The cafe that I hang out at is across the street from a park where many people walk their dogs, and it's clear that dogs are a great conversation starter. If two people have dogs, the dogs will want to interact (hopefully in a friendly way), and even non-dog-owners will often want to pet other people's dogs, ask what breed they are, etc. I even know several married couples that were introduced by their dogs.
However, many people don't have the space or time to keep a dog. A well- located rental agency would provide a useful service to such people. Dogs could be rented by the hour, with premium prices charged for puppies, unusual breeds, and exotic animals (e.g. parrots, iguanas, ferrets, leash-trained cats). People who wanted the same dog each time could make reservations for a small additional fee.
This idea could also be a fundraiser for an animal shelter. In that case, the fee could be a "volunteer administration fee" and might even be tax deductable.-- Magpie, Dec 04 2004 I think this has been done before in a couple different variations. DogShareSusen had a "Loaner Dog". [blissmiss, Dec 05 2004] Certainly been thought about before http://www.darkcodi.../ideas/dogrental.pyAn idea for dog rentals [bristolz, Dec 05 2004] I hope that I never meet a man smarmy enought to rent a dog to pick up chicks, but I like that the proceeds would go to charity...-- jennyusp, Dec 04 2004 I was thinking this about two days ago: I was walking the dog belonging to a friend of a friend while she was on holiday and although I love dogs I am not around enough to have one full time. Resued dogs that might otherwise be put down would be the obvious candidates. Definitely a flakey pastry idea.-- Belfry, Dec 04 2004 You can rent guard dogs. Does that count?-- bristolz, Dec 05 2004 random, halfbakery