Is it difficult to “sniff” out a good “spot” for your dog to get out in nature? Well, that problem is solved with a new application known as Sniffspot. With an Airbnb-like structure, dog owners can search and rent out someone’s backyard for their furry friends to frolic.
When you go to sniffspot.com or download the application onto your mobile device, just enter your location and add any specific filters of your choosing to receive recommendations for private dog parks near you. Rentals are done by the hour and prices typically range from $5 to $15 per pup.
There are several rules and regulations to ensure the safety of all parties involved. When making a reservation at the private dog park of your choice, dog owners are required to check off a box stating that their pet has up-to-date vaccinations.
Clients must always stay with their pets and pick up after them. Sniffspot also provides $2 million of liability insurance and $5,000 of damage protection.
Hosts sign up online with information about their property, upload pictures and set their availability calendar. Sniffspot ensures all properties are vetted, and hosts are verified before they begin their new venture. At press time, Sonoma and Napa counties had nine active listings. Marin offered three. The application is also spreading to neighboring Solano, Mendocino and Lake counties.
Alison Klahr, offers up her Petaluma property on sniffspot and described the joy she feels when other dogs explore her property as “unparalleled.”
“Opening up my space to four-legged friends and their owners has not only provided a unique opportunity to share the beauty of my property, but it has also introduced me to a wonderful community of pet lovers,” says Klahr.
Only owners and pets are present during the reservation time selected. Sniffspot also enforces a 30-minute buffer between scheduled times to avoid crossover with other dogs. Each listing also specifies if livestock is on a property.
Sniffspot stresses that private rentals can be beneficial for hosts, doggies and pet parents alike. They point out that typical public dog parks can be unsafe for numerous reasons—including unsocialized dogs roaming about and a lack of separation with big and small dogs. Private dog parks, on the other hand, can offer pet owners more control of the environment, so they feel their pups are safe.
Sniffspot breaks its dog parks down into various types: water parks, hiking trails, fields, indoor dog parks, fully fenced areas, agility parks, beaches—even parks designated only for smaller furry friends. Hosts will list specific details about their property and if they offer any amenities.
Massachussetts couple David and Rebecca Adams founded Sniffspot in 2018. The pair are pet parents to two dogs Soba and Toshii. As they explain at sniffspot.com, they had numerous negative experiences at public dog parks and felt there was a lack of open space for their dogs to roam free. And that was the inspiration for the Sniffspot we know today.
The Adamses insist that private dog parks are the ideal place for pets.
“Dogs have the cognitive ability of a toddler, but they can run 20 miles per hour,” they say on the website. “This makes managing dogs in public areas a full-time job and public spaces are not good for dog off-leash exercise.”
