Sniffspotting
These public yet private playgrounds for dogs provide new adventures
By Rachel Brix, CCBC-KA, CPDT-KA
I began taking my dogs to Sniffspots a few years ago. We’ ve always had fenced in yards, but the idea of exploring new territories off leash quickly became part of the training plan for my reactive dog once I discovered this online company that rents private property for public use, billing them as“ private dog parks.” But only the people and dogs who reserve the time are allowed in the space for that booking, so there’ s no worry about a typical dog park scene where there could be issues with other dogs.
Sniffspot, the moniker of both the company and its spaces for rent, offers a win-win: property owners can make passive income by renting out their spaces to those of us who have dogs; and those of us with dogs get access to private spaces to go for enjoyment, enrichment, exercise, play, training, peaceful walks, water fun, meet ups and doggy dates. The company sets property owners up with insurance and rules are in place to ensure consistency, safety, and ease of use. The site is comprehensive and has a FAQ section, and a wealth of blog posts about various topics of canine interest written by trainers.
The site works much like Airbnb and VRBO sites, complete with filters for location and amenities and preferred containment( or lack of). For a nominal charge, usually between $ 4 and $ 10 per onehour visit, patrons have the property to themselves. Some properties’ costs can be a little higher and, depending on how many dogs you have, there may be additional charges. While there’ s no charge to use the website, you can purchase a subscription, called Sniffpass, which offers discounts and three different tiers for monthly billing. The calendar is very user-friendly and shows upcoming available dates / times and you can favorite certain sites.
You can read and post reviews of each property, similar to Airbnb and VRBO sites. Each Sniffspot listing highlights pertinent details, pictures, reviews, amenities, and you can message the host and book once you’ ve registered and signed Sniffspot’ s participation waiver. Most of the hosts I have been in contact with have been very accommodating and responsive. I have only been to one where the gate did not latch properly, and the yard was in poor shape. All the others have had the grass mowed, the yards are tidy, and the fencing is sturdy with no gaps.
Filters also provide for choosing whether it’ s okay for other people, other dogs or pets, or other distractions to be around while visiting. Many spots are fenced, but filters also allow for searching for fully or partially fenced and even unfenced. I’ ve seen unfenced options as large as 20 acres, which is a nice private walk( on leash for us) on private property. Personally, I always choose the completely fencedin options so my guy can safely experience the many benefits of being off leash. At the time of writing, and according to Sniffspot’ s website, its catalog of available spots includes: 40,513 full fenced options; The author ' s dog, Apache, enjoys exploring a Sniffspot property.
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Summer 2025 15