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I tried out a startup that lets you borrow someone else's dog - here's what it's like

I tried out a startup that lets you borrow someone else's dog - here's what it's like

Liam Berkeley started Bark'N'Borrow in 2014. He and his girlfriend wanted a dog but couldn't have one themselves at the time. So he created a network for people to borrow other people's dogs. You can use Bark'N'Borrow to find a cute dog nearby to take on a walk or hang out with for a few hours. It's free — you don't get paid to take a dog on a walk — though the company has expanded to paid jobs for professional sitters.

I tried out a startup that lets you borrow someone else's dog - here's what it's like

When you download the app, you're prompted to make a profile about yourself. I added a picture of me holding my parents' dog.

This is what dog owners see of you, so you want to make it clear you're a dog person. I think I spent longer crafting my Bark'N'Borrow profile than I ever have my Tinder bio.

You can set up a series of preferences — the breeds and sizes of dogs you want to hang out with, the kinds of visits you'd like to have, etc.

You can set up a series of preferences — the breeds and sizes of dogs you want to hang out with, the kinds of visits you

Once you finish setting up your borrower's profile, you're all set to start looking at dogs. Profiles are hand-verified, Berkeley says, which assures you're only meeting up with real people and their dogs.

If you're a dog owner, you can tap on the "sitters" tab to check out the potential sitters around you.

If you

Here's what it looks like when you're scouting out a dog to borrow on the platform. You can sort by breed, temperament, location, and other features.

Here

The dog profiles are pretty cute.

The dog profiles are pretty cute.

If a dog has special needs, an owner can input information about him or her, along with a short biography.

If a dog has special needs, an owner can input information about him or her, along with a short biography.

Once you find a dog you want to meet up with, you can message its owner to discuss logistics and to meet in person. Owners and borrowers can talk in specifics about the dog and agree to meet up before any sort of borrowing takes place.

Once you find a dog you want to meet up with, you can message its owner to discuss logistics and to meet in person. Owners and borrowers can talk in specifics about the dog and agree to meet up before any sort of borrowing takes place.

After exchanging a set of messages and emails with his owner, I met up with Charles in a park near my apartment. I was a little nervous — I wasn't really sure what to expect at a dog meet-up. Charles, his owner, and I went for a walk together and it was surprisingly fun. It might not be a service for everyone, but it's essentially the sharing economy ... for dogs. If you can't have a dog yourself for whatever reason and want to feel like you do, Bark'N'Borrow is probably the most convenient way to do it.

After exchanging a set of messages and emails with his owner, I met up with Charles in a park near my apartment. I was a little nervous — I wasn

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