How to Start a Private Dog Park on Your Farm: The Fenced Field That Pays You by the Hour, All Year Round (US, Canada and UK)
In 2015, Kathryn and David Cross took the worst field on their Norfolk farm, one hectare of wet, poor ground they hardly used, and fenced it for dogs. They spent £20,000 on fencing, a car park and a website, and by 2020 were charging £10 an hour. Kathryn later told Farmers Weekly: "It has transformed the least profitable field on our farm into the most profitable."
That is what a private dog park on your farm does. It is a securely fenced field that dog owners book by the slot, so their dogs can run off-lead with no other dogs around.
Their field, Paws for Play near Wymondham, was usually fully booked about two weeks ahead. The family had also suffered dog attacks on their sheep.
This guide shows you how to do the same in the US, Canada or the UK: which field to pick, the fence, the prices, the rules, and what the money really looks like.
Field-Tested Play: The Short Answer Pick a dry, easy-to-reach field of about 2 to 10 acres (0.8 to 4 hectares) that earns you little. Fence it to 6 feet (1.8 metres) with small mesh dug into the ground, add a double "airlock" gate, parking and a coded lock, and sell 50-minute or one-hour slots online. UK fields typically charge £8 to £20 a slot. US hosts on the Sniffspot app average about $10 per dog per hour. Get planning or zoning approval and proper liability insurance before the first dog arrives. |
Why a Private Dog Park on Your Farm Works Right Now
Most farm income depends on the weather, the harvest price and labour. A dog field depends on none of them. The customer books online, opens the gate with a code, and leaves an hour later.
There are more dogs than ever, and fewer places to let them run
In the United States, 71 million households owned a dog in 2025, which is 53% of all households, according to the American Pet Products Association's 2026 dog report.
In the UK, UK Pet Food puts the dog population at 15.5 million, living in 41% of households (2026). In Canada, the Canadian Animal Health Institute counted about 7.2 million dogs in 2024.
Many have nowhere safe to run. Sniffspot's founder told the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2025 that about 90% of its guests don't have a fenced yard at home.
Many dogs can't cope with a busy public park
A study of more than 13,700 dogs in Finland, published in Scientific Reports in 2020, found that 17% showed fear of other dogs. In the UK, the PDSA's 2025 report found that only 54% of owners say their dog gets the chance to avoid other dogs on a typical walk.
That is your customer: the nervous rescue dog, the puppy with no recall, the old dog that gets knocked over.
The UK proves the model is growing fast
According to Hannah James, founder of the British Dog Fields directory, the UK had fewer than 600 registered dog fields in 2018. By the end of 2025, she put the figure at around 4,000. That is an industry estimate, not an official count.
In its April 2025 diversification round-up, under "What's in demand?", Farmers Weekly wrote that dog walking fields are expanding, with more operators and franchisors coming in. That was the magazine's own observation after talking to advisers at Savills and Dudley Peverill, not a formal rating. In the same piece, it said glamping and wedding venues must stand out in an increasingly competitive market.
The Sniffspot app now advertises more than 32,000 private spots.
It doesn't stop in winter
Most visitor businesses on a farm are seasonal. A dog field is different. Hannah James told Cornish Mutual that dog fields are "often busier in the winter when there are fewer daylight hours." My reading of why: owners who work all day can't walk safely in the dark along a muddy lane, so they book a secure field for the weekend instead.
A dog field can carry your cash flow through the quiet months. (If bad weather has ever wiped out a busy weekend, read 7 things every visitor farm must do before the next storm.)
It needs very few staff
Elizabeth Morosani, 50, who has a 108-acre farm near Asheville, North Carolina, told CNBC Make It in 2024 that she spends six to eight hours a week on her dog parks, mostly mowing.
David Hoyles, who runs Fenland Dog Park in Lincolnshire, told Agronomist & Arable Farmer: "It pretty much runs itself."
Reality Check: "Runs itself" does not mean "no work." Becky Wilson, who runs Paws in the Park in Leicestershire, told Farmers Weekly: "It's definitely not passive income." Someone has to mow, empty bins, fix fences and answer messages. For a straight look at what farm visitor businesses really earn, see how much agritourism farms really make. |
It protects your livestock too
UK farm insurer NFU Mutual put the cost of dog attacks on farm animals at £1.95 million in 2025, up 10%. In its survey of dog owners, 1 in 10 admitted their dog has no recall at all.
I know of no official body that recommends dog fields as the fix. But my own reasoning is simple: every dog running inside your secure field is a dog that isn't loose near your sheep. (If you keep animals near visitors, read how to protect livestock from dogs.)
Is Your Field Right for a Dog Park?
The best field is usually the one you are least proud of, as long as it is dry enough and easy to reach.
Size: smaller than you think
Farmers Weekly reports that typical UK dog field operations use between 0.8 and 4 hectares, about 2 to 10 acres. Paws in the Park opened on 0.8 hectares (about 2 acres). Rowton Grange in Shropshire runs on one flat acre.
In the US, Sniffspot's founder told the Inquirer that yards over half an acre tend to get more visitors. Karen Regier rents a half-acre, chain-link fenced section of her farm outside Newton, Kansas. More fence means more cost.
Location: close to people
Your customers are townspeople with dogs. A field near a town will fill faster than one at the end of a long farm track. Paws for Play chose land near the town. Count the homes within a 20-minute drive: that is your market.
Access: where many applications fail
UK refusals cluster around access. In Llandysul, Wales, a dog park refusal reported in February 2026 cited, among other things, no lawful vehicle access and a substandard junction. In Whalley, Lancashire, a bid to grow from 20 to 30 dogs was refused in November 2025 over a narrow track and a public right of way.
You need a safe entrance, room to park off the road, and ideally no public footpath through the field.
Drainage: don't pick a swamp
Paws for Play used wet ground and it worked. But Hannah James warns against opening on a muddy field in winter: wait for spring. Plan hard standing at the gate and car park; Farmers Weekly mentions gravel, woodchip and rubber mats.
Not your best land
Hannah James told Farmers Weekly that land graded 3A or better is unlikely to get approval. Canada protects prime farmland too. This works in your favour: the awkward corner and the worn-out horse paddock are what planners prefer to see used.
Keep livestock well away
Dogs and sheep in neighbouring fields means stress on both sides. Put a buffer between the dog field and any stock.
Field-Tested Play: Walk your field with a friend who owns a dog. Ask: Would you drive here? Where would you park? What would make you nervous? Their answers beat any spreadsheet. |
The Fence and Setup: What Makes a Secure Dog Field Secure
The fence is the product: customers pay for certainty that their dog cannot get out. It is usually the largest infrastructure cost too, says Farmers Weekly.
The fence
The UK standard, according to Farmers Weekly, is a 1.8-metre (6-foot) fence, dug into the ground, with small mesh so little dogs can't squeeze through. Paws in the Park uses exactly that. Insurer Cliverton requires fields to be "securely fenced (minimum of 6 foot high)" for its dog field policy.
Alberta's Rocky View County made a 6-foot fence a condition of a 2025 approval. In the US, the Stanton Foundation's dog park guide calls 5 to 7 feet typical, with the fence extending below ground.
A few practical points:
Black galvanised steel helps the fence blend into the landscape (Farmers Weekly).
Creosote-treated timber is not allowed in public spaces in the UK.
Some fields add a wire "skirt" along the bottom to stop diggers.
What the fence costs
UK: Scotland's Farm Advisory Service says good-quality deer-style fencing costs around £20 per metre, installed, at a minimum height of 1.8 metres (2024).
US: HomeAdvisor puts woven (metal) wire deer fencing at about $10 to $15 per linear foot. It doesn't say whether labour is included, so get local quotes.
My own example: a square one-hectare field (about 2.5 acres) has a perimeter of roughly 400 metres, or 1,312 feet. At £20 a metre that is about £8,000 in the UK. At $10 to $15 a foot it is about $13,000 to $20,000 in the US. That is an estimate for the fence only, before gates, the car park and everything else.
For the whole set-up, Paws for Play spent £20,000 back in 2015. Today, Hannah James's advice is to budget at least £50,000 for a quality set-up. In North Carolina, Elizabeth Morosani's planned fourth site, about 3 acres, cost $18,000 for fencing, levelling and seeding.
The double "airlock" gate
Two gates with a small pen between them. The owner closes the first gate before opening the second, so a dog can't bolt out to the road. The Stanton Foundation's guide calls single gates "generally ill advised."
Parking, water, shade and bins
Farmers Weekly says in-field parking is increasingly seen as essential, especially for owners of nervous dogs. Add:
A water point and a bowl.
Shade or a simple shelter with a bench.
Dog waste bins, emptied on a schedule. Many UK councils now expect a waste plan with your application.
A keypad or coded padlock on the gate, so you don't need to be there. Rowton Grange uses a coded gate.
CCTV and wi-fi, which Paws in the Park uses for security and emergency calls.
Field-Tested Play: Leave 10 minutes between bookings. Paws in the Park sells 50-minute slots with a 10-minute buffer, so nervous dogs never meet at the gate. That's why owners come back. |
Two Ways to Run It: Sniffspot or Your Own Booking Site
Option 1: List it on Sniffspot (US and Canada)
Sniffspot is an app, like Airbnb for dog spaces. Guests find you, book and pay through it. You set your price per dog per hour and get paid monthly by direct deposit.
The catch is the fee. Sniffspot's Help Center says the total cost to hosts is usually 24.37% plus $0.22 per charge. Put simply, the platform and card fees take about a quarter of what guests pay. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported it typically takes 25%.
It is the fastest way to start. Elizabeth Morosani's Fletcher site had its first booking within 30 minutes. Ontario alone had 1,126 Sniffspot spots in November 2026.
Option 2: Your own booking website (the UK default)
Sniffspot barely operates in the UK. In November 2026, its England listings page showed just two spots. UK fields run their own online booking system, list on directories such as Dog Walking Fields, and send a gate code to each customer.
You keep everything except card and software fees, but you must find every customer yourself. Becky Wilson told Farmers Weekly that Facebook has been her strongest marketing tool.
Sniffspot (US and Canada) | Your own booking site (all countries) | |
Who finds customers | The app does much of it | You do (Google, Facebook, directories) |
Fee | About a quarter of each booking | Card and booking-software fees only |
Speed to first booking | Very fast, sometimes within hours | Slower; you build your name locally |
Insurance | Host Protection included in the US, Puerto Rico and Canada | You buy your own policy |
Who owns the customer | The platform | You do: names, emails, repeat bookers |
Works in the UK? | Barely (2 spots in England, Nov 2026) | Yes, this is how UK fields run |
Reality Check: Sniffspot's insurance is not a reason to skip your own. Its Host Protection excludes injuries caused by the host's own animals, injuries to the host, and injuries caused by weather. One sensible route is to start on the app to test demand, then build your own list of regulars. |
What to Charge: Real Prices From Real Dog Fields
Here is what real fields have charged.
Field or source | Where | Price |
Typical UK slot (Farmers Weekly, 2026) | UK | £8 to £20 per 50-minute or hourly slot |
Paws in the Park (2026) | Leicestershire, UK | £12 up to 3 dogs, £14 for 4 to 6 dogs, per 50 minutes |
Fenland Dog Park (2025) | Lincolnshire, UK | £10 per dog per session |
Crab Wood, Hampshire County Council (2026) | Hampshire, UK | £10 per 50 minutes |
Baffles (2020) | West Yorkshire, UK | £6 to £10 for 30 minutes, £10 to £16 for 60 minutes |
Paws for Play (2020) | Norfolk, UK | £10 an hour |
Sniffspot average (Inquirer, 2025) | US | About $10 per dog per hour |
Two Dog People, Tracy Johnson (2025) | Philadelphia, US | $15 per dog per hour |
Paul Spadoni (2023) | Gig Harbor, Washington | $9 an hour |
Alpha Canine Farm (2026) | Grimsby, Ontario | 14 credits per dog per hour (charged in US dollars) |
Ontario Sniffspot listings (2026) | Ontario, Canada | Most $5 to $15 per dog per hour (US dollars) |
UK fields charge per slot, more for bigger groups. On Sniffspot it is per dog per hour, with each extra dog 50% off and 30-minute visits 25% off.
Field-Tested Play: List every field within 30 minutes of you and their prices. Sniffspot's own advice is to check popular spots near you, start a little lower to win reviews, then raise prices. Charge extra for the things that cost you more: big groups, evening slots with lights, and birthday parties. |
The Money: A Worked Example of a Private Dog Park on Farm Land
Below is my own worked example, not a promise. Use it to test your own field.
The UK example (own booking site)
Assumptions (all mine):
A one-hectare field, open every day.
An average of 12 bookable slots a day across the year: more on long summer evenings, fewer in winter. (Paws for Play opened 6am to 9pm in summer and 8am to 4pm in winter.)
An average of £13 a slot, between Paws in the Park's £12 and £14 prices.
A set-up of £50,000, in line with Hannah James's advice to budget at least £50,000.
An example allowance of £4,000 a year for running costs: insurance, booking software, mowing, repairs, waste and marketing.
My example (estimate) | Quiet: 25% booked | Steady: 40% booked | Busy: 60% booked |
Booked slots a year | 1,095 | 1,752 | 2,628 |
Takings at £13 a slot | £14,235 | £22,776 | £34,164 |
Less running costs (example) | £4,000 | £4,000 | |
Left before tax | £10,235 | £18,776 | £30,164 |
Time to repay £50,000 | About 4.9 years | About 2.7 years | About 20 months |
Compare that with what the industry reports. Farmers Weekly says a professionally designed field could turn over an estimated £30,000 to £45,000-plus a year, with payback often in 12 to 18 months. Rowton Grange in Shropshire recouped its investment within 18 months. Paws in the Park has made a full return and recorded 59% growth year on year.
My busy example sits at the low end of that range. A café, bigger groups or higher prices push it further.
The US example (Sniffspot)
Same field on Sniffspot. Say the average booking is one dog at $10 plus a second at half price: $15 an hour, 12 bookable hours a day. My estimate:
25% booked: $16,425 from guests, about $12,180 to you after Sniffspot's fees.
40% booked: $26,280 from guests, about $19,490 to you.
60% booked: $39,420 from guests, about $29,240 to you.
Against a fence of roughly $13,000 to $20,000, a well-booked field could pay back the fence within a year or two, before running costs. That is an estimate, not a forecast.
For a real-life benchmark: Elizabeth Morosani told CNBC she averaged $7,100 a month in the first half of 2024 across 11 acres and three sites, with $8,400 in May. Roughly half was profit. "I didn't think it'd be this popular, this successful," she said.
Reality Check: Plenty of fields earn far less. Tracy Johnson, a Philadelphia host, told the Inquirer she had earned $734 in a year and a half. And England's Farm Accounts survey (2024/25) found that "sport and recreation" diversification earned the lowest average income of any type, just £3,600 a farm. The fields that do well have the right location, a proper fence and a list of regulars. If you plan to borrow, put your numbers into a written agritourism business plan first. |
The Rules: Planning, Zoning and Licences by Country
This is not legal advice. Treat it as questions to take to your planner, county office or lawyer. The most expensive mistake is building a fence you then have to take down.
United Kingdom: you almost always need planning permission
In England, a paid dog field is a change of use from agriculture, so it needs planning permission. The national fee for other changes of use of land is £610 (from 1 April 2026). But that's just the fee. Hannah James told Farmers Weekly that upfront planning costs can run to £7,000 to £10,000, and that using a planning consultant matters more than ever.
A 28-day rule lets you use land for any purpose for up to 28 days a year: enough for a trial, not a business. Separately, a fence over 2 metres, or over 1 metre next to a road used by vehicles, needs its own permission.
What gets approved: Bird Grove Farm in Staffordshire was approved by councillors in 2024, against their officers' advice. One councillor said "this facility is required." The conditions were typical: pre-booked one-hour slots, a PIN-code gate, off-road parking, a waste bin, tree planting, a maximum of four dogs per person, and set opening hours. The Dog Paddocks in Cheshire won its green-belt case on appeal, as reported in February 2024.
What gets refused: a field in Chudleigh, Devon was refused (reported January 2026) over "inadequate and inconsistent information," including a wrongly scaled plan and inconsistent fencing details. Others have been refused over noise near houses, dangerous access and public footpaths.
Business rates: this is the cost few people mention. The Valuation Office Agency's rating manual says "commercially run dog fields or buildings are a non-domestic use." It tells valuers to resist arguments that the field is still exempt farmland. Its method starts from a share of the takings: 20% to 30% of gross receipts for an open field. Small Business Rate Relief gives 100% relief in England for a rateable value of £12,000 or less, if it is the business's only property. Ask your accountant whether you qualify. (See also how a farm shop or café could pay zero business rates.)
Licences: if owners stay with their dogs, you are hiring out a field, which is not the same as dog day care. Dog day care, where you look after other people's dogs during the day as a business, is licensable in England under the 2018 animal licensing regulations. Ask your council whether anything you offer needs a licence.
Questions to ask your planner: Is my land grade below 3A? Is the access safe and lawful? Is there a public footpath? How far is the nearest house? Do I need a biodiversity net gain plan?
United States: zoning is local, and the safe harbors may not apply
There is no national rule. Many counties are likely to see a paid dog park in an agricultural zone as a commercial or recreational use, which may need a conditional or special use permit. Sniffspot tells hosts they must follow "all local laws, regulations, and zoning ordinances," and notes that many places require a business license.
Some states, such as North Carolina, shield qualifying bona fide farms, including agritourism buildings, from county zoning. Whether a dog field counts is untested. Lessons from the wedding barn zoning fights show how a county can see a farm use very differently from the farmer.
Agritourism liability laws: about 31 states have agritourism immunity laws, by a 2019 count. None names dog parks. North Carolina's law covers activities on a farm that let the public "view or enjoy rural activities," so a dog field on a working farm might fit, but this hasn't been tested in court. Check your state's agritourism law and don't rely on it instead of insurance.
Recreational use laws: these protect landowners who let people use land for free. Charge a fee and you usually lose that protection: Missouri's law draws that line, and its Supreme Court upheld it in 2007.
Questions to ask your county: What is my zoning? Is this a permitted, conditional or special use? Do I need a business license? What will you want on parking, hours and waste?
Canada: provincial land rules come first
Ontario: under the province's guidelines, on-farm diversified uses can take up no more than 2% of the farm parcel, up to a maximum of 1 hectare. They must stay secondary to the farming. Dog parks are not named, so whether yours counts is a call for your municipality. One hectare is about 2.5 acres, which is a workable dog field.
British Columbia: in the Agricultural Land Reserve, pet breeding and boarding are permitted unless a local government prohibits them. Agri-tourism only counts as a farm use if the land is classed as a farm and no permanent facilities are built for it. A year-round dog field with a permanent fence may not fit and could need a non-farm use application. In 2022, an Abbotsford advisory committee recommended against a dog-training barn on reserve land.
Alberta, a real approval: Rocky View County conditionally approved "a Kennel, for a private dog park" in October 2025: two outdoor parks of about 1.33 hectares (3.28 acres). The conditions included a 6-foot fence, opening 9:30am to 3pm on weekdays, a maximum of 24 client dogs, no public walk-ins, gravel parking on site, regular waste removal and shielded lighting.
Field-Tested Play: Write your own conditions before the council does. Put booking slots, dog limits, hours, parking, a waste plan and a fence drawing into your application. Approvals from Staffordshire to Alberta came with conditions like these. |
Insurance: The Policy You Need Before the First Dog
Strangers, dogs, gates and uneven ground: someone will trip. You need cover that names the activity.
UK: Specialist dog field insurance exists. Cliverton's AXA-backed policy starts from £138.96 a year with £5 million of public liability. Its conditions matter: a fence of at least 6 feet and gated access, and land with public footpaths or ponds is excluded unless the insurer agrees after more information.
US and Canada on Sniffspot: the Help Center describes liability cover of "$2,000,000 aggregate ($1,000,000 per occurrence)" for third-party injuries during booked visits, including 30 minutes before and after. There is separate protection of up to $10,000 per occurrence for third-party claims of injury to guests' dogs. It applies in the US, Puerto Rico and Canada. Exclusions include injuries caused by the host's own animals, injuries to the host, and injuries caused by weather.
Running your own booking site in the US: you'll need your own general liability policy. Insureon reports that pet care businesses pay about $43 a month for $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. That is for pet care in general, so get a quote for your field.
Sniffspot also tells hosts to check their homeowner's policy "proactively," through an independent agent who works with several insurers.
Questions to ask your insurer: Does my farm policy cover paying visitors with dogs? Is dog-on-dog injury covered? What fence height do you require? Is my own dog excluded? Do I need a waiver, and will it hold up?
Read more: what agritourism insurance covers and costs, the insurance gap farmers find when they grow, what to do if your insurer says no, and whether liability waivers protect your farm.
Extra Income: How Dog Fields Earn More Than the Slot Fee
Café or coffee van: Paws in the Park's on-site café lets customers order food and drinks to the field, and Becky Wilson calls it a huge selling point.
Honesty shop: Paws in the Park sells natural dog treats from an honesty shop in a shelter.
Workshops and events: trainers, vets and dog photographers. Rowton Grange adds litter parties, birthdays, training sessions and photo shoots.
Birthday parties: Tracy Johnson charges $5 for a custom birthday sign and has hosted parties of up to 12 dogs.
Bundles and gift vouchers: Fenland Dog Park sells both: cash before the visit.
Indoor or rainy-day space: Farmers Weekly notes indoor exercise areas in redundant buildings are a growing option. In Ontario, at least one Sniffspot host rents out an indoor horse riding arena.
Farmers Weekly names raw dog food, canine sports and vet businesses as the strongest add-ons, and says customers are moving away from artificial agility layouts.
For more ideas that use land you already have, see 50 ways to make money through agritourism.
Mistakes to Avoid
Building first, asking second. The Dog Paddocks in Cheshire applied after the event, was refused, and had to win on appeal. Get the paperwork first.
A cheap fence. One escaped dog can cost you your reputation in an afternoon.
No buffer between bookings. Nervous dogs meeting at the gate is what customers pay to avoid.
Ignoring access. Narrow lanes, bad junctions and footpaths keep turning up in refusals.
Livestock next door. Keep stock well away.
Opening on mud in winter. Launch in spring.
Skipping insurance. Get cover that names the dog field.
Forgetting business rates. Ask your accountant before the first bill lands.
The First 90 Days: A Step-by-Step Start Plan
Paws in the Park spent almost two years on research and planning. Rowton Grange opened five months after getting permission. Use the first 90 days for homework, then build.
Days 1 to 30: Check the field and the market
Pick two possible fields. Check size, drainage, access, neighbours and livestock.
List every dog field or Sniffspot spot within 30 minutes, with prices.
Ask your planner or county office what permit you need.
Ask your insurer what they need before they will quote.
Days 31 to 60: Get the numbers and the drawings
Get two or three quotes for a 6-foot dug-in fence and airlock gate.
Draw a site plan: fence, gates, parking, bins, water, shelter.
Put your own numbers into the worked example above.
Look for grants. Pipehill Dog Field near Lichfield got a £6,189 grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Rural Business Fund. In the US, see agritourism grants and funding.
Days 61 to 90: Apply and prepare to launch
Submit your planning or zoning application with clear conditions.
Choose Sniffspot or your own booking system, plus a keypad lock.
Write field rules: one booking at a time, vaccinated dogs, pick up waste, close both gates.
Start a Facebook page and a Google Business Profile for the field.
Once approved, build in late winter and open in spring.
What a Durian Farm in Malaysia Taught Me About Filling a Diary
I'm Stephen Loke, the founder of Bloopy Durians in Bentong, Malaysia. I don't run a dog field. But I know what it takes to keep a visitor business full.
Our durian season is short, about four to five months a year, from December to February and June to August. Yet the farm welcomes visitors from all over the world, and many companies send their staff and management to visit.
Two things carry us. First, a WhatsApp list of loyal customers who buy whenever durians are available. That list is a reliable income. Second, we rank at the top of Google search results, and that brings us lots of visitors.
Dog fields fill their diaries the same way. Sniffspot says repeat guests drive most of its top hosts' earnings. The best fields live on regulars who book every week, and on being easy to find on Google. Build both from day one. (Here is how to turn Google into a customer machine for your farm.)
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need planning permission for a dog walking field in the UK?
In almost all cases, yes. A paid dog field is a change of use from agriculture. The application fee in England is £610 (from April 2026), but Hannah James puts total upfront planning costs at £7,000 to £10,000. The 28-day rule only covers short trials.
How much can a private dog park on a farm make?
It varies widely. Farmers Weekly reports an estimated £30,000 to £45,000-plus a year for a professionally designed UK field. A Philadelphia backyard host made $734 in 18 months. Location, fence quality and regulars make the difference.
How big does a dog field need to be?
Most UK fields use 0.8 to 4 hectares (about 2 to 10 acres). Smaller works in a good location: Rowton Grange runs on one acre, and a Kansas farm rents half an acre on Sniffspot.
How high should the fence be?
Plan for 6 feet (1.8 metres), dug into the ground, with small mesh. It is the UK standard, Cliverton's policy requires it, and Rocky View County made it a condition in Alberta.
Can I use Sniffspot in the UK?
Not really. In November 2026, Sniffspot showed just two spots in England, and its host insurance covers only the US, Puerto Rico and Canada. UK fields use their own booking websites and directories.
Is a dog field busy in winter?
Often, yes. Hannah James says dog fields are often busier in winter, when there are fewer daylight hours. Don't open for the first time in winter, though. Launch in spring.
Will a dog field affect my business rates or taxes?
In the UK, the VOA treats commercially run dog fields as non-domestic, so the field may be rated even though it sits on a farm. Small Business Rate Relief may help. Farmers Weekly has also reported that change of use may have inheritance tax implications, so speak to an accountant first. (See questions to ask your accountant.)
Your Next Step
Before you spend money on a fence, find out whether your farm is ready for paying visitors. The Farm Readiness Quiz shows whether your farm and your field are ready, and where the gaps are.
Want more ideas for the land you already have? Get my free ebook.
P.S. Remember Kathryn and David Cross. They didn't buy more land. They took the wet field they hardly used, put a good fence around it, and turned it into the most profitable field on the farm. Look out of your window. Which field is yours?
Stephen Loke of AgritourismSuccess.com, whose farm is featured in Bloomberg News and Asahi Shimbun. This article is general information, not legal, planning, tax or insurance advice; check the rules with your local council or county and a licensed insurer before you open.
Sources
"So you want to… get paid for having dogs on your land?", Chloe Dunne, Farmers Weekly, 6 July 2020. https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/diversification/so-you-want-to-get-paid-for-having-dogs-on-your-land
"How dog field diversifications can bring in the cash on farm", Natalie Noble, Farmers Weekly, 27 May 2026. https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/how-dog-field-diversifications-can-bring-in-the-cash-on-farm
"What's hot and what's not in the farm diversification market", Suzie Horne, Farmers Weekly, 2 April 2025. https://www.fwi.co.uk/business/diversification/whats-hot-and-whats-not-in-the-farm-diversification-market
"50-year-old's backyard side hustle brings in up to $8,400 a month", Megan Sauer, CNBC Make It, 26 July 2024 (syndicated by NBC Connecticut). https://www.cnbc.com/2024/07/26/backyard-side-hustle-renting-out-land-as-private-dog-park-sniffspot.html
"Ever wish you had your own private dog park? This app lets you rent one.", Erin McCarthy, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 29 May 2025. https://www.inquirer.com/business/small-business/sniffspot-app-yard-rental-dogs-20250529.html
"America's Dog Owners Are Becoming Smarter Spenders", American Pet Products Association, 22 July 2026. https://americanpetproducts.org/news/americas-dog-owners-are-becoming-smarter-spenders
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