Projo Offbeat Blog

Dog lovers are howling over a dog rental business that plans to open a branch in Boston this spring, according to a story on Boston.com.

Dog rentals? Why didn't somebody come up with this idea sooner?

In an age where people have trouble committing to marriage, jobs or cell phone plans, some people are finding it tough to commit to Fido, so a dog rental seems like the perfect friendship of convenience.

"You bring me my slippers, I'll scratch behind your ears -- but only one day a week. And I reserve the right to scratch another dog next week."

Critics say it's unfair to the dogs, bounces them from home to home, and doesn't provide stability, but I think it's great for humans.

If dad wants to watch the Patriots on Sunday afternoon, he can rent a dog to entertain the kids -- maybe a Siberian Husky to pull them around on a sled.

If your kids tend to roam the neighborhood and you have trouble rounding them up for dinner, how about renting a sheep dog?

If the kids are having trouble with a neighborhood bully, why not rent a German Shepherd for weekend walks just to send a message?

The best part of all this? You can send the dog back for the night -- after it's done rounding up the kids -- so you don't have to worry about getting up at 1 a.m. to let the dog do its business on the neighbor's lawn.

The company, FlexPetz of California, has already opened branches in New York, San Diego and Los Angeles and says its service is great for busy professionals who like dogs but don't have enough time to own one.

I'm also thinking their service would be great for the single guy trying to meet Miss Right. Cute puppies are a great way to meet women. A Saturday morning rental could lead to a Saturday night date.

And since some single guys might have trouble managing the commitment of both a pet and a girlfriend, the dog could go back to FlexPetz -- at least until the girlfriend decides to move on.

Politicians are also perfect candidates. All those nights on the fundraising circuit must make it tough to keep a pet at home, and, surely, it's difficult for them to commit to one dog when they just can't tell whether voters like Beagles better than Golden Retrievers.

Still, a front-page photograph of the candidate throwing a stick to a Lab must be worth a few points in the polls anywhere. It could prove almost as valuable as a photograph of the candidate playing catch with a cute kid.

Now has anyone thought of FlexKidz?

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