WADSWORTH, Ohio — The hottest new thing in dog parks isn't a dog park at all.
It's a SniffSpot, which works like AirBNB for space to play with your pup, with locations popping up all over Northeast Ohio.
For dog owners without their own yards, or with pets that don't do well with the distractions that may come along with being in public places, a SniffSpot could be the perfect solution to their problems.
Wadsworth SniffSpot owner Jason Jurey opened his yard up to fluffy guests and their humans in August, after a Facebook ad let him know about the opportunity to rent out his completely fenced-in doggy agility course to others.
"It was really an opportunity meets preparation situation," Jason said. "My dad is a well-decorated dog trainer and already had the course set up. All I had to do was take a few pictures and create the page!"
Jason, who teaches AP Environmental Science and Biology at Wadsworth High School during the day and runs the SniffSpot in his free time, has two chocolate labradors of his own: Diesel, 13, and 1-year-old Gus.
"Gus is a super high energy puppy and Diesel is our slow and steady old man," Jason said. "Both love pets and snuggles."
While lots of SniffSpot owners may have their own furry friends, the great thing about renting their space is that only you and your dogs are allowed in the area during your visit, unless you ask for a different experience.
I took my pup, 1-year-old Australian shepherd, cattle dog and pit bull mix Oscar Wilde McCool, out to Jason's SniffSpot at 2098 Blake Road, and was thrilled with the results. We affectionately call our pup "Oscar the Wilde Man" because of his seemingly endless energy, but after less than an hour romping on the course with Gus, Oscar was tired out and completely satisfied with the play time he'd had for the rest of the day.
"We believe we have one of the most beautiful spots in the area to interact with your buddy! " Jason said, further explaining how special it is to get the chance to use their agility course with your dog.
"Our SniffSpot is unique in that guests get to interact with professional level equipment. Most SniffSpots do not offer the types of entertainment that we do."
In our case, Oscar had never seen an agility course before, but in no time at all he was racing up and down the A-frame and tearing through the tunnel at the side of the property. Regardless of the level of experience your dog may have with this kind of gear, this particular SniffSpot offers something for pups of all ages, shapes and sizes.
"We have an English Bulldog and a mastiff that are members here," Jason said. "They couldn’t be more different in size but they are both super sweet and love to say hi!"
If you'd like to check out this Wadsworth doggy oasis, it's easy to make an account with SniffSpot and book time for your visit.
You can search by zip code or address to find all of the nearby off-leash spaces for rent easily on the SniffSpot app or website. Each comes with different features, and hosts share pictures of their yard while letting you know what you can expect at their locations, the prices they set, and available blocks of time to reserve.
The number one rule for being a great SniffSpot guest is to always make sure you leave the yard as you found it. That means cleaning up after your dog, and sticking to guidelines set by the host.
SniffSpot started in Seattle, and currently has more than a thousand locations nationwide. There are several dozen locations in northeast Ohio. You can find them here.
