12 MarEpisode 128 | Air B and…Pee? Sniff Spot allows dog owners to rent people’s yards! Genius!
When David Adams' girlfriend traveled with her dog, she had an issue: The dog only liked to pee in yards. Adams, who had previously build a site for people looking for short-term apartment rentals, had an idea: What if there where people could rent... yards? So, he built SniffSpot.com, which allows people to rent out their fenced-in outdoor spaces to dogs, hourly. Annie and David discuss how this innovative service may revolutionize the way dogs are able to exercise and socialize.
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Special thanks to Bill and Lizzie of Toast Garden for creating our Season Three intro song! Find them on Youtube.com/toastgarden
Transcript:
[Intro and School for the Dogs Podcast’s new theme song by Toast Garden]
Annie:
All right, David. Thanks for being here. Why don't you just go ahead and tell me about yourself and your really interesting business.
David Adams:
Yeah, yeah, definitely. Thanks for having me. So Sniff Spot, maybe I'll start by telling you how it came about and I can talk about it a little bit.
Annie:
And if you don't mind, tell me your full name and where you're based.
David:
Yes. So my full name is David Adams and I'm currently living in Boston.
Annie:
Okay. And Sniff Spot. Is Sniff Spot your baby?
David:
Yes. Yes. One of them, one of them.
Annie:
Oh, okay. Well, are there other babies that we're going to need to know about?
David:
There are other babies, there are two fur babies named Soba and Toshi, and they came before Sniff Spot and they actually inspired Sniff Spot.
Annie:
So what is Sniff Spot for those who don't know?
David:
Yeah. So Sniff Spot is Airbnb for dog parks. The idea is that anyone can offer their land or their yard as a safe and private space for dogs to play. And people that have dogs can book hourly for private time with their dogs, for exercise, training, whatever they want.
Annie:
That's such an interesting idea. So when did you first come up with this idea and tell me about its evolution
David:
Yeah, so I was living in Seattle at the time. And I had just met this wonderful woman who is now my wife and I had my dog Soba and she had her dog Toshi. And I was going around to dog parks with Soba. I was a first time dog owner and just kept having bad experiences. Soba is high energy, she's a lab pit mix. And I needed to exercise her, but dog parks, you know, there were dogs there she didn't get along with. They felt dirty and not hygienic. So I was feeling dissatisfied.
And at the same time, Rebecca was traveling with Toshi for work. And one day she was in Baltimore, she texted me and said man, it's so hard to just find a place for Toshi to go to the bathroom. I wish there was an app where I could find private yards that I could rent. And that was the origin idea of Sniff Spot. It solved both our problems.
And since we started, it's grown. We have spots in over a thousand cities now and all kinds of spots. It's not just yards. it's land there's indoor spaces, there's agility courses. There's any kind of dog wonderland you can imagine there's water, there's beaches, there's mountains. Whatever you and your dog want. You can find it on Sniff Spot.
Annie:
When did this first start to get going then?
David:
This was early 2018. It was early. It was about three years ago now, just about three years ago.
Annie:
And so you were looking kind of for a dog park alternative, which I can totally understand. And actually at School for the Dogs, we run a private dog run, which we've done, gosh, for like maybe seven years now. And it's a membership-based, all the dogs have to be approved. It's only four dogs right now. It's only four dogs at a time. It's like indoor outdoor, there's a trainer there. It's kind of like my idea of the perfect dog park.
But I think that if we had more space and availability and flexibility, I would love to kind of have a spot that anybody could just rent for an hour or two. I think it's such a genius idea because especially in cities, it can be really hard to find a safe spot with dog parks being the only option, and dog parks are not always clean and certainly not always safe. So I understand where you were coming from, your wife was looking for a place for her dog to go to the bathroom. Would he not go while he was walking? Was that the issue?
David:
So Toshi he's a very picky pup. He doesn't like going to the bathroom on leash and he doesn't have great recall,
Annie:
Remember in Seinfeld. Like George would only poop in the nude
David:
He's kind of like George, that's a great analogy. So yeah, it started from this. and what we found is that the people that are using sniff spot, they're doing it for exercise for their dogs. You can rent acreage, places for your dog to really run. And most of our users don't live in urban cores. Many of them live in suburban or even rural areas. And the idea is to be able to get safe exercise for your dog.
It's hard everywhere, because if you're out in the sticks, there isn't a fence and there could be you know, gunfire or other noises, hunters, things like that, where people don't feel entirely safe having their dogs off leash even in the country. So we, we found, it's just been really surprising how broad the need is for Sniff Spot.
Annie:
And was there anything else like this out there, did you first think, you know, Oh, this must already exist.
David:
You know I, I looked around and I hear that a lot that people are just amazed that it didn't exist before. And no as far as I've seen, there's nothing in the United States. I think there's one in England that's called dog walking fields or something like that. But in the United States that the closest thing are these private dog runs like what you have.
Annie:
Which I think, obviously I love what we offer and I wish there were more options for us to be able, or I wish we could offer it to sort of a broader base. But yeah, it's hard in the cities.
So I was looking a little bit on your site and like in New York city, there are people in New York city who look like they're renting out, like $10, looking just quickly, like $10 per dog, per hour. It looks like there's only one location maybe in Manhattan. $5 per dog, per hour, upper West side puppy Oasis. I mean, to get anything for $5 an hour in Manhattan is….genius
David:
Yeah. You know and New York is, like I said, we've got spots in over a thousand different cities. New York is one of our smaller markets for sure. But I've been amazed, at different times. We've seen great spots in New York and not just outdoor, also indoor spots. And it just constantly amazes me how, even in the most dense urban areas, you can find spots. And people are signing up with space, even in the densest areas like Manhattan is the densest area. I don't know, maybe in the world close to it.
Annie:
I'm looking on your site. Tell me a place that I can look at that's going to blow my mind,
David:
Look, look at Seattle. That's where we started, and you'll get a sense of what it starts to look like as we get more and more spots in the area. There are many spots around Seattle that are just kind of otherworldly for dogs.
Annie:
Tell me what your background is, as far as creating businesses goes, is this your passion, creating businesses, or is this just sort of like a fluke first time thing?
David:
Well, so it's something that I like. My background is in tech. Actually before before sniff spot, I started by working at Microsoft and I had started a business before sniff spot as well.
Annie:
So was that a pet related business?
David:
It's not a pet related no. No. In fact, it's really important to work on things that I'm passionate about personally. And I certainly love animals. However, my previous business was a monthly furnished apartment marketplace. Think of it like Sniff Spot for monthly furnished apartments.
Annie:
So different though than Airbnb?
David:
Over time — this is about 10 years ago. Over time, Airbnb has definitely gone into that space. At that time though, Airbnb really didn't do monthly. So it was quite a different thing. And the reason I wanted to start that is because my whole life up to that time, my whole adult life, I had always lived in monthly furnished rentals. I'd never done a long-term rental. And while I was working on that company, the company is called second address. I adopted my first dog Soba and soba was the genesis for Sniff Spot. So I kind of just follow, pun intended, follow my nose to find things that I like working on and try to make something new.
Annie:
And as a business, how is Sniff Spot doing?
Speaker 2: (10:26)
Well, we're a small company, so this is not a big business. It's not a multi, you know, mega corporation. We've got less than 10 people that are on the team. And we're doing just fine in terms of business and our business model. But for me, my main goal is not to start the next Facebook or something.
My main goal is to try to create something that I feel like can make a lot of people happy. Like just seeing how our customers react to seeing their dogs run free, and have a big smile on their face and romp around and play. Sometimes, really for the first time. It just makes me feel really good. And that's kind of what keeps our team going on a day-to-day basis.
Annie:
So do you have people who are booking spots like a few times a week?
David:
Definitely. Yeah. Oh yeah. We have people booking almost daily. Yeah. It's a common thing. It's something where, when there are enough spots in a place like Seattle, it's really hard to justify not going to Sniff Spot. It's just so nice. You can let your dog off leash for a human it's worry-free and it's actually a nice experience. Like many of the spaces are just really nice. And you can go relax there with your dog. It's like something that's never existed before for people. So people really like it.
Annie:
Yeah. And a great place to have puppy play dates, especially during COVID, what a fabulous thing to be able to have a safe spot. I mean, I'm scrolling now through some of these Seattle places and feeling sad that I can't bring my dog there.
David:
Where are you based?
Annie:
I'm in New York city. I'm in New York city.
David:
Got it. Yeah. That's maybe the hardest place. In New York, to really get any spots you have to go out on Long Island, it’s pretty far. Or up into Westchester. But hopefully we'll add more there. Sniff Spot is, in a lot of places it's still quite new. And something for any listeners out there. We absolutely need more spots.
So a lot of our best spots are actually dog businesses, like trainers or kennels that already have land as part of their business. And it's a great way to supplement their business. So we absolutely need more spots all over the country and not just the country. We're actually also international. We have many spots in Canada. We have bookings happening as far away as New Zealand. Wow.
Annie:
Yeah. I am hoping maybe some of our New York clients who have outdoor space will listen to this. And I mean, off the top of my head, I'm already thinking of a few people I know who have very gracious rooftops or balconies. And it seems like the kind of thing where people would probably be okay if they have to walk through your apartment to get to your balcony. Right. If it's a big balcony.
David:
Yeah. Well, for a host, it's really a great way to, one, feel like you're actually helping people. Like you said, in this time, COVID, it's a hard time for people, and it's nice to be able to help people. Secondly, you're able to make money, because as a host, you don't have to do anything. It's not like these other side gigs, like I dunno, door dash or Airbnb, where you have to do a lot of work.
With this, you just let people use your yard and you make money. And we've got hosts that are making, pushing up close to $2,000 a month.
Annie:
Wow. Really?
David:
And it's just completely passive income. So it's really, for a dog business, it's nice to have that extra income stream. And it's also a great way to just connect more with your current clients and bring in more clients. So people really like it.
Annie:
Yeah. Maybe we should figure a way that we could offer this maybe during, like off hours through you. And because again, I know we have a lot of listeners in New York and other packed urban areas. Are there any like crazy small spots that people are renting out that are working?
David:
Yeah. I guess what I'd say is more like a class of spots. So there's kind of a spectrum. When you get further out of these big cities and into more rural areas where people really are looking for is multi acres, at least over half an acre, fully fenced spots to live their dogs run. What we find in the urban core is, is that actually having any area where you can play a small game of fetch is hugely valuable. And people are happy to be able to have any kind of space to do that. So I've been amazed at, you know, even in Manhattan and LA in, in downtown Seattle, there are spaces that are like this and people are able to share those spaces.
Annie:
And are people connecting with other dog owners this way so that their dogs can play together? Or is that a next step for you guys?
David:
That is actually a great question. So certainly hosts offer if they'd like that, if it makes sense dogs, that the guests dogs can, can play with the host dogs. And that's fine. The thing that we want to emphasize though, is this should not be an expectation. Many people are using Sniff Spot for private time with their dogs. And every dog is different. So some dogs have sensitivities or are selective, so hosts should expect to keep their dogs separate from the spot during visits so that people can have that private time.
But they can offer that playtime, if they'd like. And one thing I'll say that's kind of cool is we're actually actively working on a a matching feature where guests can meet each other dog owners can meet each other and actually see if their dogs are a good fit for each other. Because this is something that's hard for people today to find dogs that are a good fit for, let's say my dog. It’s hard.
Annie:
Right. Like that's a lot of what we do at School for the Dogs, is sort of matchmaking during groups to make sure it's a good mix. But then of course you have the obstacle of where are the dogs are gonna have their date.
David:
Yes. Yeah. What we found is, with play dates, that there are three main barriers. One is the biggest one is finding a good dog that fits your dog. The second is scheduling actually, and the third is space. So with Sniff spot, we're working towards solving all three.
Annie:
Well, I'm really excited about what you're doing. When I heard about it, I thought, Oh my God, I'm so glad this exists. Maybe another next place that you could take it is a place where people who just want to hang out with other people's dogs.
David:
Yeah, yeah, no, believe it or not, that's a request we've gotten, seriously.
Annie:
Yeah. Like, can I show up to one of these places just to watch the dogs in a way that's less creepy than hanging out at the dog park and less stinky.
David:
There's a lot of, you know, it's amazing how much people love their dogs. And something so fun about this is like, dogs are just, they really are the best. And it's amazing to see dogs be happy, and to be able to actually have fun with your dogs, it's great. And for hosts, hosts love that feeling too, of they're helping real people in their community with dogs, have fun. And they're also able to make money. People are covering their property taxes. People are supplementing their income, paying for renovations. There's all kinds of stuff that hosts are doing with this money that they wouldn't be able to do otherwise.
Annie:
Yeah. Well, I hope you get some people with rooftops or yards in New York City from this.
David:
Yeah, we're working on it.
Annie:
Let me know. And are you bringing your dog then to Sniff Spots these days?
David:
Oh my gosh. All the time. Yeah. Like in Boston, it's a little better than New York, but not a lot, but I drive all the way to New Hampshire or down to the South side. Because if we go like a week without going to a Sniff Spot, I can just tell the difference in my dogs. In terms of their behavior, in terms of their anxiety. So being able to go let them run free at a spot. It's just–
Annie:
Do dog parks seem like unappealing to you now?
David:
The thing I'll say about dog parks is that I think they're really important for cities to have them. Like a lot of people don't have access to any kind of outdoor space with their dog and dogs absolutely need that. So it's really important. I think that because they're free and they're open, there also are some challenges that people run into. Like with other dogs, you know, you don't know what other dogs are going to be there. You don't know about whether those dogs are vaccinated or what kind of issues there could be there. So for me, if I can, I'd rather go to a Sniff spot and go to a dog park.
Annie:
Totally. Totally understandable. Well, thank you so much, David. This is this has been very interesting.
David:
Yeah. Really nice talking to you.
Annie:
I'm just also happy to connect, and would love to figure out maybe some ways that we can work together in the future. Cause I think we're on the same page as far as helping people give their dogs the best possible life, especially in urban environments.
David:
Yeah. I would love to talk more and send me all your ideas for getting more spots in New York City. Because I would love, I mean, imagine if New York City was just full of Sniff Spots, that that's really the dream.
Annie:
Well, let's, let's make it happen together.
David:
Yeah. Sounds great.
