Had an idea.....feedback please!

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hollykb

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Just wanted to run an idea by some fellow doggy people!! I have 4 weeks coming up in a row that I need someone to look after my 5 month old puppy monday to friday. I have jury service then some work experience. He really doesn't like kennels so I looked into home boarding but it will cost me a fortune for so much time! I looked after my friends dog for a week a while ago so she has said she will swap me for a week which got me to thinking....how about a dog swap club?? Like a database of people willing to dog sit in exchange for other people dog sitting for them! It means doggys don't have to go into kennels but can go to a home that is used to dogs already, and it won't cost anything (well maybe a contribution, haven't thought that hard yet). Thought I'd run the idea by you guys, would there be many takers do you think? I realise it would take a bit of setting up but could be great I reckon! Thought please
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Sounds like a good idea to me! Thought of a few details...

-You'd need to make sure renters had the permission of their landlords to bring strange dogs in
-You'd probably be best ensuring each dog had liability insurance - actually lots of vets insurance policies also seem to include this anyway
-would you stipulate weekends only for people that work and can't have dogs with them?

Hope these are helpful points, you probably thought of them already anyway - I think it sounds like a great idea!
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Just do what my neighbour does and shut it up on a small pen in the garden 24 hours a day. She has a 5 month old springer cross that has spent at least two solid days this week barking and howling poor thing while she goes out for the day. It lives there in a kennel too. She is intending to go to college in Sept so I think that is what she intends to do with her then too. It is making me mad!! Poor little dog must be going crazy. That and the lack of any type of positive training - I can hear them shouting at the poor dog all the time and she is a gorgeous little thing. Excitable but very submissive and smart. I looked after her for 3 days when she went away and within three days had her recalling and sitting out on a walk and we were 90% there with not pulling (she doesn't get walked usually).
 
i do this with friends already
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all shooting folk too so they know how to handle the dogs and don't go throwing them sticks!
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v good idea i'd say
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I think on face value its sounds a good idea until you start to explore the pitfalls. Personally I wouldn't send my dog anywhere that wasn't officially providing a service as there would be no comeback at all if the standard of care was bad. What if he escaped from the garden and got run over, attacked by the house owners dogs, tied up outside the papershop never to be seen again. I don't think you can add strange dogs to each other in unfamiliar surroundings and expect him to be safe / happy. What if they didn't believe in exercise and just let the back door open for a wee.

There are so many pitfalls I am afraid I wouldn't consider it.
 
As with Posie Honey - I have a similar system already in place with friends in the village. We all know each other well, as do the dogs, and it works extremely well. I would never leave my dog with anyone I wasn't 110% happy with and I imagine many other people feel the same so a system would probably only work on a local-swap basis where people could have plenty of time to get to know each other. We all took the time to walk the dogs together and to spend time at each others houses with the dogs before we ever left them there so that the dogs were never left with someone they didn't know in a house they hadn't been to before.
 
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