What amenities should I provide for guests?

Spots that provide amenities have 10x more visitors and earnings than spots that do not provide amenities. Amenities detail special features of your spot that make it great for exercise and fun for dogs and their owners. Providing guests amenities is one of the best ways to delight your guests and achieve the Top spot badge.

You can mark which amenities you provide on the Listing Details tab of your listing edit page here. This is a great way to differentiate your spot to stand out to prospective guests.

Don't forget that every spot is different and sometimes the best way to find the right amenities is to ask your guests for feedback. Some of our most popular hosts frequently message guests after they visit to thank guests for visiting and ask guests for ways they can improve.

Importantly, the amenities you provide can determine the exposure of your spot. We group some spots that offer certain amenities into groups that are promoted on dedicated landing pages. Here are some examples of the types of spots that get promoted:

Dog water parks: spots that have any of the following amenities are categorized as water parks: beach, river stream or creek, swimming pool, lake or pond.
Dog hiking trails: spots that have "Trail" amenity are categorized as dog hiking trails
Dog fields: spots that have "Field" amenity are categorized as dog fields
Indoor dog parks: spots that have "Indoor play space" amenity are categorized as indoor dog parks (IMPORTANT: only mark this feature if your spot includes an area where dogs can play that is completely inside a building. Do not mark for shelters or indoor restrooms. We require photos of this amenity to be included in the listing otherwise the amenity will be removed - Learn more
Dog agility parks: spots that have “Agility equipment” amenities are categorized as dog agility parks. Learn more here.
Dog beaches: spots that have “Beach” amenities are categorized as dog beaches (IMPORTANT: only mark this feature if inside the boundaries of your spot there is a sandy or pebbly shore alongside a body of water, typically an ocean or sea. Do not mark if you are just close to the beach. Make sure to include photos!)
Small dog parks: spots that have "Small dog friendly" amenity are categorized as small dog parks (meaning that they work well for small dogs)

Here are some of our most popular amenities:

1. Venue amenities: you should mark all of the Venue amenities that your spot provides. These are permanent features of the spot that dogs and their owners can have fun with. Here are the options for venue amenities (or you can add a custom one):

Beach (IMPORTANT: only mark this feature if inside the boundaries of your spot there is a sandy or pebbly shore alongside a body of water, typically an ocean or sea. Do not mark if you are just close to the beach. We require photos of this amenity to be included in the listing otherwise the amenity will be removed)
Farm animal sightings
Field
Flower garden
Fruit picking
Hill
Indoor play space (IMPORTANT: only mark this feature if your spot includes an area where dogs can play that is completely inside a building. Do not mark for shelters or indoor restrooms. We require photos of this amenity to be included in the listing otherwise the amenity will be removed) - Learn more
Lake or pond (IMPORTANT: only mark this feature if your spot includes or directly adjoins an inland body of freshwater big enough for a large dog to swim. We require photos of this amenity to be included in the listing otherwise the amenity will be removed)
Long grass
Mud
Mulch
Pasture
River, stream or creek (IMPORTANT: only mark this feature if your spot includes or directly adjoins a flowing body of water. We require photos of this amenity to be included in the listing otherwise the amenity will be removed)
Rubber floor
Sand
Scenic view
Short grass
Snow
Trail
Turf
Wetlands
Wild animal sightings
Wood chips
Woods

2. Swimming pool: 16% of our bookings during the summer are on spots with swimming pools. A swimming pool is a man-made water feature designed big enough for multiple large dogs to swim in. Do not mark this amenity if you have a kiddie pool; use the kiddie pool amenity for that. We require photos of this amenity to be included in the listing otherwise the amenity will be removed.

3. Outhouse: spots with outhouses earn 5.5x more than spots without outhouses. This can make a huge difference for guests so they don't need to worry about planning around nature calling or curtailing a visit. Adding an outhouse is cheaper than you might think - learn more here.

4. Sign at entrance: especially for new guests, this makes a huge difference, because they are driving up to private property they have never visited before. A sign at the entrance can go a long way toward making a guest feel comfortable and know they are at the right place.

5. Parkour obstacles: spots with parkour obstacles earn 3.7x more than spots without parkour obstacles. Adding parkour obstacles could be as simple as lining up some old stumps for the dogs. You can find some great DIY ideas for parkour obstacles here.

6. Fertilizer-free and pesticide-free: spots that are fertilizer-free earn 3x more than spots that are not; spots that are pesticide-free earn 2.6x more. Many guests prefer to have spaces for their dogs to play that do not have chemicals that could harm their dogs.

7. Dog bags: spots that offer dog bags earn 2.2x more than spots that do not. Guests really appreciate this, especially if they forget their own dog bags! Make sure to buy compostable - we like these bags.

8. Trash can: spots that offer a trash can earn 2.1x more than spots that do not. Guests really appreciate having a place to leave their dog bags so they don't need to pack them out. You can use your existing trash cans for this, so it's free to offer. Just make sure to specify where your trash can is in your Access instructions!

9. Hand sanitizer: spots that offer hand sanitizer earn 2.1x more than spots that do not. It sends the signal to prospective guests that you are serious about hygiene and safety.

10. Off street parking: spots that offer off street parking earn 2.1x more than spots that do not. It's nice for guests to have a spot where they can easily park and not need to worry about parallel parking.

If you can dedicate a space on a driveway that would be excellent, but some hosts also create parking spaces using gravel.
If you can provide parking spots for multiple cars this will open up the possibilities for guests to meet friends at the spot and increase your spots appeal even more.
You can see how to make your own gravel parking spot here.

11. Water hose: spots that offer a water hose earn 2.1x more than spots that do not. This is an easy option to provide, since most spaces already have a hose!

12. Digging area: spots that offer digging areas earn 2.1x more than spots that do not. Some dogs love digging and guests appreciate being able to allow their dogs to dig in a designated area. Offering a digging area is free and as simple as dedicating an area of the spot to digging.

13. Dog toys: spots that offer dog toys earn 1.9x more than spots that do not. Here are some ideas:

Chuck it: we like this one
Tennis balls: find them at any local sports store or order online
Fly pole: we like this one
Frisbee: we like this one
Anything else you can imagine, the more the merrier!
Guests often comment on and appreciate new toys they find in subsequent visits to sniff spots, so by adding new toys from time to time you can encourage repeat visits from guests. We recommend adding some new toys on a monthly basis.
Make sure to sanitize your toys and water bowl regularly. You can just spray the toys with sanitizer. We really like Seventh Generation All-Purpose Disinfecting Spray (see it here on Amazon).

14. Agility equipment: spots with agility equipment earn 1.9x more than spots that do not. Here are some ideas for what kind of equipment you could include. Remember: you don't need to buy these things new - you can buy them used on Craigslist or Offerup; or you can earn make many of these agility obstacles yourself.

15. Fire pit available for use: spots that offer fire pits earn 1.8x more than spots that do not. Here is how you can add a fire pit for under $60.

16. Dog drinking water: spots that offer dog drinking water earn 1.8x more than spots that do not. Playing is thirsty work and it's safer for dogs to have access to water while playing to reduce the risk of overheating. Make sure that you provide a way for fresh water to be added and make sure that the bowl is sanitized regularly.

17. Children's toys: spots that offer children's toys earn 1.7x more than spots that do not. Many parents like bringing their dogs and their children to spots to play. You can easily find children's toys cheap or free on second hand website like Offerup and Craigslist.

18. Chairs: spots that offer chairs earn 1.7 more than spots that do not. Guests really appreciate having a place to sit while their dog plays. You can find nice used outdoor seating at a local second hand store or Goodwill or online for as little as $6 or even free.

19. Rain shelter / sun shade: spots that offer rain shelter / sun shade earn 1.6x more than spots that do not. Here are some ideas for affordable ways to add a rain shelter / sun shade to your spot.

You can mark which amenities you provide on the Details tab of your listing edit page here. This is a great way to differentiate your spot to stand out to prospective guests.

Above and Beyond

Here are some things that we have seen from host that have elicited delight from their guests and often brought guests back for multiple visits:

White board with welcome message: guests really appreciate this because sometimes guests are unsure of whether the host remembers that they are coming, the sign with welcome message removes all doubt. And it makes guests feel welcome and special.

Visual barriers from neighbors: if you have see-through fencing (e.g. chain link, etc.) between your spot and neighbor/resident dogs, try adding a simple visual barrier to reduce the distraction from those dogs to your guest's dog(s). Here is an example of a simple visual barrier.
Visual barriers from house: if you live at the same location as your spot, you may consider adding visual barriers between your house and the spot. For instance, if you have windows that look out to the spot, you can draw the shades during visits to give your guests privacy. Many guests appreciate privacy during their visits to relax with their dog(s).

Don't let this list limit you. If you think of something people might like, give it a try and see how people respond!

You can mark which amenities you provide on the Details tab of your listing edit page here. This is a great way to differentiate your spot to stand out to prospective guests.

Amenities to avoid

Consider avoiding these amenities to provide the safest environment for visiting dogs:

Anything that is breakable (e.g. hard rawhides)
Anything that could splinter (e.g. nylabones)
Anything that could fracture a tooth (e.g. knuckle bones)

You can mark which amenities you provide on the Amenities tab of your listing edit page here. This is a great way to differentiate your spot to stand out to prospective guests.

We hope these can provide some helpful guidelines for you to think about what amenities to provide for your guests!