Pets: Taking turns in the lead role

As a rent-a-pet company prepares to launch in Britain, Tamsin Kelly talks to dog owners who share

A dog definitely isn't just for Christmas. But if you can't make that 24/7 canine commitment, then perhaps you could join a dog-share and have a dog every other year.

	Part-time pet: Linda Grabham and Merlot

Flexpetz, 'the flexible pet ownership programme' which launched in the US this year, is already taking Christmas bookings. But their members' festive break won't end with chewed-up TV controls and puddles on the carpet.

Oh no, at the end one day's 'doggy time' (40 dollars), the Flexpetz shuttle service simply picks up the rent-a-dog and returns it to the 'doggy day care centre'. If the visit was a success, the same dog can be booked for another stay, but if a member fancies a change, he can simply book a Labrador instead of an Afghan, a Boston Terrier instead of a Miniature Pinscher.

'All our members have a love of dogs but realise they can't give a dog the full-time love and commitment it needs,' says founder Marlena Cervantes, who's launching Flexpetz in London in spring 2008.

'They range from a five-year-old girl whose parents work full-time to a 65-year-old woman who's not physically able to walk a dog every day.'

Much as my children love our dog, I know they'd jump at the chance of trying out a different dog for the day. But isn't this shared ownership a bit hard on the animal, fussed over one day and back with the pack the next?

Weekend's resident pet expert Pete Wedderburn is unconvinced by commercial rent-a-dog services. 'Dogs are not toys, to be put away in the cupboard when you don't have time to play with them,' he says. 'The main issue with commercialised dog sharing is that it's people centred, rather than dog centred. If you don't have time or space for a dog, get a cat or a tank of fish.'

Commercial rent-a-pet schemes might not have reached Britain yet, but they are, in effect, a canny extension of private dog sharing arrangements, a trend which is already proving popular in Britain. Susannah Browne's six-year-old daughter Kitty is the proud owner of the fabulously named King Tubby, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. During the week, however, he lives with her grandparents. 'We'd had long discussions about how it wasn't fair on a dog if I was out at work and she was at school,' says Susannah, from Enfield, North London.

'Then one evening she was dropped home by her dad, my ex, with King Tubby, who was then a six-week-old puppy wrapped in a blanket. Of course I couldn't say no to this cuddly, gorgeous little dog. But after a day at work and a commute home, the last thing I wanted was to standing in the garden in November praising a dog for finally doing his business. I nearly had a nervous breakdown until my in-laws offered to take him during the week. I have to say Kitty's done very well outsourcing her pet care to other people.'

But Paula Greaves, founder of the animal helpline Pet Search UK, gets hot under the collar at the whole idea of dog sharing. 'Sharing a pet is a terrible idea,' she says. 'If you can't commit properly to a pet as part of your family, you shouldn't have one. Dogs have loyalties, feelings and pine for people. It just won't work to try and share your dog with a lady up the road.'

Linda Grabham, 30, from Coldridge, Devon, has had to make dog sharing work. She shares custody of her dog Merlot, a five-year-old Grand Bassett Griffon Vendeen, with a man up the road - her ex, Peter. 'We split up a year after we got Merlot,' says Linda. 'I think Peter was more upset about losing the dog than me and he pleaded to let him see her at weekends. I'm now engaged to be married to someone else but Peter and I still have this shared commitment - to Merlot.

'He works long hours but he gets a dog for the weekend. She's my shadow during the week, so I really miss her. I get irritated because I'm convinced Peter lets Merlot sleep on his bed and feeds her scraps from the table - but he denies it. For us, sharing a dog is just a bone of contention.'

But occasionally a time-share in a dog can work very smoothly. Eunice Wennberg, from Speen, Buckinghamshire, a volunteer for the charity Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, has a Cocker Spaniel called Thomas for regular bed and breakfast stays.

He's her 37th part-time dog in four years and will stay with her every night for five months. 'I started for quite selfish reasons - I loved dogs but I still wanted to be a free agent,' she says. 'I didn't realise I'd get so emotionally attached to them. Now I'd feel bad going out at night and leaving a dog alone. But it doesn't cost me anything financially: food, bedding, toys, and leads are all provided by the charity. During the day Thomas is at dog training school but coming home to a family helps socialise him more quickly.'

Jenny Moir, spokesperson for Hearing Dogs for the Deaf: 'We're really asking for people's time, love and commitment - on a part-time basis.' Sounds great in theory. But in reality, like most dog owners, I know I'm simply too selfish to share.

REALITY DOG SHARING

Can you agree on dog discipline and not compete for its affection? Can you agree on how to divide the considerable expenses of food, insurance and vaccinations?

Can you decide on the best dog? That Great Dane may not suit your bijou flat.

Can you agree on a name? Not even the most well-balanced of dogs will answer to two.

Can you take the rejection if the dog favours one home over another?

Do you have the same taste in dog accessories and bedding? That flowery Cath Kidston dog bed may not look so lovely in a minimalist home.