Best Sniff Spots For Reactive Dogs Near Portland
Taking Your Reactive Dog on Adventures
Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful
You want to get your reactive dog out of the house, but you don’t know where to go. There’s too many dogs and people in your neighborhood for that to be relaxing for you or your dog. Look no more, Sniff Spot has got you covered. If you haven’t heard about it already, Sniff Spot is an app that you can use to rent people’s private property so that you can take your sensitive dog on safe adventures. With properties all over the Portland-metro, there’s almost too many Sniff Spots to choose from. I’ve been having a blast rating Sniff Spots and determining which spots are the best for reactive and aggressive dogs. Worry-free adventures for you and your best dog pal are on the horizon.
#1st place: Tail wagger’s private dog park
Direct link to Tail Wagger’s Private Dog Park Sniff Spot
Size: 15 acres
Price: $18 per dog for an hour; additional dogs are discounted, no option for 30 minutes
Fencing: Unfenced but private
Good for reactive dogs? Yes as long as they’re on a leash or have a good recall. Need help with recall training? Check out our private training or our Recall & Loose Leash Walking group class.
Features: toys, poop bags, trails, pond, paw spa, towels, out house, agility course, axe throwing
Our rating: 10000/10🎉
This Sniff Spot is the best one I’ve been to. It’s a complete experience that provides decompression and tons of fun for everyone involved. We rented it at 7:30 a.m. because it can get pretty booked up on the weekends!
Long Line For Recall Training
If your dog isn’t reliable off-leash, they still deserve adventure. Using a biothane long line to give your dog more room to roam, or to assist in off-leash training, is what we recommend.
#2nd Place: Zach’s 2 Acre Forested Pooch Path/Creek
Direct link to Zach’s 2 Acre Forested Pooch Path/Creek Sniff Spot.
Size: 2 acres
Price: $12 per dog for an hour, we rented for 30 minutes and I have a SS silver subscription for the discounts
Fencing: Unfenced
Good for reactive dogs? IMO, yes! 🙌 It’s like you’re not even in Portland. So serene.
Features: creek, seating, forest
Our rating: 10/10 🎉
This Sniff Spot is our absolute favorite. Definitely our most visited. It’s like you’re on a hike with your dog so wear proper shoe wear and be prepared for lots of climbing! Although this spot is not fenced, it’s totally worth it for the features, even if your pup has to remain on leash.
#3rd Place: Sapphire Point Farm and Private Dog Park In NW Portland
Direct link to Sapphire Point Farm and Private Dog Park In NW Portland Sniff Spot.
Name: Sapphire Point Farm and Private Dog Park in NW
Size: 10 acres
Price: $15 per dog for an hour; additional dogs are discounted, 30 minute rental available
Fencing: Unfenced but private
Good for reactive dogs? Yes as long as they’re on a leash or have a good recall!
Features: trails, benches, poop bags, toys
Our rating: 9/10🎉
This Sniff Spot is great if you’re looking for a private nature getaway with your dog. Perfect as a decompression outing. Like I said, wear sturdy hiking shoes! We didn’t hear or see anyone while we were here. There are no resident dogs on the property.
Benefits Of Regular Sniff Spot (or QUIET Nature) Visits
Minimizes your dog’s stress. The urban environment is overwhelming for many of our dogs, even if they’re not triggered by the sight of other dogs or people. The opportunity to just “be a dog” in a low pressure environment can help our dogs learn to “slow down”. When visiting a private location, we are able reduce reactions to triggers simply by removing the chance of our dogs being exposed to the trigger in the first place. Sniff Spots are especially great for this. Alternatively, going onto the AllTrails app, filtering for low-traffic trails, finding the trails with the least amount of reviews, and visiting them on a week-day morning can also be quiet successful.
Possibly minimizes the human’s stress load, too. It’s not typically easy to have a dog with big feelings. Especially if you do live in a busy neighborhood and don’t have a yard. It’s not uncommon for dog guardians to develop a bit of their own heightened sensitivity to their dog’s triggers. The nature outings can be a relief to all of us by allowing us to take a deep breath and simply enjoy being with our dogs.
Physical exercise. Sniff Spots generally have a lot of space for running, climbing, swimming, and generally exploring.
The list goes on and on. The above reasons are my favorites. :)
how to use sniff spot
Download the Sniff Spot app. You can sign up for a 7-day trial and you’ll even get 10 credits for free.
Choose the membership level you want. The “better” the membership you get, the bigger the discount is per Sniff Spot rental. If you pay annually, you’ll get an even bigger discount. You can read about the memberships HERE.
Explore the spots. Pick a date and time to rent your desired Sniff Spot, complete the booking, read the instructions sent by the host for entering the Sniff Spot, arrive and leave on time, pick up after your dog, have fun, and be sure to leave a detailed review so other Sniff Spot users know what to expect.
WHAT TO BRING
Dog treats. Lots of them.
Toys. Some spots supply them but they’re often dirty or spread about the Sniff Spot.
Poop bags. Some spots provide them. Always good to bring your own, just in case.
Water. Some spots provider water, but if your dog is picky about water bowls, or you don’t want your dog to use a shared bowl, be prepared!
Pet First Aid Kit. Just incase. In my opinion, all dog guardians should have a Pet First Aid Kit in their vehicle or go-bag for their dog.
Water and snacks for you. If you want.
Proper footwear. A lot of the big Sniff Spots have trails and if you live somewhere that gets a lot of rain, you’re going to have muddy feet. Be ready.
Towel for your dog. The only spot I’ve been to that has towels available is the Tailwaggers spot. They’re the best!
HOW CAN DOG FLOWER HELP?
First of all, if you go to a Sniff Spot, I hope you and your dog have the BEST TIME. If you share your dog’s adventure on social media, tag @dogxflower so we can check out your adventure!
If you’re struggling to help your dog cope or recover from their big feelings, you are not alone. You also don’t have to work through your dog’s big feelings by yourself. Our private dog training, At-Home Daytraining and Reactivity 101 group class are all designed to support guardians with with reducing their dog’s reactivity. Not sure where to start? Scheduled a FREE 10-minute Discovery Call with Meaghan below.
about the author
Meaghan Summerbell (KPA CTP, CSAP-BC, CTDI) is a multi-certified professional dog trainer serving East Portland, Gresham, Troutdale and Happy Valley, Oregon. Meaghan is dedicated to helping people understand the inner workings of canine behavior on a deeper, more meaningful level so you can become your dog’s best friend, too.
Meaghan’s wide range of experience spans over 13 years and includes everything from managing and living at a large scale dog boarding and training facility, co-founding a dog training app, owning and operating a dog-adventure company, and co-owning a large dog training facility in Portland for the last 4+ years, before opening Dog Flower independently.
At home, you can find Meaghan spending time with their 6 dogs and 2 cats. When Meaghan isn’t spending time with their own animals, they’re spending time in nature, tending to their dozens of house plants, or in-progress native backyard habitat.
This is an AI free blog post. All blog posts are written and published by Meaghan.
Keywords: reactive dog training, Gresham reactive dog training, Portland reactive dog training, Sniff Spot rating, best Sniff Spots
