Rent safe and private dog parks hosted by locals

  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. Sniffspot Community
  4. How Gouri Uses Sniffspot to Build Connection With Her Rescue

How Gouri Uses Sniffspot to Build Connection With Her Rescue

David Adams photo

David Adams

December 31, 2023

Sniffspot Community

How Gouri Uses Sniffspot to Build Connection With Her Rescue thumbnail

Gouri grew up in a small village in rural India in a family of farmers. Surrounded by lush green vegetation, open spaces, and few vehicles. There were generally dozens of dogs coming and going, living their best outdoor lives in close proximity to humans who fed them. When she and her husband moved to Seattle for their careers in cancer research, living in the city took some getting used to. Gouri knew she wanted a dog in her life, so she started to volunteer with her local shelter. She wanted to learn what to look for in a dog, and how to prepare for bringing a shelter dog into her home. 

Important Connections

Moving to a new country and completely different environment is isolating, and making connections with animals was very helpful for Gouri as she became acclimated to life in Seattle. She learned a lot from the shelter staff and volunteers as she watched them handle the more sensitive dogs whose behavior required extra care and experience. Soon she began walking and sitting with Rover to get her weekly puppy fix. 

Gouri and her husband found Daisy on Petfinder after she had been pulled from a remote shelter in Texas and was living with a foster. She remembers the first picture she saw with Daisy staring straight into the camera, and she was immediately in love. Gouri and her husband knew what they were looking for in a dog (small, not reactive to other dogs, and energetic), so she knew what questions to ask when it came time for paperwork. 

Daisy was eight months old and had very little socialization in that time. Cars were quite frightening, she'd never seen an elevator, and was not entirely sure to do with her toys. Gouri and her husband got to work making positive associations with all of the new things in her life. “Every day is a new memory…there’s always something new that we encounter with a personality like hers…she’s a small dog with a big personality.” Daisy’s first few car rides were to Sniffspots. 

Choosing the Right Spots

In her search for options to exercise and train her new pup, Gouri found Sniffspot. This factored into the initial interviews for adopting Daisy, as she knew outdoor spaces would be important for an energetic dog while living in an apartment. When Daisy first came home, she needed time to decompress as they all got used to each other. Gouri wanted to find safe outdoor spaces to cultivate this new relationship. With the available filters, she and her husband got to work looking for Sniffspots. “We felt confident because we could choose exactly the type of yard we needed--no dogs to be seen or heard from this space,  fully fenced, small dogs shouldn't be able to escape.” During their first few months together, Gouri and Daisy visited Sniffspots several times a week.

How Gouri and Daisy maximized their Sniffdays:

  • Safe, off-leash zoomie time. Apartment zoomies with laminate floors and limited space aren’t as safe or fun as a lovely grassy field. 
  • Making positive associations with car rides. Turns out when the car transports you to magical spaces, car rides aren’t so bad afterall! Daisy is now a road trip queen.
  • Training recall and fetch in an outdoor yet controlled environment. This helps the human and the dog side of the relationship. 
  • Special bonding moments. Daisy and her people enjoy stress-free play, unlike dog parks or public places where humans and dogs add a lot of unknown variables to the experience. 

Of the many Sniffspots available in the Seattle area, Daisy’s favorite spots are fully fenced and have open spaces for playing fetch. She also enjoys smaller spots with lots of toys left to explore. 

Sniffspot Dog running on field

Get safe exercise for your dog by renting a private dog park near you

Becoming Daisy

Daisy’s foster home had a number of dogs, and there were often children in the home. This exposure was important to Gouri and her husband, and something they wanted to continue to ensure she could be a well-rounded, friendly dog who was able to get out and about with them. Once she was home, they watched her personality and confidence emerge during group training classes. They worked new experiences into their schedule whenever possible, and it’s really paid off. “Combined with our Sniffdays, doggy daycare, and continued training, we now have a beautiful pup who is a fetch pro, a frisbee champ and an absolute crowd-pleaser! We love her so dearly and cannot imagine life without her.”

Helping Daisy make positive connections with the brand new world around her was possible, in part, by access to Sniffspots. Gouri is looking forward to all of the memories she, her husband, and Daisy will make in Seattle.

David Adams photo

David Adams

December 31, 2023

Sniffspot Community

About Sniffspot

Sniffspot is a community marketplace that enables anyone to rent land by-the-hour as a safe and private dog park.

Follow us

Find Sniffspot on your favorite social media

TiktokInstagramFacebookYoutube
Related articles
Best Dog Rescue and Shelter Contest thumbnail

Best Dog Rescue and Shelter Contest

Introduction to Dog Nosework thumbnail

Introduction to Dog Nosework

Why Dogs Cry and How to Help Your Pup’s Whining thumbnail

Why Dogs Cry and How to Help Your Pup’s Whining

All categories

Most recent articles

Best Dog Rescue and Shelter Contest thumbnail

Best Dog Rescue and Shelter Contest

Introduction to Dog Nosework thumbnail

Introduction to Dog Nosework

Why Dogs Cry and How to Help Your Pup’s Whining thumbnail

Why Dogs Cry and How to Help Your Pup’s Whining

The Best Dog Trainers in San Diego, CA of 2023 thumbnail

The Best Dog Trainers in San Diego, CA of 2023

The Best Dog Trainers in Los Angeles, CA of 2023 thumbnail

The Best Dog Trainers in Los Angeles, CA of 2023

The Best Dog Water Parks in the United States thumbnail

The Best Dog Water Parks in the United States

Related articles
Best Dog Rescue and Shelter Contest thumbnail

Best Dog Rescue and Shelter Contest

Introduction to Dog Nosework thumbnail

Introduction to Dog Nosework

Why Dogs Cry and How to Help Your Pup’s Whining thumbnail

Why Dogs Cry and How to Help Your Pup’s Whining

Top dog guides per area

Dog training guides

Dog enrichment guides

Dog reactivity guides

Sniffspot community guides

The State of Public Dog Parks Across the United States thumbnail

The State of Public Dog Parks Across the United States

From 2009 to 2020, there was a 40 percent increase in the development of public dog parks. Designated spots for canine exercise have become commonplace in every major city in North America — many pet owners won’t even consider renting an apartment that doesn’t have its own fenced-in pet area for their canine companions.

How This Family is Affording Their Dream Property Through Renting it Hourly to Dogs thumbnail

How This Family is Affording Their Dream Property Through Renting it Hourly to Dogs

Thousand Oaks, California has been a safe haven for Sniffspot host, Jen, since childhood. Having grown up in busy Santa Barbara, Jen, an introvert from an early age, would seek out solitude and serenity away from tourists attractions and droves of people visiting from elsewhere. “My grandparents own 60 acres about a 30 minute drive from here, and I grew up spending every summer and every holiday visiting them on the ranch,” Jen explained. “In Santa Barbara, we wouldn't go to the beach on the weekend because that's where everybody was, so you'd find places off the beaten path where the tourists weren't. For me, the ranch was just my happy place.” 

Host Tips: Ellen K. What Makes Sniffspot Successful for Me thumbnail

Host Tips: Ellen K. What Makes Sniffspot Successful for Me

Ellen is the host of Country Pasture Getaway, one of Sniffspot's most popular sniff spots. She has taken the time to write up the lessons she has learned about how to be a great sniff spot host.

How this Oregon Farmer is Making a Business From Renting Her Land to Dogs thumbnail

How this Oregon Farmer is Making a Business From Renting Her Land to Dogs

Just 20 minutes outside of the busy city of Portland, Oregon, and settled right on the banks of the Columbia River, you’ll find what countless visitors have flocked to the area in search of – mountain views, crisp, clean air, and running water for miles. What you might not expect to find, however, is a hidden oasis designed just for dogs and their people, owned and operated by a farming couple and enjoyed by visitors on two legs, and four.  

Host Tips: Fran T. Providing Great Guest Service at our Spot thumbnail

Host Tips: Fran T. Providing Great Guest Service at our Spot

Fran is the host of Ranch Setting, one of Sniffspot's most popular spots. She has taken the time to write up the lessons she has learned about how to be a great Sniffspot host.

Top dog trainers in the US

The Best Dog Trainers in the United States of 2023 thumbnail

The Best Dog Trainers in the United States of 2023

Welcome to the United States Sniffspot top dog trainer list for 2023. This is a list of the top dog trainers in the United States based on votes from the Sniffspot community and the general public. Over 55,000 votes were used in compiling this list. We have only included the top trainers with sufficient votes and the trainers are ordered in terms of the number of votes received. Trainers that tied are ranked in reverse alphabetical order based on first name. All dog trainers on this list are positive reinforcement only, as defined by no force, fear, intimidation, or aversive methods used.

The Best Dog Trainers in New Jersey of 2023 thumbnail

The Best Dog Trainers in New Jersey of 2023

The Best Dog Trainers in Michigan of 2023 thumbnail

The Best Dog Trainers in Michigan of 2023

The Best Dog Trainers in Washington of 2023 thumbnail

The Best Dog Trainers in Washington of 2023

The Best Dog Trainers in Florida of 2023 thumbnail

The Best Dog Trainers in Florida of 2023

City dog parks guides