is paid or even as an annual fee, as soon as money passes hands it is a business. All it needs is for a neighbour to complain to the local council and not only would the dogs on the premises be removed but whoever was doing it would land up in court with a possible ban for life on keeping animals

This may seem like scare tactics which is the intention, if not done legally then I personally would not even consider using such a service

ME
Ex professional kennel (licenced for 116 dogs and 42 cats) owner for over 21 years, now retired, and dog owner for more than 40 years, so my advice is through experience

There is a site I stumbled upon a while ago. Not sure how I got there, might have been RSPCA or Dogs Trust that had a link to it.
https://www.borrowmydoggy.com/

Opps, should have looked at the page first, it's a partner of Dog's Trust.
Having just lost Cookie I would be open to looking after a nice dog for someone else, to have a dog around but not get overly attached and have to deal with medical side/long term ect. My OH would never go for it and it would be too risky with us having small animals too.

Oh yes just as much as I'd trust someone wanting to watch my kid for free.