Neighbors turned yard into Sniffspot

[calen]

It’s a combo of annoying, funny & a bit ironic, I got an email this morning from sniffspots about new spots in our area and recognized our Nextdoor neighbors yard…

Our reactive dog used to be an avid sniffspot visitor when we lived an apartment. I love the site and think it’s doing a ton of good. My husband and I decided it was time to move into a house with a fenced in yard last year to make all of our lives a little easier.

Our yard is big but the fence is the cheap metal ones, maybe 4ft tall and with the layout of our yard parts of the fence are pretty low (maybe 2.5 ft) we have dogs on both sides and keep our dog on a long line when in the yard so we can grab him quickly since neighbor A’s dog and my dog like to fence fight.

Neighbor B also has a reactive dog, I don’t know her history but she’s always on a tie out when outside so she’s can’t get close to the fence line and apparently isn’t good with other dogs. Shockingly she triggers zero reaction from my dog, she’s not a barker and so they have both learned to just ignore the other dogs presence which is great! The neighbors are respectful and don’t spend much time in the yard so it works out well. Unfortunately neighbor B is the one who decided to turn their yard into a snjffspot.

They are college kids and roommates. I don’t even recognize the host but I can respect the desire for a side hustle. Just a bummer to know we’ll frequently have random dogs coming next door and stressing out my dog. I don’t want to be negative but I’m secretly hoping their spot isn’t super popular.

Anybody have any good renter friendly tips to make the situation in our yard safer and less stressful?

EDIT: went to pull up the sniffspot listing because I was curious if there were any reviews (were out of town) and it looks like the spot was removed from their website. No idea what happened I hadn’t had the chance to speak to our neighbors or report it but seems the problem solved itself.

 

[ttolainchrist]

@calen Non-serious answer: book it yourself

Serious answer: sounds like a see-through fence? Could you put up some panels or tarps to block the view?

 

[calen]

@ttolainchrist That’s a great idea I didn’t think about putting a privacy panel up!

Maybe I’ll just book all of their slots and cancel last minute lolol

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@calen If it’s surrounded by reactive dogs I didn’t think they allowed them, and they won’t be booked very much I would think. That’s kinda the point of a Sniffspot.

 

[calen]

@imagebeastmarkbeast You’d think! Certainly not a sniffspot id ever book

 

[pixeloriousspriteson]

@calen yeah they have to say whether other animals will be visible from the spot and if they don't answer truthfully, their reviews will reflect that. and if they do answer truthfully, it won't be a very popular spot! fingers cross for you that this ends up a non-issue.

 

[justtrying25]

@calen I used some plywood to block off a fence from a previous neighbor. Worked great.

 

[esmith76]

@calen I’ve seen a ton of ads for rolls of material specifically for attaching to chain link fences to make them more private for pets and whatnot. Probably cheaper than heavy duty paneling?

 

[johnab]

@esmith76 When I was a kid our neighbor had these plastic strips that were 'woven' into the chainlink fence? I'm assuming so us kids would stop setting their dog off. It worked VERY well and was impossible to see through.

edit: it's this

 

[calen]

@esmith76 That’s what I’m thinking too! I looked it up after somebody else suggested it, not a perfect solution but definitely more affordable

 

[christopherb]

@calen I would politely ask them to go splitsies on an affordable visual barrier for the fence. If they're college students they likely rent and won't be there for a long time, so you don't need a permanent solution.

Emphasize that it's a win-win. You don't want your dog to be going ballistic, and their sniffspot won't have many repeat customers if there's a reactive dog next door losing its shit through the fence.

If they end up being assholes about it or unsafe in some way...does their landlord know they're running a side hustle using their property? I know that using my yard as a sniffspot would be an immediate violation of my lease in multiple ways.

 

[calen]

@christopherb That’s a great idea I’m going to knock on their door this evening and ask about splitting a privacy panel I found some on Amazon that are reasonable!

if my dog is outside when people come to visit they are never going to want to come back hahah

I don’t know if the landlord knows, I’m going to guess they don’t. We’re also renters so I don’t have any way to find out who their landlord is but i can’t imagine it’s legal in their lease agreement

 

[seektheway]

@calen If you're nosy (like me), you can usually pretty easily find out who the landlord is by searching on your county's property records website. Even if it's listed as an LLC, you can look up who the registered agent is for the LLC

 

[calen]

@seektheway Genius, idk how I never thought of this. I’m so nosy haha found the owners name and the property management company. Will talk to the neighbors first but good to have if needed!

 

[celtish]

@calen Your landlord probably knows who owns the neighboring property. Start there. If the other person's landlord doesn't know about this side hustle, they might shut it down. It's one thing to allow a renter to have a dog; it's another issue to have multiple dogs in and out of the property. As someone else said, your short fence is not much of a barrier to keep unknown dogs out of your yard. It sounds like you and your neighbor use tie ups or long lines but anyone coming over for a Sniffspot will be expecting to have their dog run without that so you're looking at a potential safety situation.

 

[vikimahauty]

@calen A 4 foot fence, let alone a 2.5 foot fence is not secure at all. I would definitely be very concerned about a dog jumping that fence and coming into your yard. If that is the fence that is going to be hosting sniff spots, I would have a conversation with the neighbor today about getting a decent fence installed.

 

[calen]

@vikimahauty Agreed! I hadn’t even thought about that but you’re absolutely right. My dog isn’t the most athletic so he can stick his head over the fence when he stands on his back legs but a determined dog could absolutely jump over; that’s terrifying!

 

[cindi4work]

@calen My huskies would treat that thing like a stepping stone. I am surprised sniff spot allows hosting in a residential area with a fence that low. You said they also have a reactive dog? What are they thinking?

 

[esmith76]

@vikimahauty I fostered a mini beagle mix that climbed over my 4 foot chain link every day. Then she’d cry to come back and I’d have to go get her!

 

[dme]

@calen Sometimes we go to sniffspots where I can hear neighbors dogs barking up a storm. But I try to only select ones where this won’t be an issue. That being said, now is about the time I’d be dropping by with some goodies! I’d tell them a little about how my dog has a tendency to lose their marbles when they see random dogs. So would they be willing to give you a simple heads up when it’s booked. Just whenever they are able to not every time. Even a simple text would be cool. Especially with how we’re pressed to give a review on sniffspot and it might look bad if all their visitors are commenting on how their spot has a loud dog next door charging the fence and whatnot. If they’re considerate, congratulations!

If not, I’m sorry. I have neighbors like that too. I’d be working hard with my dog to teach something like I do called “see friend”. They look(looking is quiet), treat! They look at me? Treat! They look at dog? Treat! This works best from inside at first. I’d certainly have my dog on a leash even in the yard though. I don’t like fence fighting. That state of arousal can turn into rage for my girl.