Safety first! Creating a safe spot

Our guests consistently say the #1 benefit they get from Sniffspot is safety. Our job together, Sniffspot and our hosts, is to ensure that we are providing the safest space for guests. This is an important part of providing a great experience for guests and achieving the Top spot badge.

Here are the most important ways to provide a safe space for dogs with your spot:

Never meet guest dogs unless you specifically arrange this with that guest in advance. If a guest has visited multiple times, it could be easy to relax and come out to say hi - do not do this unless you confirm in advance. Read more about interacting with guest dogs here.
- Some of our hosts need to meet with first time guests to explain the spot to them. This needs to be arranged in advance so that the guest is aware of it and it can be coordinated on arrival. If the guest has already entered the spot, the host should not enter the spot and approach the guest. The host should message the guest and coordinate how to meet with them. This is important for safety, since some guests have dogs that are fearful of strangers and the host entering the spot could be a trigger for the dog and stressful for their owner.
Your dog(s) should never meet guests or their dogs without specifically arranging in advance with that guest. Read more about interacting with guest dogs here.
- We also recommend, if your dog(s) use your spot as well as guests, getting in the habit of checking your spot or parking area before letting your dogs out to be extra sure that your dogs will not interact with a guest you were not expecting to be there.
Make sure you have enough advanced notice set on your spot so it can be ready for guest visits.
Double check your email and phone number to make sure there are no typos and you are able to receive message and booking notifications.
Try to minimize distractions for guests' dogs while visiting. Some guests have dogs that are sensitive and don't feel safe with distractions. Read more here.
ALWAYS make sure your dog(s) are not visible or audible from the spot if possible. Visible or audible dogs can be a distraction to guest dogs and detract from their experience. Make it clear in your spot listing that resident dogs will not be audible or visible from the spot.
Make sure your listing accurately reflects your spot. Here is our guide for the best spot listing.
Keep your spot clean and hygienic. Read more here.
If you have a water feature for dog swimming, make sure to follow our guidelines for keeping dogs safe around water.
Regularly inspecting your property then remedying or noting hazards can be a great way to create a safe spot. You can adapt this checklist for inspections.
Make sure that you have adding any potential hazards to your spot detail page.
Pro tip: hosts can set up auto messages to be sent to first time guests two hours before their visit. This can be a great way to remind guests of important access instructions and safety rules.

Ready to host? You can learn more and get started here.