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AIBU?

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Original poster

Why don't people take the dog out when they have a house viewing?

258 replies

RingFence · 11/02/2018 10:04

It's really off putting! I hate walking viewing a house with a strange dog sniffing my ankles. Or jumping up at toddler DD, who gets scared and then has to be carried. Or yapping and snarling from the kitchen because I've asked the owner to shut it away.

Viewed one recently where the owner hadn't even bothered to pick up a dog poo in the garden. Toddler DD stepped in it Angry We didn't notice until she left a trail of dog poo indoors. Owner tutted because of the floor, but I was so angry at the thought of having to clean dog poo off her shoes, having the smell in the car, disinfect them at home etc I just thought 'serve you right'. Why on earth would you not pick up after your dog when you're trying to sell your house??

Then there are the owners who say 'I'll just keep him in the living room' and sit holding the straining/growling/whimpering dog by its collar, so you have to rush that bit of the viewing.

We saw one house where the dog was in the garden, barking and growling. Owner said 'he's all right with people but he might jump up. Do you want to go in?' We declined and ruled out that house.

Why don't people take the dog out for a walk or get a friend/relative/neighbour to look after it for the half an hour it takes to view? We always book a time days in advance so it's not like it's short notice.

OP posts:
MatildaTheCat · 11/02/2018 10:07

Tell the agents no dogs. Some people are very stupid. My own dog is a gorgeous prince to me but if a potential house sale was at risk he’d be out of the way in a heartbeat.

Good point re dog poo in the garden though that can be tricky.

LostInShoebiz · 11/02/2018 10:09

Because a lot of dog owners can't imagine anyone wouldn't love their stinky hound or because they're too bloody minded about it to be considerate.

FatBottomedGal · 11/02/2018 10:09

I’m confused as to why the owner or dog is there when you’re doing viewings? My mum is selling her house at the moment and has never once been in for a viewing - you can’t properly look around and be critical with the owner sitting there.

Agree dogs should not be home for viewings. My mum has 4 and they all sit in the car down the road and wait for it to be finished. And she cleans the poop up first!!

BrutusMcDogface · 11/02/2018 10:09

Yanbu. I can't bear people who love their dogs so much that they think everyone else should love them, too. Angry

BrutusMcDogface · 11/02/2018 10:10

And I wouldn't have been able to keep my mouth shut about the poo in the garden being trodden round the house!! It shouldn't have been there in the first place if they want their house to be viewed in its best light.

LostInShoebiz · 11/02/2018 10:12

Brutus I agree. And for some reason they always have the smelliest and worst behaved dogs.

Once got invited to a friend's house where the dog had just pissed on the sofa. We were expected to sit down. Grim.

Strangely the babysitter called at that exact moment with a huge emergency.

InDubiousBattle · 11/02/2018 10:13

Because they're a member of their family, it's their home too, why should they have to go......and so on.
YANBU they should be cleared out!

upsideup · 11/02/2018 10:18

You know the dog doesn't come with the house right? I don't think it would bother me in the slightest, I wouldexpect dog poo to be picked up though.

GrannyGrissle · 11/02/2018 10:20

Dog shit would have been removed in situ at Dog Shit House. Yes to people expecting everyone to adore their stinking repulsive 'fur baby'. And I think the dog smell would put me off buying anyway.

LakieLady · 11/02/2018 10:21

Agree dogs should not be home for viewings. My mum has 4 and they all sit in the car down the road and wait for it to be finished. And she cleans the poop up first!!

But dogs die in hot cars! I pop mine in the car for a few minutes, but wouldn't want to leave her in there for long unless it's a properly cold, cloudy day.

We talked about this recently and decided that one of us would take the dog out while the other did the viewing. It would mean we wouldn't be able to do viewings during working hours though. Luckily, my working hours can be pretty flexible.

We don't have dog-friendly non-working neighbours and our nearest family are over 30 miles away, so we don't have any other option apart from punitively expensive dogsitters.

LostInShoebiz · 11/02/2018 10:21

I've seen a house where you couldn't get in the bathroom because the owner was using it for the entire duration of the viewing. She clearly had no interest in a sale as the place was a dump and she was being forced to sell as a result of a court order (according to the agent). Sometimes I wonder if dog people at viewings are the same and there's a niggle somewhere that hopes it won't sell. Why else would you knowingly make a viewer feel uncomfortable?

G1ggleloop · 11/02/2018 10:22

Because it's not always possible to get someone to take the dog out. If we're both home then one of us takes him out. If I'm home alone then I shut him in the garden until we're ready to look outside when I move him to another room he can be shut in.

theduchessstill · 11/02/2018 10:23

Is it beyond you to understand that not everyone has people available to look after their pets for them?

I agree not picking up poo from the garden is very sloppy when you have a viewing but the other stuff could be hard to avoid. When we viewed this house two spaniels had to be moved from room to room as we viewed, and wherever they were shut in they yelped and scraped the doors - it was farcical really, as we dodged from room to room, and I was carrying a sleeping two year old who'd had an unexpected nap and not woken up despite all the noise.

There were marks on all the doors from their scraping as the woman was a childminder so they must have been shut in certain rooms quite a lot Confused. Didn't put me off or bother me. It was quite funny and didn't detract from the appeal of the house at all.

Sparklingbrook · 11/02/2018 10:27

It's odd because you would think people wanting to sell would want to eliminate any evidence they owned a dog at all.

50sQueen · 11/02/2018 10:28

The house we brought the dog was out but previous owner completely put us off the grass in the garden. They said don't go on the grass in case I've not picked up al the dog pooh. 4 months living at this new house we still have t stepped on the grass.
If a dog had been in a property my child wouldn't have been able to go in as he's prettified.

Sweetpea55 · 11/02/2018 10:28

We viewed a house that had a big conservatory but the owner used it as the dogs living room and they had chewed the window ledges.
They were big dogs and when I remarked on this the owner laughed and said, '' yes everyones house has been broken into along here except mine, the dogs barking put them off''...We decided that this wasn't the house for us,,,

Original poster
RingFence · 11/02/2018 10:30

Is it beyond you to understand that not everyone has people available to look after their pets for them?

So why doesn't the owner take the dog for a walk round the block while the agent does the viewing?

OP posts:
Loopyloopy · 11/02/2018 10:31

Was it just the one poo? Dog might have just gone and owners not have noticed what with the gazillion and one other things that need doing prior to a viewing.

Original poster
RingFence · 11/02/2018 10:33

If a dog had been in a property my child wouldn't have been able to go in as he's prettified

Mine is scared too. It's hard to view properly when you have a frightened toddler clinging to your hip refusing to walk!

OP posts:
Foxyloxy1plus1 · 11/02/2018 10:34

Surely part of the EAs job should be to do the viewings. I have no idea what happens with online agents, because I’ve never used them, but the last three houses we’ve sold have been shown by the agents.

Yes, it’s a pain having to go out sometimes, but better that than doing it yourself. And if the agents are showing, you can take your dog(s) out with you and there’s no problem.

InsomniacAnonymous · 11/02/2018 10:34

"Once got invited to a friend's house where the dog had just pissed on the sofa. We were expected to sit down. Grim."

WTF? That's really appalling.

Foxyloxy1plus1 · 11/02/2018 10:35

Sorry Ring hadn’t seen your last post when I posted.

Rebeccaslicker · 11/02/2018 10:35

God, i'd be more likely to go back for multiple viewings if there was a dog there that liked being stroked. Stupid allergies prevent me from ever having one 😭

I think just ask the EA before you book - do they have a dog and if so can they take it out please? I always asked if the owners had a cat because I know even after deep cleans I'd still be sneezing unless we ripped out all the carpets etc!

Loopyloopy · 11/02/2018 10:36

I think you lot are potentially missing out on some great properties if you can't see past the presence of a dog!

10thingsIhateAboutTheDailyMail · 11/02/2018 10:36

It is VERY unlucky you have met so many nast badly behaved dogs!

if you get 6 viewings in a day, no way would I take out the dog 6 times

I'd still have my own life to lead. My dog does not bark or snarl or jump up though, though she would sniff you a bit (the horror Wink) before retreating back to her basket.

Anyway, so much bad luck you've had with dogs, surely the next few viewings should be incident free, I hope