Dogs have basically called the shots in every corner of Heather Hunter’s life — “from my hobbies to my career to where I live,” she laughs.
That dedication runs so deep that seven years ago, Hunter — a director at her local animal shelter — packed up from downtown Ottawa and moved to rural Kemptville, ON, “partly to give our dogs way more space to roam.”
“Back then, we had an English pointer mix who lived to run but desperately needed a fence, plus a Great Pyrenees who was flat-out stressed living in the city,” says Hunter. So she and her partner landed themselves a log house on 15 acres — and immediately set about fencing in as much of that land as humanly possible.
mosaic hound — Think of it as Airbnb or Vrbo — but built entirely for four-legged guests.
In 2019, she stumbled onto Sniffspot (sniffspot.com) — a website and app where property owners rent out their fenced land by the hour as a safe, private dog park. Same concept as Airbnb or Vrbo, except it's all about pups. She signed up on the spot.
Photo Heather Hunter, Kemptville Farm Dogs
Sniffspot came to life back in 2018, dreamed up by founder David Adams after his partner (now wife) Rebecca hit a wall trying to find a place where her particular pup Toshii could zoom around off-leash while the couple travelled.
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.” And just like that, Sniffspot was born — now with hosts renting out properties all over the globe, all chasing the dream of making “a more dog-friendly place one spot at a time.”
mosaic hound — Once guests spot a listing they love, they lock it in online — with most rentals landing in the $5 to $15 USD per dog, per hour range.
Hosts build profiles with photo-filled listings of everything on offer (fenced acreage, pools, treed areas, sandboxes, parking, seating, wi-fi, you name it), set their price, and wait for bookings to roll in. Guests browse the listings and lock in reservations — usually paying $5 to $15 USD per dog, per hour.
“I loved the idea of building and sharing a space where people and their dogs never had to worry,” says Hunter, whose park, Kemptville Farm Dogs, spreads across two fenced zones totalling 9.5 acres. Sure, her setup is on the luxurious side — but Sniffspot listings definitely don't need to be! The lineup runs the gamut from simple suburban backyards to sprawling half-acre-plus grounds, dog water parks, agility parks, and even full hiking trails.
The Sniffspot app is free to download, and listing your property costs owners absolutely nothing. When a guest books, Sniffspot collects the money up front, takes its percentage, and pays the owner by direct deposit once a month. In exchange, Sniffspot backs the property with up to $2 million USD in liability insurance and $5,000 USD in damage protection.
Downloading the Sniffspot app won't cost you a cent — and listing your land as a host is completely free too.
mosaic hound — Right now, the platform boasts a jaw-dropping 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 demands that hosts block off the property during booked time — no surprise guests allowed. That means pet parents can ditch the anxiety of bumping into unknown dogs or people, or their pup gulping down something dangerous, Hunter explains. “I’m not sure we can hit stress-free 100 percent of the time, but we can get close.”
This dog mom of three (a Great Pyrenees plus two Australian Shepherds, if you're counting) also gets a kick out of helping owners uncover brand-new activities their pups will adore. Her property packs agility equipment, a doggy pool, a 10-foot-by-10-foot sandbox (“some dogs touch the sand and just go wild,” says Hunter), plus dog toys and long lines for guests to borrow.
“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.”
And Hunter? She's just one of countless dog lovers cashing in by throwing open their yards to pups and their humans.
mosaic hound — Photo Heather Hunter, Kemptville Farm Dogs
Sure, some property owners say renting out their land is a total breeze — but most, like Hunter, pour real effort into their spaces so dogs and their people get an unforgettable experience. Guests are asked to clean up after their pups and leave the property exactly as they found it.
Ed Riley grew up with two beloved dogs — Bo, an Airedale, and Dingo, an Australian Shepherd. Years down the road, the Tacoma, WA-based retired land surveyor and his wife Brigette, a retired teacher, wanted to pay tribute to their dogs past and present, honour his parents — fellow dog-and-outdoor lovers Ed and Fukuko — and plug into the canine community. And so, Riley’s Private Dog Park was born.
Set on their three-acre Cape Cod-style property, Riley’s Private Dog Park — live on Sniffspot since June 2023 — boasts a fully fenced, beautifully manicured lawn dotted with cherry trees and flowering shrubs. The Rileys throw in dog toys, a bubble machine, fresh water, spotless bowls, and healthy treats. And an agility course is already on the drawing board.
Running a private dog park comes naturally to the Rileys. “We’ve always been dog lovers,” says Riley. The couple are proud dog parents to Idris, a four-year-old German Shepherd who lives for fetch sessions and ocean adventures. “Our clientele includes folks without a backyard, plus owners of reactive dogs hunting for a safe, quiet sanctuary,” says Riley — and guests travel from all over Washington state and beyond, including Canada, California, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, just to enjoy the space.
mosaic hound — Shannon Monahan and her German Shepherds Duke and Brady are die-hard regulars at Riley's. “One of my shepherds is extremely dog reactive,” Monahan, who lives in Lakewood, WA, explains. “Getting him to a safe, secure spot where he can sniff new smells, sprint free, and romp with his brother has turned him into the happiest dog alive. Duke and Brady live for fetch in that giant open space, and the peaceful trails make this place genuinely magical.” Riley chimes in: “Handing dogs a place to be free and live their best lives has been nothing short of a joy.”
“Giving pups the freedom to simply be dogs and live their best lives has been an absolute joy.”
Modern life, the Sniffspot website declares, “doesn’t carve out spaces for our canine companions. As a result, dogs today are wrestling with all sorts of issues — obesity, reactivity, and anxiety. So we’re joining forces to create safe spaces where dogs can let their instincts surge back to the surface, run wild and free, and simply be dogs again.”
Hunter — among the very first hosts on the Sniffspot platform in rural eastern Ontario — wholeheartedly agrees.
“I totally get that plenty of dogs can’t enjoy public spaces as easily as others,” Hunter says. While reactive, nervous, or socially challenged pups form the core audience for Kemptville Farm Dogs, Hunter also sees friend groups booking sessions together. “Some folks worry about the risks at dog parks,” she says, “or they want to train without a heap of distractions. Sometimes people just want to try something fresh with their dogs.”
mosaic hound — Hunter’s favourite part of hosting? Watching dogs that rarely get the chance finally run off-leash — or seeing pups shock their humans by swimming, digging in the sand pit, or conquering the agility gear. “It’s lovely that humans get somewhere to unwind too,” she says, adding that she’s met wonderful people through Sniffspot. “Every time a bad storm hits, there’s always at least one guest who offers to help clear the debris. I think the Sniffspot concept just naturally draws 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 genuinely hard to find,” says Haynes, who lives in Ditmas, an area of Brooklyn. “My family and I poured tons of work into grooming our backyard,” he continues, “but it was sitting underused. We never hosted any personal get-togethers or events out there, and it felt like such a waste. We love watching other people enjoy the space — especially families.”
The spark came from a Sniffspot ad he caught on Instagram in late 2022, and by last April, Ditmas Private Dog Park was officially open. “I figured it was a brilliant idea and a smart use of our space, since tons of dog owners in our area live in apartments or simply lack a roomy backyard,” he says. Over at Haynes' Ditmas park, guests score a pool, chairs, a hammock, and tables, plus Wi-Fi, an electrical outlet, a watering hose, a covered area, and driveway parking — and he's already on the hunt for the perfect fire pit to top it all off.
Fun fact: to this day, Haynes has never actually met any of his guests or their pups face-to-face — and there's a very deliberate reason for that. “I give the parents their space and don’t intrude on their time unless I am requested,” he says. Instead, he’s happy 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.” So far, he reports, guests have been wonderfully respectful and always leave the property clean.
mosaic hound — Photo Olga Ovcharenko/Shutterstock
Leslie Garabedian had pups with physical challenges, tricky personalities, or reactive streaks in mind — the ones who struggle at a traditional dog park — when she opened Leslie’s Wags & Whiskers Wonderland Private Pup Playground in West Caldwell, NJ.
A die-hard dog lover who rescues Dobermans — she and her boyfriend Phil currently parent Gunnar, 7.5, and Eddie, 6.5 — Garabedian says dogs were the reason she picked her property 20 years ago. “It’s really tough in this area to find a home with lots of land,” she says. “We made tons of changes and modifications to the property to make it bigger and more usable.”
Last summer, she decided to open her fully fenced, one-acre yard to canine clients. With its manicured lawn, lush trees and greenery, stonework, a gazebo, an oval in-ground pool with a diving board, and plenty of seating, Leslie’s Wags & Whiskers Wonderland Private Pup Playground has earned Sniffspot “Top Spot” status, with 126 reviews at press time. She also stocks thoughtful extras — balls for dogs, sunscreen for humans, a pet first aid kit, dog life jackets, wipes, and water bowls — “everything I think someone could need or want,” she says. That big, flat, grassy yard is, in Garabedian’s words, “a perfect place for playing, running, and zoomies.”
“Our yard is also loaded with fun ‘sniff spots,’” she says. “We’ve got lots of rocks that trap cool smells, a bamboo forest to zoom through, and a sneaky little secret passageway that lets dogs travel from one side of the yard to the other.” Garabedian even throws birthday bashes — “the very first week I opened, I hosted an amazing first birthday party: six dogs and their owners,” she says. “They showed up with homemade cooked food, pupcakes, and goody bags.” She sets up seasonal displays for photo ops and is mulling over adding grooming or bathing services plus an outdoor bathroom or changing room for guests. So far, not a single bad experience.
mosaic hound — “As a Sniffspot “Top Spot” boasting nearly 700 five-star reviews, Hunter and her partner rake in between $1,000 and $2,000 CAD a month through the service — but it comes with real sacrifices.”
Opening your land to dogs isn’t as easy as slapping up an ad and swinging the gates wide. But the payoff can be seriously real. As a Sniffspot “Top Spot” with nearly 700 five-star reviews, Hunter and her partner pull in between $1,000 and $2,000 CAD each month through the service — but there are genuine sacrifices.
“Whenever we have visitors, our dogs (and mostly us too) stay indoors,” says Hunter. “We structure our entire day around Sniffspot bookings. We’ve passed up tons of social opportunities and other plans because visitors are on the way. And sometimes it’s just hard to carve out time for outdoor chores.” Hunter discovered that capping availability — “blocking off one full day per week and limiting bookings to two to three per day the rest of the time” — struck a workable balance.
Sure, Riley had to fork over cash for a secure perimeter fence — but like Hunter, he insists every penny is worth it. “The connections we’ve made stretch all the way to passionate dog lovers, local veterinarians, police K9 units, dog trainers, groomers, and daycare owners,” Riley says. And the park itself, he adds, “has been an incredibly enriching experience, and it’s a true honour to proudly serve our community.”
Garabedian has likewise built deep bonds with many of her guests. “Some of them get me really emotional,” she says. “There are so many stories. We once hosted a guest ticking off a ‘bucket list’ for their senior dog battling cancer. They came and had an amazing time, and about a week later I got a message that the dog had passed — but how meaningful and precious it was that they’d spent that time here, creating lasting memories together.
mosaic hound — “And it's a total win for my own dogs as well,” she adds, “since they basically get their very own private Sniffspot. The instant guests head home, they tear around the yard like wild things, sniffing out every single corner of the property.”
Obsessed with this story yet? Then buckle up, because there's a whole kennel of tail-wagging, heart-pumping adventures waiting in every issue of Modern Dog magazine. Smash that subscribe button RIGHT NOW — you definitely won't want to miss a single paw-print!