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Preparing for a Welcome Woof

Preparing for a Welcome Woof | Owner tips

So you’ve been getting to know a potential borrower on BorrowMyDoggy, and now is the time to meet up. It’s exciting, but we understand that you might be a bit nervous too.

You want to find the pawfect match, that makes you and your pooch happy, someone that you can build a long-lasting, trusting relationship with.

Taken from the combined experience of our members and our team’s experiences as borrowers and owners themselves, this guide should leave you feeling prepared for your ‘Welcome Woof’.

 

This guide will cover:

  • Meeting a borrower for the first time
  • Arranging the location
  • Communication
  • Bonding
  • Next steps after you’ve met

 

Meeting a borrower for the first time

The first step towards building a lasting relationship is what we call the ‘Welcome Woof’ - a meet and greet for the owner, borrower, and dog to get to know each other.

BorrowMyDoggy takes safety very seriously, and in addition to our verification checks, which all BorrowMyDoggy premium owners and borrowers have to pass through before any messaging or borrowing, it’s really important that owners, borrowers and of course dogs, get to know each other before a dog is taken care of by a borrower.

Just as you would with, for example, a babysitter, kennels or a dog walker, you should always build up a relationship and make sure everyone is happy!


Location
Arrange your ‘Welcome Woof’ using the messaging page on our website or app, without having to exchange any personal details. We recommend meeting in a neutral, public space like a park that your dog regularly goes to or is familiar with.

Of course, this depends on your circumstances. If a park doesn’t work for you, then choose the next best thing that still allows you to get to know the borrower in person, but is still, somewhere you and your pooch feel comfortable, and the borrower too!

Communication

Open communication lets you, your potential borrower and your dog, get the most out of BorrowMyDoggy.

Always be open and honest from the start, and if you can’t make a meetup, or don’t think a match is going to work, just politely let a borrower know.

A ‘Welcome Woof’ is a great time to chat about what you both want from being a member of the BorrowMyDoggy community.
Borrowers aren’t paid dog walkers or kennels, so their availability might vary, but chatting about that right from the start can let you find extra borrowers, if needed, to make sure you’ve got all the help you’re looking for.

 

Ask Questions

It’s important to ask the borrower lots of questions, so you can get to know them. Questions should include:

  • Have they owned or borrowed a dog before?
  • Do they have any experience with this size of dog or breed?
  • Why did they join BorrowMyDoggy?
  • What are they looking for from the experience?
  • What times and days are they available to potentially help you out?
  • How long would they be able to help out during these times?

Tell them all about your pooch

Every dog is different, and it’s really helpful to borrowers to know and understand what makes your pooch the individual they are. For example, if your dog doesn’t like other dogs or strangers, that is really important to tell a borrower.

If your dog has dislikes, like being picked up, loud noises, busy roads, skateboards/bikes etc. then give your borrower this information.

Borrowers love to learn more about your pup and telling them all about your dog’s past is really helpful. Like is your dog a rescue dog, or do they have separation anxiety, and you can discuss further if there’s anything specific you do for these things.

A very important discussion is around off-lead walking. If you and the borrower are comfortable with the dog being walked off-lead when they are with the borrower you must both sign BorrowMyDoggy’s off-lead consent form before this is allowed.

Don’t forget to tell your borrower if your dog likes to maybe investigate strangers’ picnics, roll in fox poo, steal socks etc, all very important things to know when spending time with your pooch.

Health issues should be discussed too. Your borrower must know if, for example, your dog has any food allergies, has issues with hearing or vision, or if they have any conditions like diabetes or epilepsy. This will be in your Doggy Info sheet, but it’s always good to chat about it to make sure they fully understand if your dog has special requirements.

 

Bonding
The ‘Welcome Woof’ is a great time for a borrower, yourself and your pooch to bond. It’s a good idea to bring treats or toys, whatever your dog responds to best, which you can give to the borrower to help them bond with your pup.

Be patient. Every dog is different, so some might see a new face and get very excited, and some might take a little longer to come around. You know your dog best so you’ll likely know how they will respond on your first meeting, but always let your dog take the lead in deciding when or if they want to engage with a potential borrower, or if a borrower is a good match for them.

What you do on your ‘Welcome Woof’ is up to you.

A first meeting can just be a short walk and a chat to get to know each other. For some dogs, once you’ve built up the dos and don’ts, and your potential borrower can see how your dog behaves, you may wish for the borrower to take the lead for a little bit.

This can help the borrower to get familiar with your dog and also help you to see how comfortable they are, as well as your dog. We know that all dogs and humans are different, some are more confident than others, so don’t worry if your pooch or potential borrower isn't ready for this step just yet. Always remember to take it at a pace that works for everyone.

We encourage members to meet several times before the borrower takes care of the dog alone, so there’s no need to rush the process.

After you’ve met
You’ve met, had a walk, asked your questions and started to get to know each other. So what happens next?

Reach out to the borrower and let them know if you’re interested in potentially having them look after your pup. Don’t be afraid to let the borrower know if you don’t think they’re the right fit for you and your dog. It’s so important that everyone is comfortable.

Keep meeting until the borrower and your dog are happy and relaxed with one another. Make sure your dog is responding to the borrower’s commands and the borrower is comfortable with handling your pooch.

And remember to share your Doggy Info sheet with your borrower before they spend time alone with your dog.

We hope you have a pawsome ‘Welcome Woof’ and if you ever need any support or would like to talk with us about your experience please reach out to our Help Team.