The short version: listing a field on PawSpot takes about 30 minutes once you have your photos, location, fencing details and bank details ready. Approval usually happens within a working day. From there, the booking system runs itself, payouts arrive automatically, and you can manage availability from any phone.
This is the practical guide to going from "I've got a paddock" to "I've got my first booking", with the bits that catch people out flagged up front.
What you need before you start
Have these ready and the listing process is quick:
Field info
- Acreage (rough, within 0.25 acres is fine)
- Fence height and type (e.g. "5ft post-and-rail with stock netting")
- Whether you have a double-gated entry (an "airlock")
- Surface (grass, mixed, astroturf, woodland)
- Parking — type, capacity, and how owners reach the field from there
Operations info
- Opening and closing hours — the times of day you'll allow bookings
- Slot lengths you want to offer (30, 45, 60 minutes etc.)
- Pricing for each slot length
- Cancellation policy preferences
- Maximum dogs per booking
Practical bits
- 6+ good photos — wide shots of the field, plus the gate, parking, and any features (water, agility, shelter)
- Postcode and access notes — the directions you'd give a friend
- Bank details for payouts (PawSpot pays out automatically)
- Whether you have public liability insurance (recommended; we cover this in the insurance and planning guide)
Step 1: Sign up and start a listing
Go to /list-your-field, sign up if you haven't already, and click "Start a new listing". You'll work through a guided form, you can save and return at any point.
Step 2: Photos
This is the single biggest predictor of how often your field gets booked. Owners who take 30 minutes on photos consistently outperform those who upload three blurry shots from their phone.
What works:
- A wide shot of the whole field from a low angle (knee height), gives a sense of scale
- The gate / entry area — owners want to see the airlock setup
- A photo of the parking — even if it's just a gravel patch, owners want to know
- Features: pond, agility, shelter, water tap, bench, water trough
- Sunny weather, mid-morning — golden hour is even better
- Avoid harsh midday shadows, distant gates that look low, or muddy paths
If you have a dog of your own, photos with a happy dog mid-zoom are gold. Just one or two, too many and the field photos get lost.
Step 3: Description
Aim for 150–250 words. Think "what would I tell a friend who asked about my field?":
- What it's like (size, surface, atmosphere)
- Who it suits (sighthounds, multiple dogs, reactive dogs, etc.)
- What's nearby (woodland, hills, particular features)
- The fencing details (height, condition, double gate)
- Anything specific (water trough? Wash-down area? Picnic bench?)
What to avoid:
- Generic marketing speak ("the perfect place for your beloved pet")
- Bullet-point lists with nothing in them
- Lying about fencing or features (you'll get bad reviews fast)
Step 4: Pricing
PawSpot's pricing system supports multiple slot lengths with different prices. As a starting point:
- 30 minutes: ~60–70% of your hourly rate
- 60 minutes: your headline rate
- 90 minutes / 120 minutes: small discount per minute (e.g. £18 for 90 min if hourly is £14)
For your headline hourly rate, look at the pricing guide, but as a quick steer:
- Rural North West / Wales / Scotland: £8–12
- Midlands / Yorkshire: £8–14
- Home counties / South East: £12–18
- London commuter belt: £14–20
You can change these any time after launch, and we recommend reviewing every 6 months as you build review volume.
Step 5: Availability
Set the days and times your field is bookable. Most owners offer 8am–7pm, with breaks if needed. You can:
- Mark days as fully closed (e.g. you're away)
- Set last-minute availability rules ("no bookings within 2 hours")
- Block out specific slots
- Allow back-to-back bookings or insist on a 15-minute buffer between them
A 15-minute buffer is a good default, gives time for owners to leave cleanly, for poo to be picked up, and for the next person not to arrive into chaos.
Step 6: Cancellation policy
You can pick from several preset cancellation policies. Most owners go with flexible (full refund up to 24h before) or moderate (full refund up to 48h, 50% inside). Strict policies (no refund within 7 days) reduce booking volume, only use them if you're in a high-cost / niche position.
Step 7: Submit for review
Once you've completed the listing, hit "Submit for review". The PawSpot team reviews each listing, usually within a working day, occasionally up to 48h. We're checking:
- Photos look reasonable (not blurry / wildly inaccurate)
- Fencing claims match the photos
- Location data is plausible
- Pricing isn't suspicious (extremely high or extremely low)
If anything's off, you'll get a friendly email with what to fix. Most listings go live first time.
Step 8: First booking
When the first booking lands, you'll get an email + (optional) push notification with the date, time, dog name, and any notes. The field opens at the slot start, your access instructions (lock code, key safe etc.) are sent to the owner automatically.
You don't need to be there. Most owners aren't.
What to expect in month 1
A typical new listing's first month, in our experience:
- Week 1: 0–2 bookings (slow start; trust builds with reviews)
- Week 2–3: 2–6 bookings as early users review you
- Week 4 onward: starts to settle into a rhythm
Some areas (Surrey, Cheshire, the Home Counties) move faster. Some (rural Scotland, parts of the North) take longer. Most fields hit 1–3 bookings a week within the first 2 months and grow from there.
What helps you grow
In rough order of impact:
- Reviews — by far the biggest lever. Ask happy customers to leave one.
- Updated photos — even just refreshing one or two seasonally
- Honest descriptions — "boggy in winter, but excellent April–October" beats vague claims
- Quick replies to questions — owners notice
- Proactive comms — message owners when conditions change ("frost overnight, tracks slippery, extra care please")
What hurts
- Cancelling on owners last minute (they leave bad reviews and don't come back)
- Saying you have features you don't (a "pond" that's a puddle, an "airlock" that's just one gate)
- Letting the field go to rack and ruin in winter without saying so
- Slow responses to messages
- Forgetting to lock the gate
FAQs
Is there a fee to list a field on PawSpot? No upfront fee. PawSpot takes a small percentage of each booking (the headline rate the owner pays already includes this). You set the price, you receive the price minus the fee.
How quickly do I get paid? Payouts are scheduled weekly to your bank account. The first payout takes a couple of days longer while we verify your bank details.
Can I have multiple fields under one account? Yes, many owners do. Each field is a separate listing.
Can I block out a date for personal use? Yes, you can mark any day or specific time slot as unavailable from the dashboard.
What happens if a customer cancels? The amount refunded follows your chosen cancellation policy. PawSpot handles the refund on your behalf, you don't need to do anything.
Do I need insurance? Public liability insurance is strongly recommended (most farm policies cover dog field hire as an extension; if not, specialist policies start around £100–200/year). See our insurance and planning guide.
Can I delist later if it's not for us? Yes, you can pause or remove your listing at any time from the dashboard. No notice period.