Full disclosure – I love my dogs. I also love when my dogs sleep most of the day so I can get some work done! If you are looking for a spot that guarantees lots of post-outing napping, Julia’s 3+ acre private dog area is the place for you!
Located in Fuquay-Varina, Julia rents her fenced-in 3.3-acre backyard to dog owners and their pups through a wonderful service called Sniffspot. You pay an hourly fee per dog to reserve her yard all for yourself and your dog(s). That’s right – just you and your pups (and maybe some friends you invite) get to run and play unleashed in a safe, secure spot. My pups and I love these spots especially since Charlie (my older, big guy) doesn’t love other dogs.
I was a little worried about handling all three dogs in such a large, unfamiliar space by myself so I brought a human family member with me as reinforcement for this adventure. I shouldn’t have worried. Once we stepped inside the cattle gate next to the house, the pups took off sniffing as a pack. They were so engaged with all the sights and sounds of the beautiful, natural, wooded property that they didn’t have the energy for any shenanigans. The property is also a large rectangle so even though it’s 3 acres, you have pretty good visibility to most areas.
Rorie loved hiding and rolling around in the tall plants, Sadie sampled every type of grass available (and, by some small miracle, we didn’t pay the price later!), Charlie excitedly followed the scent of recent wild animal visitors, and I appreciated cleared trails that I could walk on and watch from.
And, just when we thought this spot couldn’t get any better, it did. Charlie’s nose led the pack to a creek toward the middle of the property. The recent storms and rain dumped a lot of fresh water in the creek, making the water a couple of feet deep in some spots. Charlie, as usual, jumped right in and tried to fish for minnows (quite unsuccessfully!), Sadie did some underwater digging for branches, and sweet baby Rorie watched carefully and occasionally, and quite bravely, dipped a paw in the water. You can check out a quick clip of the pups playing in the creek here.
When our hour was over, the dogs were happy and exhausted. I left a happy dog mom – this is one of those spots that makes you feel like your dogs are living their BEST lives and doing the things dogs are supposed to do. The bonus is that even the energizer puppy, Rorie, slept most of the day after our visit!
If you want to visit this spot with your pup(s), you can make a reservation on Sniffspot. Julia, the host, is incredibly responsive and very helpful. She has a beautiful Labrador/Catahoula Hound mix pup named Scarlet and also fosters cats, kittens, and puppies.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan your visit:
- This is a great spot for many dogs…if you are working on recall or have a reactive dog, you may really enjoy this spot. If you’re worried about the size of the property, you may want to try a long line (leash that is 20-30 feet long). I put a GPS collar on our puppy, Rorie, because I am less sure how she will do in certain situations.
- Julia has a chicken coop close to the house. She has it covered with a bamboo fence so it is difficult for the dogs to see the chickens. My dogs only went over that way once and were pretty uninterested once they realized they weren’t getting in the coop.
- If you have a small dog, be mindful of a few spots in the fence that may need some supervision.
- Bring bug spray. Lots of it!
- If you want to enjoy the creek, plan your visit after a recent rainfall or when we aren’t experiencing a drought.
- If the creek is dry or you have a picky pup who won’t drink from a creek (like my Charlie!), you may want to bring your own water bowl and water for drinking.
- Bring a towel and some wipes for the car. And maybe plan for some bathing or grooming later in the day!
Finally, if you’d like to see a video walkthrough that we made of Julia’s spot, check out this link.
Keep exploring!
