BorrowMyDoggy Etiquette

The BorrowMyDoggy community is such a pawsome place where we all share a love of dogs. As a member of our pack we hope, and expect, that you are happy to follow and respect these guidelines to make sure that our community continues to stay safe, trusted and loved.

If you ever have any questions or concerns we ask that you contact our team, we are always here to help.

Get to know each other

BorrowMyDoggy is based on building trust and friendships within your local communities. Although all of our Premium members must complete our safety checks before being able to speak to one another, owners, borrowers and dogs should get to know each other really well before a dog is borrowed. This includes exchanging several messages, meeting a number of times and can even include house visits.

As BorrowMyDoggy owner Kate shared, "At no point was my borrower, Selene, a stranger. By the time that I decided Minnie was going to spend time alone with her, Selene was my friend."

Keep dogs on leads

When borrowing a dog, to ensure their safety please keep them on the lead unless you have received written permission from the owner. Once permission is granted please walk your borrowed dog in a safe and enclosed area where their owner has agreed they can be off lead.

Both owners and borrowers should keep our Off the Lead form handy to sign.

For the love of dogs

BorrowMyDoggy is all about sharing the love of dogs and therefore money should never be exchanged between owners and borrowers. Not only is this not how our community works, but it will also void the insurance provided as being a Premium member.

Our borrowers are volunteering their time

Please remember our borrowers are not paid dog walkers so they may not be able to walk or care for your dog at the same time every day. Of course, many borrowers would happily do this just for the joy of spending time with a dog, but as each match is different please keep an open mind to when and how often a borrower can lend a helping hand.

Set a date, time and place

To avoid any confusion, we always recommend that you set a specific time and place when picking up and dropping off a dog. This is particularly important if your dog is being borrowed for a longer period, like a holiday. If you can get this in writing to refer back to, that’s even better!

Share or request a Doggy Info sheet

Before you borrow a dog for the first time, or if your dog is being taken on a walk or day out we always recommend sharing their Doggy Info Sheet. This includes all the information a borrower might need.

As a minimum please share your contact information (like your phone number) with a borrower or owner when borrowing a dog for the first time, as it's always helpful to have this on hand if you have any questions. And make sure to keep your info sheet updated with any changes.

Be kind and respectful

It goes without saying but always be pleasant and approachable to other members of the community. We pride ourselves on being a kind and happy place, so please treat others how you’d like to be treated.

However, if you’re ever worried about something you’ve seen on BorrowMyDoggy or a member’s profile, please do not hesitate to contact our team directly who will be able to investigate further.

We hope everyone’s time on BorrowMyDoggy is happy and enjoyable. Please continue to share the love of dogs and be kind.

More guides

• Preparing for a Welcome Woof
• Creating your dog's perfect profile
• Messaging tips for owners
• Sharing your borrowing info
• Finding your pawfect borrower
• How to use BorrowMyDoggy for holiday care
• BorrowMyDoggy etiquette
• Dog owner advice from an ambassador