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When I was a kid I begged constantly for a dog. Both of my parents worked, and they told me it wasn't possible. "We don't have the time or the energy to give an animal. It wouldn't be fair to it," my mother would say, smartly ignoring my whining and claims that I was the most underprivileged, dogless child in all the land.
When I moved out on my own, the first thing I did, me of no boundaries and even less time, was get a dog - a puppy, no less. He ruled my life in no time. Of course I fell in love with him, as tiny and perfect and affectionate as he was, but his needs were way over my head. We failed puppy kindergarten together, or so I was told by the pet behaviorist who worked there. I lacked boundaries, she said. I was not asserting myself as the alpha, she said. And finally, after several months of crying when he had an accident in the apartment again (NOT HIS FAULT. You gotta go, you gotta go. So what if that big human person is in the shower?) and building my single person/student schedule around his every bodily function and need, I did what any bright, totally together person would do. I got another dog.
He needed company, I told myself. He shouldn't be alone when I was at school and work, even though I came home whenever I could. An older dog would do the trick. She'd be a good example, she'd be calmer. This time, she was a rescue, a five year old Boston who'd lived in a crate for her entire life as a breeder, was food aggressive, and, contrary to what the elderly home breeder/puppy mill runner told me, was not at all potty trained.
This is where the "bright and well-adjusted" thing is supposed to kick in, right? Let's just say that by the end of that first glorious year, I was able to tell my mother, not for the first or last time, of course, that she was right. This dog business was a big deal. And although I wouldn't have ever traded my dogs or what they've taught me, it was difficult, and not always the best for them either, I'd imagine, although they were fed and loved and had Champagne medical care on my grad school beer budget.
I am therefore the first to say that owning a pet is a serious commitment, given that the five-month-old, three-pound hellion who started fights with the labs at puppy school is upstairs, an old man of 12, waiting patiently for his nighttime medication. But for those who feel that all they can give a pet is part-time love and attention, but still want the occasional rewards of spending time with an animal that they can "sort of" call their own, FlexPetz claims it has the answer. The following comes from their Website:
FLEXPETZ is a shared dog ownership concept that provides our members with access to a variety of FLEXPETZ dogs. All FLEXPETZ dogs complete obedience training and some FLEXPETZ dogs are also certified as therapy dogs.
Through the FLEXPETZ shared dog ownership concept, members can spend from just a few hours to a number of days with each of our dogs. FLEXPETZ dogs are available in varied breed sizes to ensure compatibility with our member's individual lifestyles and unique circumstances.
(Photo of Marlena Cervantes, the founder of FlexPetz, with two of the service's dogs, Loki (right) and Jackpot., courtesy AP, photographer Chris Park)
All of this caring and sharing is clearly not for the weak of wallet. Membership costs $49.95 a month, which is reported to contribute towards care for the dogs, on top of an "Annual Account Maintenance charge" of $99.95, plus a fee of $150.00 payable at registration for a mandatory one hour introduction session with a trainer. The "Daily Doggy Time" charge is $24.95 on a weekday, $39.95 on a weekend, plus tax. They throw in a free "Convenience Package" that includes a dog bed, bowls and a custom leash. For each night that you plan to keep a FLEXPETZ dog, they provide food. Pay up, and I guess you can hit the dog park or the couch, it's up to you.
The Humane Society of the United States officially opposes the practice.
The Humane Society of the United States is critical
