How to rent a Portland backyard for your dog

• In the Portland area, the app offers over 115 fields or backyards you can rent for your canine companions, including 68 that have access to some type of water.
• When we searched, the cost per dog ranged from about $5 to about $25 per hour.

Why it matters: Portland's more than 30 off-leash dog parks aren't always located in places that are convenient for dog owners. Plus, some dogs don't do well when there are dozens of other pups running around, and could use a private fenced zone to play in.

Of note: Sniffspot says some of its hosts make more than $3,000 a month renting out their unused land.

The bottom line: People are getting creative to give dogs and their owners space to roam.