STEPHENS CITY — As many as 75% of dog owners report that they have a dog who shows some signs of reactivity.
Defined by the American Kennel Club as dogs that “overreact to certain things and situations,” reactivity is an umbrella term covering behaviors like barking, growling, lunging and pulling.
Reactivity can make walking on a leash or playing in a dog park challenging — or impossible — for some dogs.
Amanda Greene said that was the case for her dog, Remi, a 9-year-old pit bull mix.
“She is a rescued little sweetheart, but she’s a chicken. She cowers and nips out of fear at the dog park. We don’t go to dog parks anymore. Once was enough,” said Greene, who moved to Hudson Hollow Road with her family about 18 months ago.
About a year ago, Greene came across an ad for Sniffspot, a platform created to match dogs with private spaces where they can run and play without the stress of other pets or people.
Shortly thereafter, Greene signed up to host pets on her 23.5-acre property, which also boasts a 1.5-acre pond.
“I have nothing but great things to say,” she said of her experience as a host. “We have a host group on Facebook and the creator [of the company] is on there. He’s constantly asking about adding things to the site and if we have concerns, he responds. He’s very accessible.”
Developed by David Adams in 2016, Sniffspot operates similarly to Airbnb. Hosts offer their property, with descriptions that include whether or not it’s fenced or has water and hiking features. Guests can search for nearby spots and reserve yards by the hour. The platform only allows for dogs in the booking party to be present on the premises.
Both hosts and guests must share proof of identification with the platform and dog owners must also provide proof of vaccinations. All reservations and communication is handled through the application, which has Sniffspots in all 50 states.
Bookings through the application start at $5 an hour. Greene’s property goes for $18 an hour. There are extra charges for more than one dog. Owners must clean up after their dogs.
Greene, a nurse, calls the idea “genius.”
“We have a dog who is a reactive dog and that is what Sniffspot was made for,” she said, adding that she was one of the first hosts in the area to sign on to the platform six months ago.
“It’s done really well. We have all 5-star reviews,” she said, adding that she has had guests travel from as far as Washington, D.C., to enjoy her property with their pets.
“We’re in a very suburban area and a lot of these dogs have no access to water to swim in. A lot of them have teeny tiny backyards and nowhere to stretch their legs. We had that in our previous neighborhood. That's why when we started looking, we wanted land for the dogs. And now our Doberman, she just opens it wide up,” said Greene, who lives with her husband, Daniel, their three children and four dogs.
Their property not only offers swimming — at the owners’ risk — but also has several hiking trails that guests can explore.
“We have a lot of fun smells for dogs who have never been out of a neighborhood,” Greene said.
While the property is not currently fenced, Greene said she plans to add a fence this fall.
“I always worry about safety,” said Greene, adding that her yard is best for dogs with good recall. She said she stresses to visitors that they should not let their dog swim if they themsevles cannot swim, in case the pet runs into danger.
“Sniffspot has a really good insurance umbrella so anything that happens through Sniffspot is covered. It covers us and the renter,” she said, noting that she does not rent her yard outside of the platform.
She added, “We have people who bring out the most beautiful dogs who are only friendly with their humans, which is fine. They still need a place to play and run and swim if they want.”
Sniffspot also requires that property owners and their dogs not interact with guests in person. Greene said, however, that she takes great joy in watching her most frequent guest, a Golden Retriever who loves to swim.
“This is that dog’s happy place,” she said. “I’ll sit up on the porch and just watch the dog have the time of its life. I love it.”
