Waggy Tales - Owner Nina, Otis & Spud, London

Following last week’s Waggy Tale with borrower Naomi, we now have Otis and Spud’s owner, Nina. She joined after her flatmate moved out and now, Otis and Spud get even more walkies everyday - high paws! Here’s their wagtastic tale.

How are Otis and Spud getting on with their new pal?

They adore Naomi! It’s really clear that they are more than happy in her company and they get so excited whenever they see her. I used to get them all harnessed up before she came round and now I let Naomi do it. She gives them treats and plays with them. They just love it.

How did you hear about BorrowMyDoggy?

My flatmate told me about BorrowMyDoggy as she was moving out and I was worried about having to find someone new to form a bond with my dogs and help look after them when I’m busy. I wanted to find someone who could really connect with Otis and Spud, take them for walks and even occasionally take care of them when I’m away.

How was the sign-up process and your ‘Welcome Woof’ ?

Once I’d signed up and verified my profile, I waited to hear from local borrowers. I received quite a few messages very quickly so I looked through them, checked out their profiles and got in touch with the ones that I thought would be a good match. These were the ones most local to me with good availability and nice profiles as it was so important that they have a good relationship with me and my dogs.

I met up with someone within a week of verifying, Naomi, who was the first borrower to email me. Initially, we had messaged through BorrowMyDoggy and asked each other lots of questions. Naomi seemed like a good fit straight away as she asked me sensible questions about my dogs’, including their behaviour, age and health. Once I felt comfortable doing so, we agreed to meet up for our ‘Welcome Woof’. Naomi and her husband met me, the dogs and some of my friends at a local pub. We had a drink and it went really well. For our next meet and greet we went to Battersea Park the following week. It went really well and I knew Naomi was a good match for Otis and Spud.

I have met about 7 or 8 people, including a couple who were thinking of getting this combination of dogs so just wanted a few walks to try out if they liked them. It was nice to help them out. Everybody I have met has been so lovely.

High paws! Tell us a little more about your BorrowMyDoggy experience...

We have a very ad hoc arrangement as we both live busy lives. She messages me when she’s free, mostly in the evenings, which is great as I can give them their morning walk and she takes them out in the evening. Knowing they’re happy and getting an extra walk they might not normally get makes all of us really happy. Sometimes it’s nice to sit on the sofa without a dog on your lap, so knowing they’re having fun and making someone else happy is great.

Naomi has been walking Otis and Spud for three or four months now. We get on so well. She’s so open and honest. It’s definitely a relationship that I want to continue. It’s so easy.

What's the one thing you would tell other potential owners about BorrowMyDoggy?

Go for it! There are so many lovely people on there and I’ve received so many messages. It’s a little bit of time and investment in asking questions, reading through profiles and looking for a good match. It’s worth it and good fun. Otis and Spud love it.

What one word do you associate with BorrowMyDoggy?

Epic - it is brilliant.