• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Our website uses cookies. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our use of cookies. To see what cookies we serve and set your own preferences, please review our Cookie Policy. Learn More.

The Dog People by Rover.com

Powered by Rover.com

Just another The Dog People by Rover.com Sites site

  • The Dog People by Rover.com
  • Dog Bonding
  • Dog Care
  • Dog-friendly places
    • London
    • Birmingham
    • Edinburgh
    • Manchester
    • Liverpool
  • Shopping
    • Dog Gift Guides
    • Toys and Chews
  • Dog Names
    • The 200 Most Popular Dog Names in the UK
    • Rover’s Dog Name Generator
    • The Best 250 Girl Dog Names in the UK
    • 68 Literary Dog Names for Bookish Dog Lovers
    • 16 Perfect Batman Dog Names
    • The Most Romantic Dog Names Ever
    • Popular Irish Dog Names
  • For Cat People
  • For Dog People
  • Try Rover
    • Sitter Resources
  • Languages
    • en-US
    • en-CA
    • fr-FR
    • es-ES
    • de-DE
    • it-IT
    • nl-NL
    • nb-NO
    • sv-SE
    • fr-CA

Puppies for Rent? The Surprising World of Puppy Temps

Share0Pin It0

Puppies for Rent? The Surprising World of Puppy Temps

Puppies and New Dogs
By Irene Keliher

Share0Tweet0Pin It0

Want to get some good one on one time with a dog but you can’t provide the perfect adoptive home right now? The wonderful world of puppy rental can provide you with the puppy love you crave, without any of the long-term commitment.

The concept behind puppy rental is simple. You pay to have your presence graced by a fuzzy puppy for a specified amount of time, no strings attached, and no potty training needed. If you can’t get your puppy fix being a dog sitter or dog walker (you can even provide dog boarding services) and can’t yet own a dog, puppy rental services might be a good fit.

Advertisement

Puppy Rentals: What’s the Deal?

https://flic.kr/p/emHsS

Flickr/Robert Dann

Most popular puppy rental services do more than just hire out puppy temps; they also advocate pet adoption. These include Provo Utah’s PuppiesForRent and the Seattle area’s Bravepup.

In both of these organizations, the puppies hail from unplanned litters or former owners who had second thoughts on dog ownership. They live in foster homes until they are adopted—typically by a puppy renter, into the right home.

Stress Stinks, Puppies Work

Dogs are good for our health—emotional and otherwise. Puppy rental is one way to spread these benefits to everyone. Campuses like Emory, Indiana University, and Yale have all offered puppy rental programs for their hardworking and sleep-deprived students. A scholar at Emory University’s pet therapy program explains that cortisol (aka stress hormones) levels are decreased and endorphins are increased when people interact with their pets.

For a freshman acclimating to college student life sans their beloved pooch, temporary puppy playtime can offer a sweet and much-needed taste of home—particularly during peak stress points of the academic year, like midterms and finals.

Test Drive Your Puppy Today?

Proponents also suggest that it’s a great way to figure out if a dog is a right fit for your family. What better way than to introduce them to a puppy firsthand?

Puppy rental could help your family make the leap to pet parenthood. Surprise your well-behaved girl or boy with a puppy before buying or adopting to gauge their interaction and make an informed decision on becoming a dog parent. You just might be the perfect home.

The Flip Side

It’s important to consider the possible downsides, however. For example, this argument by animal behaviorist Bill Berloni asserts that puppy rental services “reduces them [puppies] to things, things we use for our leisure.” Animals are social creatures and Carl Arky, spokesman for the Humane Society of Utah, worries about the possibility of stunted growth as a result of being passed around and heightened susceptibility to illness in the puppies’ young age.

If this dissuades you from puppy rental, there is always the option of volunteering at a nearby shelter and walking the jumbo version of puppies at no cost to you. Or as we mentioned before, become a Rover.com sitter and get paid to look after dogs!

 

Share0Tweet0Pin It0
Avatar photo

Irene Keliher

Irene Keliher is a writer, editor, content strategist, and long-time contributor to The Dog People. She is also an NEA fellow with creative work appearing in many journals. Her rescue dogs, Vera and Scout, and her vocal kitties, Jojo and Pickle, sit at her feet while she writes.

sidebar

Avatar photo
By Irene Keliher

Share This Article

Share0Tweet0Pin It0

Popular Posts

  • How to bond with your dog
  • Cat Diarrhoea: What Causes It and How To Make It Stop
  • All You Need To Know About Neutering Your Cat
  • My Cat Is Shy or Scared: How Do I Get My Cat To Trust Me?
  • 6 Tips for Training Your Territorial Dog
  • 8 Reasons Why Your Cat Licks You
  • Why Do Cats’ Eyes Glow in The Dark?
  • The 20 Best Dog Breeds for Every Type of Family and Kid
  • 5 Reasons Your Dog May Be Shaking and What to Do About It
  • How Do Dogs Choose Their Favourite Person?

Learn More

  • About Rover.com
  • Sitter Resources
  • Terms of Service
  • User Terms
  • Privacy Statement
  • Cookie Policy
  • Affiliate Disclosure
  • Download the App
  • In The Press
  • Advertise With Us

Need Help?

  • Help Center
Your privacy choices
© 2023 Rover.com. All Rights Reserved.
"Mmmm... cookies!"

While slightly less delicious than physical cookies, digital cookies help us enhance and personalize your ads and experience, analyze website traffic, and more.