Question for hosts in Big Bear CA / hosts who allow pets

Ildiko20
Level 2
Los Angeles, CA

Question for hosts in Big Bear CA / hosts who allow pets

My husband and I are considering relocating to the mountains (ideally Big Bear City) and starting an Airbnb-adjacent business providing dog daycare/day boarding to vacationers. Our thinking is that hosts don't want guests' dogs left unattended on their property, but guests sometimes want to do a day of activities where dogs are not allowed, like skiing, boating, zoo etc. There is currently no other business offering dog daycare in BB and only 1 in the entire San Bernardino mountain range (inconvenient location way north of Crestline). So my questions are:

1. Do you think your guests with dogs would use this kind of service, or are they more likely to "cheat" and leave them unattended?
2. Would this service be beneficial to you as a host, and would you encourage guests to use it?

Thanks so much for any advice and feedback!

3 Replies 3
Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

Interesting question, @Ildiko20 .  I wonder why there is such a lack of day care for dogs in your area.  is this a business you have experience in?  You are right that many hosts have problems with guests leaving dogs unattended and there is damage to the listing.  Hosts that allow dogs often provide a crate for the dog which is still not great for the dog in a strange place, but better than the dog causing damage when anxious about being left in a strange place.  There is an apparent uptick in people traveling with dogs, perhaps post pandemic isolation has something to do with it.  I think whether a guest would "cheat" and leave a dog unattended is a valid question, but doggie day care price point would a consideration.  Also, many people want to go out to eat, so night time might also be important.  I wonder if you could start investigating such a concept by initially offering pet sitting in the Air BNB just like a baby sitting service.  Just a thought

Lisa723
Level 10
Quilcene, WA

@Ildiko20 Not in Big Bear, but I would love to be able to recommend such a service in my location.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Ildiko20  Whether you targeted Airbnb guests or not, if there's no dog boarding business in the area, it sounds like a great business to start. There's a host in Texas on another hosting forum I follow who has a dog boarding business on her property along with her Airbnb suite business.