Pet Hosting

[Tom153]

Calling all "Pet Hosts"
can we start a thread on "Pet Hosting" for those hosts who allow guests to bring their pets?

We can discuss:

Types of pets
Best Practices
Fees
Stories
Liability

We enjoy dogs and have a pretty open policy that all "well-behaved" dogs are welcome at our cottage and so far have had no issues except the occasional fur shedder! Offering "Pet Friendly" has been key in increasing our bookings in Pet Friendly Asheville

[Linda108]

Great idea @Tom153.  I don't host pets but I like to travel with my dog and would appreciate following this discussion.

[Robin4]

@Tom153....I have always had something of an open door attitude to hosting pets but twice I have had reason to regret that decision.

Can I direct you to a post of mine entitled 'Problem Pets' 

https://community.airbnb.com/t5/forums/v3_1/forumtopicpage/board-id/listing-and-reservations/page/1/...

You will see from this thread that animals are now out for me....it's just not worth it!

Cheers.....Rob 

[Karen-and-Brian0]

Hi @Tom153 Our property is pet friendly, with one stipulation - the pets are not to be left alone or unsupervised in our cabin, they have to be in a crate if the owners are out. Our biggest fear is damage done by a dog with separation anxiety or something - couch cushions shredded, etc. We don't have additional fees, but that may change if we run into problems. So far, so good - all our pet guests have been great, just a little fur shedding here & there but we have 3 dogs of our own, so we're pretty used to that.

I completely understand the reason you've given up on pets @Robin4 - that's absolutely terrible, your poor garden!! We have a large fenced dog run in a naturalized forest area - I have planted nothing there, it's all grown of it's own accord. The one downside is that we had a type of mushroom growing there that one of our dogs ate and proceeded to vomit repeatedly throughout the evening and night. I make it a habit to comb through and remove every single mushroom from the area, to avoid a guest dog having the same experience. Right now, everything is buried under a foot or two of snow, so no worries there. Best of luck with your listing Tom! Karen

[Kirstie]

Hi @Tom153,

This is a great idea for a discussion topic, hosting pets has been discussed in various other threads around the Community Center - it seems there is much to discuss! Thanks for starting it!

Kirstie

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

We are hosting just 6 months and so far we had just 2 guests with a dog. I wonder how many people didn't book our place because of the alergy or something? Maybe we have lost more guests than we have got, it is hard to tell...

[Lawrene0]

I like this thread idea, @Tom153. 

Types of Pets: In an attempt to limit types to well-behaved, I warn in my house rules that nervous dogs will have a terrible time in our woods. Nervous dogs do have a lousy time, and they make the worst messes. Well-trained dogs not only have a good time, but are a lot of fun. We've had no other pets than dogs arrive. One set of guests told me they left their albino boa constrictor at home. Grateful shudder.
Best Practices: It can be muddy here. I leave handy in a box some old towels that can be used for wiping paws. 
Fees: I do wish that adding a small pet fee was as easy as adding another person, that it was just a matter of the guest clicking 'number of pets in party' and the extra $10 or whatever appearing in the price breakdown. Pets ARE more work, even when they are nice. I dislike that it is a Resolution Centre matter, and unclear. I don't dislike it enough to turn to Host Voice.
Stories: One guest arrived with a surprise dog, and told me "I was going to mention him to you, then I thought, 'He deserves a holiday too,' so I didn't." Most dog stories here are non-stories: just good dogs being delightful.
Liability: Yikes. I like not to think of what will happen if a coyote or owl eats a guest's pomeranian. Is that what you meant by liability? 

Enjoyed the other responses, and looking forward to more!

[Sandra683]

I recently added Pet Hosting, and am trying to navigate and accomodate this aspect. While staying realistic. So I stipuplated, all vaccinations up to date including bordatella, they have free access to the outdoor areas but request crate while inside the Cabana ( I'm attemptng to avoid marking by those that are less than fully trained owners. And avoid complaints from subsequent guests that are not pet travellers. I had a gal cancel her reservation statting she does not crate. Is this unreasonable?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sandra683

I have a dog and I would not book a place where my dog have to be in crate  . He is not used on it and he would not feel good. We are also pet friendly hosts and yes, it is always a risk that a dog will pee inside, or left a lot of hair or scratch something or turn over a bowl with water but hosting humans is also risky , they can do even more damage .

And yes, we don't ask if dog, child or guest is vaccinated  🙂

[Linda108]

I looked at your lovely listing, @Sandra683 and it seems you have hardwood or tile floors, right?  I would think your listing is ideal for puppies and that crating would be unnecessary.  I would stipulate that the dog cannot be left alone in the house, however.  That is stressful for the dog and should protect your home as well.  I don't know about the vaccinations.  I understand your need to provide safety for your pup, but you are not cohabiting the dogs, so all should be well.  If you are that concerned, you might reconsider allowing pets.

[Jacqui84]

I have 8 properties that I accept dogs in. 2 propertes can have up to 4 guest, the others host 2 guest and a dog. I accept both large and small. dogs. I have for 20 years with out problem. I have only had to ask 3 people to leave. 2 for not having their dogs under acceptable control, (6 foot leash or shorter in common areas) one for neglecting their 2 dogs. Otherwise, it is a wonderful service for them and me. I have tile floors, no bed skirts, and polyester bedspreads which do not hold pet odors and dry quickly. All linens are changed between guest except shower curtains. Since my properties are small, I do not have the group mode issues. My guest are couples mostly with 1 -2 dogs.

[Jeanne160]

I am new to Air BnB and newly listed. I have a small dog and welcome guests with pets also... thanks for this thread... I will be following!!