Rent a pet?

That story makes me want to run screaming into the night, or cry.

What a horrible idea. How horrible for the dogs. I guess we can only be glad they haven't tried it with cats (who would undoubtedly freak out a lot more).

UMMM I dont like this idea at all... Dogs and cats have attachements and rehomeing is hard enough ... but to rehome daily ??? YIKES

Hmmmmm.....well, at first blush the idea seems repulsive. But......I think maybe that's too harsh. Using sociable animals used to being with many different people could work. Having a "regular home" for the animals could work. Perhaps it could work something like a "rent-to-adopt" Completely dismissing it out of hand without reading the entire article.......really....my opinion moderated when I did. For example:
Hmmmm.....I'm going to suspend judgment. It might work. But's it's certainly worth somebody keeping a close eye on them.

There are hotels that "rent" you a dog during your stay.

Would it be acceptable to do the same with children? No. Enough said.

Hmmm...I had an idea like that about men...

Ha/Ha/Ha!!

All of us dog owners better NEVER leave our dogs home alone ever again.
We wouldn't leave our children home alone would we? No. Enough said.

I actually try not to leave my dog alone at home .... But she is 11.5 and evan if human could be alone for a few hours

FYI, this is nothing new. They've been renting out dogs to dog lovers in Japan for years! It came out on the Discovery Channel over here a long while ago...celebrating the Lunar year of the Dog.

I agree with Coaster. it sounds like a bad idea at first but, if you think about it... it sounds like she knows what she's doing, and with the right dogs i.e sociable and super friendly and all that, it just might be a good idea. some pets form one-on-one deep relationships, but what she is doing is more akin to a family dog, there is more than one (pardon those who dislike this word, right now i can't think of a better one.)"master" that they listen too, play with, love etc. i imagine that being a, what was it, animal therapist, that if a dog formed a deep one-on-one relationship with a "shared owner" then she would recognize the signs and do all she can to help the dog and person. "rent-a-pet" sounds like she is just letting the person with the highest bid take the animal for the day. from what i understand, she has the potential part-time owner spend time with them to ensure that everything will work out. most of the members are just looking for companionship, and that little bit of time they have it pretty much ensures that it will be all the sweeter. there will undoubtedly be some bad experiences for whatever reason, but it can't be worse than people becoming foster parents for pets. and she sounds like she would stop it from continuing i.e dropping the member or whatever. i can see how it would be great for both people and certain dogs. it's like getting a pet you see only when it is the best fit for both of you. and the caretaker is there the rest of time. i have no problem with it. it takes a certain combination of the animal and the member but i can see how it is a great deal for both.

While I can understand members of this community equating our pets with human children, the fact of the matter is that they are not human children. They don't even become a member of a family until after adopted. The dogs in question here aren't yet a member of a family. I think the general public would consider putting this program on the same level as renting human children far-fetched. If this program finds homes for some dogs that would otherwise be homeless; if it convinces some petless people of the joys (and responsibilities) of pet ownership, then I think it's worth keeping an open mind and seeing how it works out. If I understood the article correctly, the person running the show is an animal behaviorist. I'm sure she's taken into account whatever adverse impact this may have on the dogs. It sounds to me like it's been well thought out.

Of course I wouldn't rent out my children (if I had any) and I wouldn't rent out my cats, either. That's ridiculous. They're members of my family. These dogs aren't part of a family yet. This might be seen to be a kind of fostering. A dog in search of a home.

How has it been working out in Japan?

I will not compare pets to children. What I will say is this:

Ever seen dogs in shelters who have been bounced around? They are often "unstable" as a result of so much moving & develop issues.

Why can't these people go to shelters & walk the dogs there?

The lady is a behaviorist. I'm sure she's well aware of this and won't use dogs that could be a problem with. (See quote in my post above.) Nevertheless, it would be wise for the program and the animals to be monitored by their local Humane Society. As it probably will be.

And just to be clear, I do NOT think this would be a good idea at all with cats.

yeah, cats, definantly not. it might work on miracle cats but not on the general population.

I heard of a Pet lending Libray on a TV show in which children agree to having a pet for one week only, 100 times and then they get to adopt one pet frm the libray If their parents are okay with it.

They have everything from Cockroches to a dog, two kids signed up,two little girls had alot of fun and learned valueable lessons IMO

If like children, wouldn't that be like a parent who works a lot and takes them to a babysitter all the time? If it is the same people that the dog goes to...

Instead of paying someone to watch your kids, it would be like them paying you to watch your kids... that sounds a little weird with kids huh...

I think it would be better than just being in a kennel. At least they would get attention and love.

JMO

I'm a little nonplussed by the sarcasm (and no the smiley doesn't fully negate it).

Yes, once my children were capable of looking after themselves and were old enough, of course I would leave them at home alone. And the same with our dogs. Once they are capable of being alone, they get left alone if we have to leave the house. It doesn't happen often - same as it wouldn't with kids - but their level of autonomy as dogs, and their ability to look after themselves, has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not they should be farmed out as rental appliances to people.

I don't understand the comparison between leaving dogs at home alone and renting them out to people?

I have been thinking about this a lot, and I feel that perhaps it's not 100% a bad idea - at least the motivation behind it is coming from the right place - but I do feel that animals are not commodities to be traded, and it would have to be some very special and confident dogs to be able to cope with the constant change.

Being pack animals, dogs are much happier with people and other dogs than being alone for extended periods. This could actually enhance that experience for dogs because it would mean they are always with someone, always looked after, and always stimulated. But, like other animals, they also need security, consistency and to belong. If their routine is regular - say, the same people the same days etc - then it might work.

But what about when people get sick of them? Or change their routine? Or anything else? I still can't help but think of the potential for disaster inherent in this idea. Although, all the poor dogs in shelters out there would probably be a lot happier with this arrangement than the one they currently have.

It's hard to decide how I feel about this, actually. I work as a behaviourist, too, and there is a lot of conflict in my mind as a result.

http://www.itchmo.com/ceo-with-sordi...g-service-2018