Host Tips: Patrick F. Offering a Spot

Patrick is the host of Sammamish/a fenced half acre to run in, one of Sniffspot's most popular spots. He has taken the time to write up the lessons he has learned about how to be a great Sniffspot host.

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We were attracted to the idea of offering a spot for a number of reasons. We spent 24 glorious years raising and nurturing English Bulldogs. If you know the breed you know they can be difficult at dog parks. They are delighted by and gentle with people but they want to run the show in a dog pack setting. We took our Bulldogs to dog parks when they were young but quit going once they demonstrated a strong desire to manage the behavior of other dogs.

After our second Buddy’s passing, we discovered Sniffspot from a news source.  We thought the concept was perfect for pet owners who want to spend quality time with their reactive dog or simply quality time with their dog while training or socializing. After doing our due diligence, we decided to move ahead and become hosts.

Our spot has become popular in the past year. We live on five acres in Sammamish [a suburb of Seattle] so we are conveniently located (close to a road but not so close to cause disruptions to our guests). We carved out a half acre of fenced property with short and tall grass for playing and exploring. There is a creek that runs along the back of the property so be prepared for muddy paws if your dog is attracted to water.

We have ample parking, easy access to the pasture through a gate, a couple of chairs, water bowl, toys and even a bright red fire hydrant just for fun.

We want the guests to have a quality experience:

• Scheduling is easy and convenient for guests. The calendar shows when spots are available. Choose your time slot and you are done. No need to wait for a reply.
• We have no pets at this time unless you count the six chickens (the chickens are in a pen a considerable distance from the Sniffspot and have not caused any distractions as far as we can tell).
• We go out of our way to respect the privacy for our customers. We minimize our coming and going as much as possible while guests are present.
• We don’t need to meet you in person. No offense. Dog people are great people and we trust you to respect the spot so you can continue to enjoy the quality time with your pet(s).
• Bring your own water and towels and enjoy.