Paws & Properties- Home Buying Tips For Pet Owners

Christian: [0:03] Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of the Awesome in Seattle podcast. This is your host, Christian Nossum of the Awesome Nossum Group at Wilson Realty Exchange, Inc. And today we have a special guest, a repeat appearance, but for a different reason today. This is Joanna Beecher.

Joanna: [0:17] It's me. It's Joanna. Hello.

Christian: [0:19] She is an agent here on the Awesome Nossum Group with me.

Joanna: [0:22] Gladly.

Christian: [0:23] Broker, I should say. Gladly. Yes. Broker, agent, same thing. Not realtor, technically. No. Even though everyone thinks we are, 'cause that's… Yeah. Anyway. Joanna is here today, and not necessarily to talk from the view of a real estate agent, but from the view of a pet lover.

Joanna: [0:41] Yes.

Christian: [0:42] Because in addition to knowing all sorts of things about real estate, she is insanely knowledgeable when it comes to pets, and has a ton of empathy for pets, and loves them so much. I do. Not only do you have your own, but you volunteer with animals and shelters and all that fun stuff, so. I

Joanna: [0:58] do. I've done- I've worked on all different sides of that, uh, coin as well.

Christian: [1:03] Mm-hmm. So thank you for joining me, 'cause I'm gonna be interviewing you today.

Joanna: [1:08] This is crazy. I get to be on this side of things today. I love it, though.

Christian: [1:12] So the point of today's episode is to really help people that, um, have pets or are going to get a pet after they buy a house, uh, understand really what they should and shouldn't be focusing on when searching for a home.

Joanna: [1:27] Yes.

Christian: [1:28] And whether that's location, whether that's size of the house, whether that's yard size, whether that's rooftop deck or not, whether all the different things. Condos, not condos, townhomes, not town- Like, we'll go over everything. So that is the whole point of today's conversation. If you are thinking of buying a house, or your next house, and you're gonna incorporate a pet into that life decision, this is the episode you gotta listen to.

Joanna: [1:53] Absolutely.

Christian: [1:54] So pets are such an important part of everyone's life, but they do come up with their own special case of needs that they have. Finding that perfect home is super important, and- I guess what do you think about yard size when it comes to pet? Is that- does- I've always heard, and I don't have a dog. I had a dog growing up, but we lived in the suburbs, and we had a huge yard, so it was fine, but a lot of our clients are cool, like, buying a townhouse. Is that really smart?

Joanna: [2:25] Yeah. Honestly, I mean, I have had one dog. I've had- I have two dogs, two cats. I've spanned the range of different sizes of apartments, homes, and I

will say this: [2:41] It's all about your commitment level to an animal.

Christian: [2:47] Hmm. If- What do you mean by commitment level?

Joanna: [2:49] Commitment level means, first of all, knowledge on what you're bringing into your home.

Christian: [2:54] Hmm.

Joanna: [2:54] Different animals require very different levels of commitment- Yeah, my- … and that can be-

Christian: [2:59] My pet goldfish does not need me to take it on walks

Joanna: [3:01] No, it does not. It doesn't need a yard. Cats don't need a yard- True … especially in a city.

Christian: [3:06] Mm-hmm.

Joanna: [3:06] I could do a whole podcast on this alone. Also, if you get a small dog, a big dog, what does that mean? Mm. How much yard do they need? And I will tell you this, no matter what size of dog you get or have, they don't always need a yard It's all about, when I say commitment too, it's about how much do you want to walk them?

Christian: [3:28] Mm.

Joanna: [3:29] And that being said, even if you have a dog and you have a yard, it's proven you should be walking them several times a day anyway because it exercises their brain and their, through their noses.

Christian: [3:41] Mm-hmm.

Joanna: [3:41] That's a, you know, another important thing to remember. Mm-hmm. But that being said, if you do buy a town home, yes, make sure you have some sort of area- Yeah … whether that be an area that's, it doesn't even have to be huge, an area for them to go outside and do their business- Mm-hmm … so you don't have to walk them every single time, because some dogs that are smaller, they can't hold it as long. Yeah. So they need more outside breaks. If you do have a rooftop deck, that's fine as well. Make sure your dog can do the stairs to the rooftop deck- Mm-hmm … or that they're small enough to carry up to that rooftop deck, or you're super strong and you can carry a big dog- … up to that rooftop deck. And also that being said, when you have a rooftop deck, if you have a dog, obviously you want somewhere for them to use the facilities. Mm-hmm. Which means if you get, you can do everything from a real grass pad- Mm-hmm … that c- you can get delivered and replaced every month or however many times a month you need. Mm.

Christian: [4:32] So there's like subscription services that will- Yes. Wow. Yes. They'll like send you like an actual like-

Joanna: [4:36] Yes … Speaker: patch of grass? Yes. Live? They roll it up-

Christian: [4:39] Wow … Joanna: live grass- Huh … and they give you something to put it in depending on what size you want. Mm-hmm.

Joanna: [4:44] And then they, depending on how much you need it replaced- Hmm … you can do it once a month, you can do it twice, you can do four times a month if that's what you need.

Christian: [4:52] Wow.

Joanna: [4:53] So there are so many options. But when you have a rooftop deck, if you're gonna do like that kind of AstroTurf- Yeah … lawn, you do need to be aware that those get incredibly hot.

Christian: [5:03] Mm-hmm.

Joanna: [5:03] Damaging your, um, animal's pads is just not recommended. It's just- Pads on their feet … cruel. Um- Yeah … so you wanna make sure that that has some shade over it because otherwise, you know, even in Seattle we get a lot of hot sun. Yep. And it's super important to make sure that they are en- safe-

Christian: [5:19] Yeah … in that scenario. Whenever I bring my kids to, like, soccer or baseball or something, and they're playing on a turf field, that turf is at least 15 to 20 degrees hotter. Yeah.

Joanna: [5:30] It's so hot.

Christian: [5:31] So hot. So it's… Yeah, I can only see- It can

Joanna: [5:34] be very dangerous- Yeah to us as humans- Mm-hmm … let alone, you know, an animal that goes to walk on it. Um- Yeah … so just- That makes sense … need to be wary of that. Obviously, during the wintertime-

Christian: [5:46] Not as

Joanna: [5:47] big a deal … most likely gonna be fine.

Christian: [5:48] Yeah.

Joanna: [5:48] But yeah. Yeah, but if it's- So- … 70

Christian: [5:49] or 80 degrees outside, which is a typical summer day- It's

Joanna: [5:52] hot

Christian: [5:53] in Seattle, it could be, like, 95, 100 degrees on that-

Joanna: [5:56] Yeah,

Christian: [5:56] and

Joanna: [5:56] the- … Speaker: on that AstroTurf grass stuff … Joanna: same thing with asphalt, you know? Mm, true. So something to remember just about your, you know, if the area that you have isn't necessarily grass in the front- Mm-hmm … or back of your town home, just make sure, you know, you understand the heating, um, of the- Yeah ground in that area. But I wanna bring up condos, because I know a lot of people, especially in the Seattle area, if you're buying your first home, sometimes people, a lot of people have condo budgets, and they're like, "Well, this means I can't get a dog." I strongly disagree with that. And like I said, once again- Hmm commitment level- I thought

Christian: [6:27] you were gonna say the opposite. If someone had a dog- … and, or they wanna get a dog, they should, like, cross out condos as an, as an option.

Joanna: [6:35] Nope.

Christian: [6:35] But no, huh?

Joanna: [6:35] I don't think so. For example, let's say you get a Great Dane. Mm-hmm. Those are actually great condo dogs. They don't love a ton of running around. They do- they very much love their people, and they wanna be inside with them, and they snuggle up on the couch just fine.

Christian: [6:50] They take up half the couch-

Joanna: [6:51] They- … Speaker: but they snuggle. Also that. But they're, they're great for, you know, having in a smaller space, oddly enough. Mm-hmm. Just make sure they don't have a lot of stuff they can knock over with their booties. So, and it just… Look at the energy level of your dog. Once again, that brings up that commitment. Yep. If you're getting a Border Collie and you're putting it in a condo, you are going to be taking a lot of trips outside. Mm-hmm. That's where sniff spots come in handy. Mm-hmm. Just getting them outside is a big piece of it. And that's another thing I wanted to bring up, and you might be asking me about this in a minute, and we can touch on it more. If you do buy a condo, let's say, and you have a dog or a couple of dogs- Is there a park nearby?

Christian: [7:31] Mm-hmm.

Joanna: [7:32] You know, when you go out for a walk, is there a dog park nearby- Yeah … or a place where you can run them?

Christian: [7:37] Or a school or- A school … something where there's open grass-

Joanna: [7:40] Yeah … of some sort- I utilize baseball fields- … or a forest or whatever, yeah … like nobody's business, you know? Yeah. I make sure nobody's around, obviously, or you make sure you have a really long lead on your dog so that they can do their running around, but still, you know, be under your- Mm-hmm control to some extent. Yeah, or make sure your dog has very good recall, because there are leash laws in Seattle, and we should be following those. So you have to do this all just very, you know, you have to know your dog. Yeah. And if you don't know them or they don't have a great recall, always have a leash on. Always, always, always. Very important.

Christian: [8:12] Yep. Let's talk about those days where it's muddy, and the dog's coming into the house. Good

Joanna: [8:18] times, yeah.

Christian: [8:19] I have seen more and more recently that homes have, like, dog washes built in. Mm-hmm. If someone can't afford yet, or doesn't want to, add a dog wash to their home- What is the best way? Is just the bathtub, is that like the easiest way to do it, or-

Joanna: [8:34] That's, I mean, yeah, I would say honestly, if you do get a home- Mm-hmm … and you are able to have a mud room and you can have a dog wash in there, obviously- Yeah … dream scenario. Yeah. It doesn't even have to be fancy. It's just so great. Mm-hmm. 'Cause we get a lot of rain here-

Christian: [8:47] Yeah, we

Joanna: [8:48] do in Seattle. It's so weird. I don't know if you guys knew that. Um, but-

Christian: [8:50] Even

Joanna: [8:50] in August … it's gonna occur- … a lot, so you wanna get, you know, into your habits - Yes … and what makes the most sense for your home. Um, if you can, one of, a walk-in shower.

Christian: [9:01] Mm.

Joanna: [9:01] Like, a three-quarter bath is ideal, 'cause three-quarter bath is the stand-up shower.

Christian: [9:06] Yep.

Joanna: [9:06] Because if you have a larger dog like myself or a dog with injuries that is larger, getting them into a tub can be very hard.

Christian: [9:14] That's a good point. I didn't think about stepping up and over that- Yeah … ledge of a bathtub.

Joanna: [9:17] Younger, you know, they're no problem- Yep … usually. But, you know, as dogs age, it gets to be more challenging, so a walk-in shower is the best.

Christian: [9:25] Mm-hmm. Or- And then I assume, like, with that walk-in shower, you probably want a shower head that-

Joanna: [9:29] That moves around … that

Christian: [9:30] can detach- Yes … and has the hose

Joanna: [9:32] attached. Those are ideal.

Christian: [9:33] Yeah.

Joanna: [9:33] And if you can't get any of those, there are a lot of doggy washes out there. You just have to find your local one that makes the most sense for you. And also, make sure you have a lot of wipeys and towels.

Christian: [9:44] Mm-hmm.

Joanna: [9:44] If you can't do any of those things, the wipeys and towels will save you. Yeah. I am very good with those.

Christian: [9:49] Yeah.

Joanna: [9:50] Mm-hmm.

Christian: [9:50] And I've, just so you guys know, if you don't realize, getting a shower head or swapping out a shower head that maybe is only a shower head into one that has the hose attachment- Mm-hmm they're not expensive. No. It's, like, 150 bucks.

Joanna: [10:04] If that. If even, yeah. I mean, I've gone on Amazon- Yeah … and I've gotten ones for, like, less than 50 bucks.

Christian: [10:10] Mm-hmm.

Joanna: [10:11] And they don't last as long, but they still work, you know? Yep. You can get different, you know- It all varies how crazy you wanna get … vari- varieties. Yeah. Yeah, but you, they're out there, and they even have ones that, um, have the, uh, filter, the water filter in there. Mm-hmm. So love that.

Christian: [10:26] All right, so let's, let's talk about yards and how, you know, in town homes, it doesn't have to be a big one. As long as you can open the door, let them run out, do their business, and run back in- It'll- that's really all you need.

Joanna: [10:37] Yeah, it'll save you a lot of headaches. Yeah. I'll just say that.

Christian: [10:40] That said, I assume you want it to be fenced.

Joanna: [10:43] Mm-hmm,

Christian: [10:43] yes. Let's talk about kinda yard security. What does that look like?

Joanna: [10:47] Okay. So there are a lot of different types of yards here in Seattle. But one of the things that I will say is if you can, get a wooden fence opposed to a chain link. Probably better just for, I've, you know, s- hopefully you're rescuing your pet. And then in that case, if you are, that's great, but sometimes they might have some reactivity. Mm. They might be very scared. So-

Christian: [11:12] Oh, so the wood- Mm-hmm … is gonna block

Joanna: [11:14] visually-

Christian: [11:15] Yes … what's on the other side, whereas chain link, it's gonna be obvious- It's

Joanna: [11:17] gonna be very- what's on the other side and- Yes. Yeah. And with chain link, it's not the worst if you know your dog very well and they're super friendly, go for it. Yep. If you love the look of that, by all means. But I just have known so many dogs that are just so triggered or overstimulated when they can see everyone walking by, especially if you're in a busy area. Doing something that's wooden, doesn't matter, you know, like, what kind, as long as most of their vision-

Christian: [11:45] Mm-hmm,

Joanna: [11:46] is blocked … can be blocked. And depending on how large your dog is or how fit they are, because certain dogs can jump a fence like it's nothing. Mm-hmm. You wouldn't even think it, or they're super clever, uh, with digging under.

Christian: [11:58] Yeah, that's

Joanna: [12:00] true. Those Huskies- Yeah … and a lot of people love their Huskies up here. Mm. You wanna make sure that, 'cause they're gonna dig. They're great at it. Yeah. They are so smart, and they have energy for days. So you wanna make sure that your fence is very secure, not just above the dirt line- Yeah … but below the dirt line. You wanna make sure it goes pretty deep. I'm not sure how deep. I'm not that much of an expert, but…

Christian: [12:20] What is a, do you have any clue? Like, are, 'cause putting dirt underneath ground is dirt- Yeah. … or putting a fence wood underneath dirt is not a good idea. So is like- Maybe

Joanna: [12:30] cement … Speaker: adding, yeah, like cement or like- Mm-hmm rocks or something, although I guess dogs could s- My dogs aren't- … get at the rocks … that driven, so I haven't really had to deal- Yeah, I've not had to deal with it … with this scenario. But… And that's also how long are you keeping your dogs in that fenced area un- Mm-hmm … um-

Christian: [12:45] Unsupervised … Joanna: unsupervised. Yeah. I don't suggest it. Like, when you leave the house, you have to make sure your fencing is secure enough to keep your dogs in. Yeah. That's like a lot of the times when you hear bad news in the news about dogs roaming, it's because they've escaped a yard- Yep, yep … because they were unsupervised. So that alone, right there. Yeah. Like, don't get, um, an animal thinking, "Well, I just have to keep it outside all the time." That's actually not a great idea, especially unsupervised. So you wanna make sure that it is just a fence type that makes sense for your dog- Mm-hmm … to be unsupervised for a short period of time. Got it. Let's talk about plants. Are there any plants you wanna make sure you don't have in your yard space?

Joanna: [13:26] 100%. Always wanna do your research to make sure that the plants that you do have are animal friendly, but there's a couple of outstanding ones that I like to absolutely make sure that they're, my dogs are not around- Mm-hmm … and that is foxtail. Foxtail is, looks like wheat kind of almost, I guess- Yeah … is what I would say. Mm-hmm. But it's very spiky, and it's the reason that so many dogs end up in the emergency vet.

Christian: [13:52] Hmm.

Joanna: [13:52] Because they, the way foxtail is made, it gets into their fur or paw pad, ears, nose, and it doesn't have a way back. Ooh. It's like a screw that doesn't go back.

Christian: [14:04] Wow.

Joanna: [14:04] And it just goes in, and it creates a lot of issues, and- Yeah … it gets into their bloodstream and c- it's- So it's very

Christian: [14:09] painful … Joanna: very painful, and a lot of people just don't know- Yeah … Joanna: because it's everywhere. Mm. Starting in the summertime, it just starts to go everywhere. You'll see huge batches of it, and I keep my dogs away from it at all costs because if you wanna talk about expensive, that is not cheap- I'm sure, yeah and it's super painful for them, and you don't wanna see them go through that. So foxtail's a huge one- Okay … that causes a lot of issues. Any others?

Joanna: [14:32] Blackberry bushes. Anything thorny- Hmm … obviously. Mm-hmm. I mean, for obvious reasons, it does not feel good, so yeah, thorny and foxtail. Keep them out, keep it trimmed down. But as far, and just make sure if they are, like, prone to wanting to eat some sort of berries-

Christian: [14:48] Yeah … Joanna: always make sure there's non-toxic… Like, blueberry's great. If they're- Yep … if they're okay with blueberries, of course, that's wonderful. But, like, there's plenty of toxic berry bushes out there- Yeah … that you need to make sure are not poisonous to animals. Got it. So keep those out.

Joanna: [15:03] So do your

Christian: [15:04] research. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And if you don't know anything about plants, like me- … just Google it. Yes. Figure out what it is, look at the photos, and make sure your yard, your yard doesn't have any of that.

Joanna: [15:13] Yeah. So- 'Cause there's a lot of great stuff that they, they can have, you know? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. A lot of different types of grasses are great for dogs and cats, to be honest.

Christian: [15:19] Yeah. Let's talk about, I know we already talked about rooftop decks a little. Mm-hmm. But, uh, that was more about using the facilities up there- Yeah, mm-hmm … as you described. What about, like, safety and stuff? Because not, I mean, they're safe for humans- Mm-hmm 'cause they have, like, a railing and stuff, but the, the railings are sometimes, you know, like see-through- Yeah … with just metal poles going horizontally.

Joanna: [15:42] Yeah.

Christian: [15:42] Is there any tips or anything we should pay attention to with that?

Joanna: [15:46] Yes, absolutely, and this goes for condo people with balconies as well. Mm-hmm.

Christian: [15:49] Yep.

Joanna: [15:50] Whether you have cats or dogs, you do not ever want to leave them unsupervised, first of all, on any type of roof dep- roof deck that has any see-through railings at all. Mm-hmm. But even the ones that just kind of like go up to a human waist-

Christian: [16:05] Mm-hmm … Joanna: dogs could jump that. Yeah.

Joanna: [16:08] A cat could jump that, so, you know, it's kind of like use your common sense. Or if that isn't common sense for you, that's totally normal, but just realize these animals are athletic.

Christian: [16:18] Yep.

Joanna: [16:18] And they might be stimulated and wanna do something, especially if you're living in the townhomes that are connected, and the rooftop decks are not far from each other. You may wanna have something else in place. Like, have, you know, maybe a leash up there that your dog is connected to when they're on the rooftop deck. That's a good idea. Like, let's say- Yeah … if they wanna hang out up there- Yep … so it's a nice day, but you have to go inside for a bit, just have their harness connected to a leash that doesn't allow them any, like, a huge amount- Yeah of roaming space.

Christian: [16:47] Mm-hmm. So while talking about condos, what are some other things that condo owners should keep in mind when they're thinking of buying it with, with having pets?

Joanna: [16:58] Well, look at your HOA. That's a big thing.

Christian: [17:00] That's the biggest one, I think. That's a really good point.

Joanna: [17:02] Yeah. Um- And

Christian: [17:03] why is that?

Joanna: [17:04] Because they may have a no pets rule. Mm. They may have a you can only have this many pets rule. They may have a weight limit rule.

Christian: [17:13] They might have a breed rule.

Joanna: [17:14] In King County, they can't.

Christian: [17:17] Really?

Joanna: [17:18] I don't know if that's just for rentals-

Christian: [17:21] Hmm. Something to pay attention to, I guess

Joanna: [17:22] That's something, yes. I believe in, it was just a couple years ago, a law was passed that you can have no breed restrictions. I know definitely for rentals, and the way they're getting around that is by doing weight limits- Mm-hmm … not realizing that certain dogs that are considered dangerous can be of all different sizes. Um, that's true.

Christian: [17:44] Yeah. No, I agree.

Joanna: [17:45] Um, but that being said, I don't know as far as condo rules go if that falls under a different category. I feel like it wouldn't necessarily. I don't know. But yeah, that, those are definitely things you wanna pay attention to when you are buying a condo is HOA, and I feel like just knowing- Being very aware of what is around your condo. Like, if you're gonna buy a condo in Belltown-

Christian: [18:10] Mm-hmm … Joanna: would that affect the kind of dog that I would have? Yeah, for sure. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Joanna: [18:16] Well, that makes sense. There's not a lot of parks-

Christian: [18:18] Yep … Joanna: around there. It's very busy. Well, that brings up a couple different things. I would definitely wanna make sure that there was no breed restrictions, because as a woman, if I was buying a condo as a single woman, I would want to get a breed that people might be scared of. Mm-hmm.

Joanna: [18:34] Honestly. Yeah. Um, just in a big city- Yeah … with Seattle, you know, it would be very smart to have a dog that protects you. So that being said, you know, would it… Definitely would alter the type of dog I would go for, if I didn't have one already. 'Cause I was gonna at first say, well, then I would want a smaller dog, because then, you know, I could easily pick them up and things like that, but those aren't nearly as scary to anyone. No. But they're cute. Mm-hmm. So it's kind of, it's- it's what are you going for- Yep … basically. Yep. And if you do have a smaller dog, where are you in the building? Yeah. Can you get them outside quickly? Because the smaller dogs, they just can't hold it the same way that a larger dog can. Or if your dog has incontinence issues- Mm-hmm another thing to pay attention to.

Christian: [19:17] Yeah. Well, that kinda brings up, like, elevators and-

Joanna: [19:19] It does … Speaker: and, you know, how quick are they to get there, and you know. And I've been in this situation- Uh-huh … and it's not pretty, if somebody isn't keeping up their end of the de- bargain, basically, living in a communal space with an elevator and a dog that has issues- Yeah or they can't get out often enough. Um, you need to have certain carpet care products in your arsenal if you're going to have an animal, just in general, 'cause something's gonna pop up. Yeah. It's like kids. It's not if, but when.

Christian: [19:49] What, what products, what products do you recommend?

Joanna: [19:51] Um, Fullex is a great one. Yeah. It's amazing. Yeah. I think that works for humans and pets, to be

Christian: [19:57] honest. Yep. We have Fullex, and I don't… I- I mean, we have two cats- We have

Joanna: [19:58] two cats … so that's- Yeah … Speaker: mostly for the kids. Yeah, it's for the kids, you know. Yeah. Stuff comes out everywhere, and- Yeah … it's wonderful for that … or the spill stuff or whatever. Yeah. It's great for wine.

Christian: [20:07] Yeah.

Joanna: [20:07] Not to sound weird, but blood too. Hmm. It's great for that. I mean, scratches.

Christian: [20:11] Yeah, yeah.

Joanna: [20:12] You know, paw pads get ripped, things like that. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. But it does- vomit. I mean, gross, but yeah.

Christian: [20:17] Yep.

Joanna: [20:17] It really helps with that. There's a new one that I just found. Scout's Honor does a lot of great stuff for, speaking of incontinence issues, for urine smells. My cats decided they were gonna pee on some stuff this year, and we figured out why, and, uh, all is well now, but we did have to learn about some products that I now have in my arsenal. Yeah. So Scout's Honor is great. Those are the products that I would recommend, um, just off the top of my head for- Any, you know, bathroom or bodily secretion Yum related pet issues.

Christian: [20:51] Olex, the way to go. Yes. And scout's honor.

Joanna: [20:54] Scout's honor too. Yep.

Christian: [20:55] Okay. Good to know. Mm-hmm. Any other things that we didn't touch on yet that you think would be smart for people that are considering buying a house with pets or soon to be to have pets?

Joanna: [21:06] One of the big things that, you know, as we get hotter, just making sure you've got good ventilation in your home. Yeah. AC is obviously ideal. Yeah. But especially condo, you know, if you don't have AC but you have big windows, which I know a lot of Seattle, and just in general, a lot of condos have the big- Yeah … windows and no AC, get a really great AC unit for not only- Yeah … yourself, but for your animal who, if you leave them alone all day, remember to turn that on. Yeah. It's just nice.

Christian: [21:37] One thing you touched on earlier that I actually wanna bring back up, and that is something called a Sniffspot.

Joanna: [21:41] Oh, yeah.

Christian: [21:42] Why don't we talk about that for a second. What is a Sniffspot, and why would someone want to use that?

Joanna: [21:46] And why didn't I think of it as my business? It gets- Because I love it so much.

Christian: [21:50] Yes. You use it all the time.

Joanna: [21:51] So people that either live in apartments or condos-

Christian: [21:55] Really anyone, because- It is for anyone … I have a good yard, but I would- Yeah … still probably wanna go do this, 'cause it just seems fun for the pets. It

Joanna: [22:00] is fun. It is fun. Um- So what is it? Sniffspot is an app that anyone can go onto, whether you're an owner of a yard or land space. You can put your land or your yard on Sniffspot so people that have dogs can rent it from you. And if you are a dog owner-

Christian: [22:21] Mm-hmm … Joanna: and your dog is either reactive or, you know, very shy, or you just need a bigger space to run your animal around in- Mm-hmm … Joanna: you can rent this land for not a crazy amount of money. And if you're renting your land, it's just something that you, A, is just a nice thing to do. That's how I see it as somebody who uses Sniffspot a lot. Mm-hmm. Gives us options as dog owners to get our dogs out into a bigger space. Yep. Because the people who do rent their land out, they don't charge an insane amount of money, 'cause it's just, you charge per dog. You charge per, you know, the amount of time. Mm-hmm. And you can also, like, do it where people have, um, basically a membership just to go to your yard. Oh, wow.

Joanna: [23:04] And they get a discounted price, and they get the option to rent first.

Christian: [23:08] Hmm. So-

Joanna: [23:09] So

Christian: [23:09] if you're living in a neighborhood in Seattle and you don't have a big yard, but you don't have time to go to a dog park, or your dog doesn't do well at a dog park for whatever reason-

Joanna: [23:22] Mm-hmm

Christian: [23:23] you could just rent a Sniffspot and- Yes … utilize that in private, solo-

Joanna: [23:28] Yes … Speaker: with your animals- Yes … and yourself, and get that outdoor space- Yeah … that you need, that outdoor time that they need. It's super helpful. Yeah. And you can, you know, people rent out all different sizes. I will say, and this is a calling to everyone in Seattle, if you have a yard, no matter what size, Christian, you could put that on Sniffspot for me, because right now there is, like, zero in the Seattle area-

Christian: [23:54] Hmm

Joanna: [23:54] of any size.

Christian: [23:55] Wow.

Joanna: [23:56] And I know there's people with yards.

Christian: [23:57] So there's a, there's a s-

Joanna: [23:58] There's a lot … Speaker: space in the market. There's a great space in the market. The problem… You'll have your yard full all the time. Because there's a lot of mes out there- Yeah, yeah … in Seattle that really are looking for a space that isn't north, east, or south- Mm-hmm that we can use.

Christian: [24:16] Yeah, that makes sense.

Joanna: [24:17] Mm-hmm.

Christian: [24:17] Yeah. Okay. Well, Joanna, thank you so much for all of your expertise today. I hope that this helps anyone that's looking at buying that either has or wants to have a pet, uh-

Joanna: [24:29] It's my pleasure … yeah. I mean, honestly, I could talk about this all day. So if you- I know you can sign up for a strategy session and you wanna, you know, rack my brain on anything animal-related-

Christian: [24:38] Yes … Joanna: I will gladly do that. Yes, she knows her stuff- Mm-hmm … for sure. I don't ask her questions, and she still tells me lots about it, so.

Joanna: [24:46] All the time.

Christian: [24:50] Well, thank you, Joanna. Um, if you did wanna schedule a strategy session with her, you can do that right on our website, and it's totally free. There's no charge. That's what free means. We can

Joanna: [24:58] talk houses, too,

Christian: [24:59] if you want. We can talk houses. I mean,

Joanna: [25:00] that's my other thing.

Christian: [25:01] You can talk sniff spots. You can talk whatever you want. AwesomeNossumGroup.com/schedule. That is the easy way to schedule a time with us. Thank you so much. Hope you learned a lot on this week's episode of the Awesome in Seattle Podcast. See you next time.

Joanna: [25:17] Thanks, guys.