Waggy Tales - Owner Lilly and Herbie, London

Lilly joined BorrowMyDoggy to find her Shih Tzu, Herbie, some new friends for when she was out and about. The duo matched with borrower Lisa, and as Lilly says, “it’s so nice to see how much Herbie makes Lisa happy and vice versa.”

Below is their story. When you’re done, enjoy a read through Lisa’s side of the Waggy Tale here.

Tell me a bit about Herbie

Everyone loves Herbie. People know me as “Herbie’s owner” instead of Lilly! He is such a happy dog and really, really friendly, if a bit excitable sometimes! His favourite things in the whole world are chicken, tennis balls, snuggles and people.

Why did you sign up to BorrowMyDoggy?

It’s only me and Herbie and I had been ill so it was very hard looking after Herbie on my own. I had looked up dog sitters, which were all very expensive and I wasn’t sure about some of them. Herbie’s also very attached to me and I thought it would good for us to have a little time apart sometimes, so I thought I’d give BorrowMyDoggy a chance.

How was Herbie being looked after before BorrowMyDoggy?

Just by me and friends stepped in when I was desperate. It was very hard as a lot of them didn’t have dogs themselves and weren’t really dog people so it wasn’t really fair on them or Herbie.

How was your 'Welcome Woof'? What did you do? What did you talk about?

To be honest up until actually meeting Lisa, Herbie’s borrower, I was very nervous as I’m quite overprotective of Herbie! I wanted to make sure that Herbie, myself and Lisa were happy before we set up anything so we met up and went for a walk in the park.

Herbie immediately loved Lisa, she was so good with him which was great to see. We had a lovely chat and I felt completely reassured that this would work. By the end of the walk I knew that this would be a perfect arrangement

How did you know you that Herbie was ready for his first outing with Lisa?

Just by seeing that Lisa loved Herbie as much as i did!

How do you get on with Lisa?

Brilliant! She has been really supportive and very kind to both of us. She’s always so friendly and easy to get on with. I’ve hopefully made a new friend as well as Herbie.

How has BorrowMyDoggy made a difference in you and Herbie’s life?

Its great! To be honest, it’s just been so lovely to have an occasional break. Herbie’s always so happy and tired when he gets back so really I have the whole day off.

What has been the biggest benefit in joining BorrowMyDoggy?

The biggest benefit has been meeting Lisa. It’s so nice to see how much Herbie makes Lisa happy and vice versa. It’s been great for me on days when I haven’t been well and also means I have been able to do things without worrying about when I have to get back for Herbie. I love Herbie, but it’s nice to have a day off now and again! It also means I miss him and appreciate him even more.

Have you noticed any difference in your dog since joining BorrowMyDoggy?

Definitely! He has grown in confidence with others when I am not there and he isn’t as clingy. Lisa has been taking him to agility as well and he loves it so much we have started training too.

Would you recommend BorrowMyDoggy to friends? What would you tell them?

Yes I would. It’s a great place to meet people from your community and it’s beneficial to everyone: the dog, the borrower and the owner, which is lovely!

Describe your BorrowMyDoggy experience in one sentence.

It’s been fantabulous and I’m SO glad we joined!