Your Backyard Could Be a Money-Making Private Dog Park

So much so that seven years ago, Hunter, a director at her local animal shelter, moved from downtown Ottawa to rural Kemptville, ON, “in part to give our dogs more space to roam.”

“At the time, we had an English pointer mix who loved to run but needed a fence and a Great Pyrenees who was stressed out living in the city,” says Hunter. She and her partner found a log house on 15 acres and set out fencing as much of the property as they could.

In 2019, she heard about Sniffspot (sniffspot.com)—a website and app where property owners can rent out their fenced land by the hour as a safe and private dog park. The idea is similar to accommodation services offered by Airbnb and Vrbo but for pups. She signed up right away. 

Photo Heather Hunter, Kemptville Farm Dogs

Sniffspot was founded in 2018 by David Adams after his partner (now wife) Rebecca had trouble finding a place for her dog-selective pooch Toshii to run off-leash while travelling.

According to the Sniffspot website, Rebecca texted Adams: “There has to be a better way, I wish there was an app where I could find places to let Toshii off leash.” Sniffspot was born, and now has hosts offering up properties all over the world with the goal to make “a more dog-friendly place one spot at a time.”

Hosts create profiles and listings with their offerings (size of fenced property, pool, treed areas, sandboxes, parking, seating, wi-fi, etc.) with photographs, decide what to charge, and wait. Guests can browse locations and make bookings, generally to the tune of $5 to $15 USD per dog, per hour.

“I liked the idea of creating and sharing a space where people and their dogs didn’t have to worry,” says Hunter, whose park, Kemptville Farm Dogs, includes two areas totalling 9.5 acres of fenced property. Hunter’s space is expansive, but Sniffspot offerings needn’t be. Properties available range from suburban backyards to expanses of half an acre or more, dog water parks, and agility parks to hiking trails.

It’s free to download and use the Sniffspot app and free for property owners to list on Sniffspot. When a booking is made, Sniffspot collects the funds from guests up front and, after charging a percentage, pays the property owner via direct deposit once a month. In return, Sniffspot covers the property for up to $2 million USD of liability insurance and $5,000 USD of damage protection.

Currently listed are 12,156 dog parks of half an acre or more; 2,526 dog water parks; 18,856 fully fenced dog parks, 961 dog hiking trails, 4,349 dog fields, and 1,727 dog agility parks.

Sniffspot requires that the owners not allow other entrants during booked time, so pet parents can set aside fears of meeting unknown dogs or people and of their dog getting into something dangerous, Hunter says. “I’m not sure we can achieve stress-free 100 percent of the time, but we can come close.”

The dog mom of three (she has a Great Pyrenees and two Australian Shepherds) also enjoys helping owners discover new things that their dogs enjoy doing. She has agility equipment, a doggy pool, a 10-foot-by-10-foot sandbox (“some dogs touch the sand and just go wild,” says Hunter), and offers the use of dog toys and long lines. 

“We have a few DIY obstacles too,” she says, “like old tractor tires scavenged from behind the property that are partly buried, a log cut in half as a balance beam, and a tug toy hanging from a maple tree.”

Hunter is just one of many dog lovers offering up their yards to dogs and their owners.

Photo Heather Hunter, Kemptville Farm Dogs

While some property owners report that renting out their land is hassle-free, most, like Hunter, put effort into their properties to ensure dogs and their owners have the best experience possible. Pet owners are asked to pick up after themselves and to leave the property as they found it. 

Ed Riley grew up with dogs Bo, an Airedale, and Dingo, an Australian Shepherd. Years later, the Tacoma, WA-based retired land surveyor and his wife Brigette, a retired teacher, were looking to honour their dogs, past and present; his parents, dog and outdoor enthusiasts Ed and Fukuko, and to connect with the canine community. Riley’s Private Dog Park was born. 

Located at their three-acre Cape Cod-style home, Riley’s Private Dog Park, which opened on Sniffspot in June 2023, features a fully fenced large manicured lawn, cherry trees, and flowering shrubs. The Rileys provide dog toys, the use of a bubble machine, fresh water, clean bowls, and healthy dog treats. They have plans for an agility course.

Hosting a private dog park is a natural fit for the Rileys. “We’ve always been dog lovers,” says Riley. The couple are dog parents to Idris, a four-year-old German Shepherd who adores playing fetch and going on ocean trips. “Our clientele includes those without a backyard and owners of reactive dogs seeking a safe, quiet haven,” says Riley, and they come from across Washington state and as far as Canada, California, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana to enjoy the property. 

Shannon Monahan and her German Shepherds Duke and Brady are regulars at Riley’s. “One of my shepherds is extremely dog reactive,” says Monahan, who lives in Lakewood, WA. “Being able to bring him to a safe and secure place where he can sniff new smells, run, and play with his brother has given him the opportunity to be the happiest dog. Duke and Brady love the large open space to play fetch, and the peaceful trails give this place a really special touch.”  Adds Riley: “Offering dogs a space to be free and live their best lives has been an absolute pleasure.”

“Offering dogs a space to be free and live their best lives has been an absolute pleasure.”

Modern society, the Sniffspot website states, “doesn’t carve spaces out for our canine companions. As a result, dogs in the modern world are having all kinds of problems, like obesity, reactivity, and anxiety. We are coming together to provide safe spaces that allow dogs to let their instincts rise back to the top, to go wild and free, and to just be dogs again.”

Hunter, one of the first to be on the Sniffspot platform in rural eastern Ontario, agrees. 

“I get that there are a lot of dogs that can’t necessarily enjoy public spaces as easily as others,” Hunter says. While reactive and nervous dogs, or ones that struggle in social situations, are a key audience for Kemptville Farm Dogs, Hunter also sees groups of friends make bookings. “Some people are worried about the risks [at] dog parks,” she says, “or they want to work on training without a lot of distractions. Sometimes people just want something different to do with their dog[s].”

Hunter’s favourite part about hosting are dogs that wouldn’t normally get to be able to run off leash or when dogs surprise their humans by swimming, digging in the sand pit, or playing on agility equipment. “It’s nice that humans have somewhere to relax, too,” she says, adding that she’s met great people through Sniffspot. “Every time there is a bad storm, there is always at least one person who offers to help clean the debris. I think the [Sniffspot] concept generally attracts really good people.” 

Ian Haynes is one of those people. He doesn’t currently have a dog, but he does have a fully fenced 0.02-acre backyard at his single-family home—something many people in his area lack—and he’s willing to share.

“In New York City and the outer boroughs, backyard space is hard to come by,” says Haynes, who lives in Ditmas, an area of Brooklyn. “My family and I put a lot of work into manicuring our backyard,” he continues, “however, it was being underused. We did not hold any personal gatherings [or] events in the backyard and felt that it was a waste. We enjoy seeing other people make use of the space, especially families.”

After seeing an advertisement for Sniffspot on Instagram in late 2022, he offered up Ditmas Private Dog Park last April. “I thought it was a great idea and good use of our space since there are many dog owners in our area that live in apartments or lack a spacious backyard,” he says. At Haynes’ Ditmas park, guests have access to a pool, chairs, hammock, and tables, as well as Wi-Fi, an electrical outlet, a watering hose, a covered area and driveway parking. He’s currently looking to add a fire pit.

To date, he has not met any of the dog parents or their pets in person, and for a very particular reason: “I give the parents their space and don’t intrude on their time unless I am requested,” he says. Instead, he’s content to “fill the need for owners whose dogs have socialization issues or owners who don’t have an open backyard and want an area for their dogs to run and play.” He reports that people are being respectful and leaving the property clean.

Photo Olga Ovcharenko/Shutterstock

Leslie Garabedian was thinking about dogs with physical conditions and/or difficult or reactive personalities that may not do well in a traditional dog park when she opened Leslie’s Wags & Whiskers Wonderland Private Pup Playground in West Caldwell, NJ. 

A dog lover who rescues Dobermans—she and her boyfriend Phil are currently dog parents to Gunnar, 7.5, and Eddie, 6.5—Garabedian says that dogs were her reason for choosing her property 20 years ago. “It’s very hard in this area to find a home with a lot of land,” she says. “We made many changes and modifications to the property to make it larger and more usable.”

Last summer, she decided to share her fully fenced, one-acre yard with canine clients. With its manicured lawn, trees and greenery, stonework, a gazebo, an oval in-ground pool with a diving board and ample seating, Leslie’s Wags & Whiskers Wonderland Private Pup Playground is a Sniffspot “Top Spot,” with 126 reviews as of press time. She also provides thoughtful extras—balls for dogs, sunscreen for humans, a pet first aid kit, dog life jackets, wipes, and water bowls—“everything that I think someone would need or want,” she says. The large space with the flat, grassy yard is, Garabedian says, “a great place for playing, running, and zoomies.”

“There are also a lot of fun ‘sniff spots’ in our yard,” she says. “We have lots of rocks where cool smells get caught, our bamboo forest to run through, and a cool secret little passageway for dogs to get from one side of the yard to the other.” Garabedian offers birthday parties—“the first week I opened, I had an awesome first birthday party: six dogs plus their owners,” she says. “They came with homemade cooked food, pupcakes, and goody bags.” She provides seasonal displays for photo ops and is considering the addition of grooming or bathing services and an outdoor bathroom or changing room for guests. So far, she has not had any bad experiences.

“As a Sniffspot “Top Spot” with nearly 700 five-star reviews, Hunter and her partner earn between $1,000 and $2,000 CAD per month through the service—but there are sacrifices.”

Offering a place for dogs to play isn’t as simple as posting an ad and opening the gates. But it can pay off financially. As a Sniffspot “Top Spot” with nearly 700 five-star reviews, Hunter and her partner earn between $1,000 and $2,000 CAD per month through the service—but there are sacrifices.

“When we have visitors, our dogs (and, for the most part, ourselves) are indoors,” says Hunter. “We really plan our day [around] Sniffspot visits. There are a lot of situations where we have passed up on social opportunities or other things because we have Sniffspot visitors coming. Or, sometimes it’s hard to find time to do chores outside.” Hunter found that limiting availability—“blocking one day off completely per week and limiting bookings to two to three per day on all other days”—has provided a reasonable balance.

Riley had to invest in a secure fence around the property, but like Hunter, he feels it’s worth it. “The connections we’ve made extend to passionate dog lovers, local veterinarians, police K9 units, dog trainers, groomers, and daycare owners,” Riley says. The park, he adds, “has been an enriching experience, and it’s an honour to proudly serve our community.”

As for Garabedian, she, too, has developed relationships with some of the guests. “Some of them make me very emotional,” she says. “There are so many stories. We had a guest doing a ‘bucket list’ for their senior dog with cancer. They came and had a wonderful time, and I received a message about a week later that the dog had passed, but how meaningful and special it was for them to have spent the time here making lasting memories. 

“It’s also fun for my dogs,” she adds, “because they sort of get their own Sniffspot. They love to run around after our guests leave, and I see them sniffing all around the property.” 

This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!