Bill.com is our payment partner that we use for paying our US hosts. With Bill.com you can chose to be paid via check or via direct deposit. Bill.com is free for you to sign up. Here is how you do it:

1. On the first of the month after you receive your first booking you will receive an invite to join Bill.com in your account email. If you don't receive it, check your spam folder. The subject line will be: "Get paid faster by Sniffspot!" Here is what the email looks like:

New sniff spots are the best kind of sniff spot to visit. They are exciting and you can be the first one to find out about an amazing new spot!

For new hosts, getting a first review is very important for them. Once a host has a review, it attracts many more guests, that also write reviews and it begins a virtuous cycle. Guests prefer to visit sniff spots with reviews. On the flip side, this also makes it hard for hosts to get their first review. This is why we created the First Review Program, to give a free sniff spot visit to any guest that writes the first review on a sniff spot.

When you are checking out any sniff spot you haven’t visited before, and especially new sniff spots, make sure to be extra cautious in how you introduce your dog to the space:

1. Leave your dog in the car and observe the sniff spot space yourself. Do you see any hazards? Are there any dogs (or doggie doors that dogs could use to enter the space), other domestic animals or people in the space? Walk around the space and observe it before bringing your dog into the space.
2. Does there appear to be any people on the property? It can’t hurt to knock on the door and let folks know that you are in the area and will be there with your dog. Sometimes new hosts forget to notify their household about guests. 
3. Bring your dog out on leash and walk the perimeter of the sniff spot before letting them off leash. Is the fencing, if expected to be secure, actually secure? Are there any hazards that the initial review didn’t reveal?
4. Make mental or actual notes of anything that surprised you about the sniff spot - make sure to include it in your review so future guests aren’t surprised! Also, make sure to include feedback in your private note to the host. Hosts are hungry to improve and they don’t know what to improve if guests don’t tell them!
5. Make sure to write a review and claim your free visit under the First Review Program!

Have fun sniffspotting!

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.

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​Last year, when I first considered offering my field as a sniff spot,  I was apprehensive.  I had a ton of questions and I worried a bit about the dogs and people being on my field.   I wanted responsible people who respected my privacy and my dogs.   David helped a lot by talking to me about liability, how the app works, and how much control I had.   So we plunged in!   And we are really HAPPY with the results!

People who come to my sniff spot out in the country have made a commitment to their dogs.  Every person I have met is really invested in having the field clean and safe for their dogs.    What makes it work?

1. I try to respond to a request for a reservation within a couple of hours.   People are trying to plan their calendar around weather, work and dog, so I try to respond quickly.  Address, and directions of where to park are included.
2. USE THE CALENDAR!   If you have a friend coming out and don’t want to have a Sniffspot visitor at the time, block off your time.   Remember to block out vacations or days when you need to work on the field/play area.   If you just need a day to zone out, just block off the day on the calendar.  
3. I meet every person the first time they come out.   I like doing that….I can show them where the water spigot is, explain the difference in fencing and point out the stupid mole holes!   It’s great to meet people and get an idea of what they are looking for.   Some of the dogs have been highly reactive, so it’s been great if they come and not even see my dogs.   Some owners have asked me to allow one of my Wolfhounds to play with their dog.  I use my best judgement and have had a few of the visitors end up being great play buddies. 
4. We have stainless steel water buckets for your use.  Extra toys and a chuck it are right by the gate.   The water hose is stretched over so on hot days you can even spray your dog down.   We have a picnic bench in the field for people to sit at if they like. 
5. I try to make people feel welcome, but I don’t spend very long with them…maybe 3-5 minutes.  After that, they get to enjoy the field.   

The top request we get from hosts and prospective hosts is to have liability protection for their sniff spots. I am so excited to let you know that after an extensive search we have been able to secure liability coverage for our hosts! And not only that, but we are offering it to our hosts at no additional charge.

I cannot emphasize how rare this insurance is - as far as we know this insurance has never before been issued. We had an insurance company design and issue a new policy type just for our Sniffspot hosts.

Host Protection Insurance provides primary liability coverage for up to $1,000,000 per occurrence in the event of a third-party claim of bodily injury (dogs and people) or property damage related to a booked Sniffspot visit.

This policy only applies in the United States. This policy only applies for official Sniffspot bookings that are booked through Sniffspot.

Host Protection Insurance will only act as the primary insurance coverage for incidents related to a booked Sniffspot visit, but it's available to hosts regardless of their other insurance arrangements.

Here are some examples of what Host Protection Insurance covers:

• A guest breaks their ankle after misstepping and brings a claim for the injury against the host.
• A guest is sitting on a bench in your yard. The bench breaks and the guest is injured when they fall down. They bring a claim for the injury against the host and the landlord.
• A guest’s dog is injured by a stick on your property. The guest brings a claim for the injury against the host.

​Host Protection Insurance doesn’t cover intentional acts where liability isn’t the result of an accident.

Host Protection Insurance is active in the United States (including territories and possessions), Puerto Rico and Canada.