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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:
Original poster
RingFence · 12/02/2018 09:30

I doubt you would put your toddler in a crate if someone came to a viewing at your house

No, but I would take her out for the viewing. Nobody wants to be pestered by someone else's toddler when they're viewing a house, or get bits of stray playdough stuck to their shoes.

In this area it seems estate agents do most of the viewings. We've only been shown around by the owner about 1 in 10.
We've viewed a few spotless houses that have dogs (dogs not present). I always ask when I see water bowls in case one jumps out. No dog smell either.

I think it's courteous to take the dog out or crate it, especially when you've had days to arrange something.

I'll be asking the agent to find out if there's a dog from now on and only booking viewings when the dog isn't there.

Appreciate they might have missed the poo, but also think it's really lazy and disgusting not to check the garden after letting the dog out to do its business! It was a small garden and the poo right next to the path.

OP posts:
ThroughThickAndThin01 · 12/02/2018 09:31

Blimey how many houses have you looked at? You sound like a total time waster anyway.

Believeitornot · 12/02/2018 09:37

Not sure why people are comparing toddlers ie human beings to dogs, which are just animals as far a small I’m concerned.

ichifanny · 12/02/2018 10:07

I went for a final viewing after noting interest on a property I was deciding between that’s and another house and they had the dog there who absolutely stunk and it made me decide against the house , I decided I didn’t want to deal with dog smell in the house .

nellieellie · 12/02/2018 10:19

I might take my dogs out. I might not. If a buyer doesn’t want my house because s/he doesn’t resents my dogs presence, that’s fine with me. I’d keep them away from all viewers, but it’s hard enough keeping a house pristine for viewings without having to disappear whenever someone wants to come round. I don’t like cats and Im vegetarian, but I can’t imagine feeling cross if I’m looking round a house and there’s a cat, or a plate of ham sandwiches on the table. Lordy, the things some people get annoyed about!

EmmsDad · 12/02/2018 17:40

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.

Interesting comment as I am selling a house right now and have to do all the viewings. Would it put you off going at all by having the owner doing the sales tour?

Maireadplastic · 12/02/2018 18:09

First house sale- sent baby, husband (and buggy making the hall look small) out for viewings.
Second house sale- sent 3 children, husband (and buggy in the hall) out for viewings.
It worked.

barmygirl · 12/02/2018 18:11

We're in the process of showing our flat and our dog goes out with my partner for the whole time...usually 2 hours as it's open viewing here. She'd just be too hyper as she loves people coming round but they'd definitely not all love her!

BunsyGirl · 12/02/2018 18:12

I have a severe allergy to dogs and other furry animals (been hospitalised several times). House hunting is a nightmare. We keep resorting to buying new builds to avoid the dog issue. House hunting whilst pregnant was particularly bad as I couldn’t take the medication that I needed. The owners of one property we viewed got really arsy when DH explained the situation and asked them to keep the dog away from me. I started to wheeze badly after we came out of the house. It wasn’t just the dog. The dust was terrible (something else that I am allergic to). Don’t think they had cleaned up in years!!! Horrible people, horrible house!

Maireadplastic · 12/02/2018 18:16

PS: Either me or my husband were there for viewings as I witnessed first viewing and agent often had incorrect info about nearest station and local schools etc. This was KFH, in London, so really staggering that they didn't know (or couldn't be bothered to find out) their stuff.

Ended up doing a number of viewings ourselves as, shock horror, lots of people want to view after work when estate agents had clocked off.

Yujismum · 12/02/2018 18:17

Not sure why people are comparing toddlers ie human beings to dogs, which are just animals as far a small I’m concerned.

Toddlers are animals, we are animals.
I don’t know why you (who are selling property) are so concerned about idiots, and that’s a kind word, who can’t see beyond your dog, who won’t be there! If and when they move in. We all have to put up with toddlers, I might add here that its the parents we have to put up with rather than the children, as children are products of their irritating and not good enough parents. If dog owners are good loving dog owners they don’t want to expose them to not very nice human beings who see no further than their nose, no pun intended.

user1483875094 · 12/02/2018 18:27

I so TOTALLY agree with you and can speak as a dog owner/very recent vendor!

Every single time I had a viewing, I arranged for our beloved dog to be out with a friend - and had also searched the garden with a fine toothed comb for any slight "possibility" of a stray bit of dog poo. Equally, as a recent vendor, I also had to visit houses, and even being a dog owner, I was ALSO seriously put off by snarling, smelly, nervous, jumpy dogs all over me! You are quite right! I think the Estate Agents should tell these daft dog owners that if they want to sell the house, do the best they can, and get the blasted dog out of the way, no matter how "beloved" it is!

MyKingdomForACaramel · 12/02/2018 18:30

Am genuinely laughing at people who don’t want to buy a house where a dog has lived - it’s not like a second hand jumper - chances are if the house is old enough - people have smoked in it, had dogs in it - dare I say, died in it! And yet people are worried about lingering dog smell!

UgandanKnuckles · 12/02/2018 18:36

^ I'd find it funny if it weren't so pathetic. As you say, unless you've built the bloody house yourself you have no control over what has been in it before you, and no guarantee that a gasp dog might have walked past it once.

RunningHurts · 12/02/2018 18:40

Our children were very disappointed to learn that the dog wasn’t included in the house sale

Bluelady · 12/02/2018 18:43

Glad someone's thinking like I am. Our house was built c 1610, they probably kept pigs in the ground floor when it was built.

Imabadmummy · 12/02/2018 18:49

When we bought this house we are in now the dogs were in the back garden.
I have a dog so didnt put me off - except frustratigly there was a dog smell on the stairs in summer!
My dog is tiny so it must have been previous dogs that left their smell. Finally got a new carpet so hoping this year wont be like that....

I made sure my dog was out on a walk when we were selling our old house, as tiny as she is, shes very giddy and would have driven viewers nuts.
Her bed was still downstairs with dog toys so we didnt hide the fact we had a dog.

Halie · 12/02/2018 18:53

YABU. It's their house, they can do what they like. If you had a personal problem with washing machines would you expect them to remove that for your convenience too? Dogs are family to a lot of people - maybe they don't like the fact that you bring your daughter around on a house viewing - maybe they think that's your problem if she subsequently steps in their dog's shit which happens to be in their own garden. Their dog has more right to be in their house than your child does.

sparkleandsunshine · 12/02/2018 18:58

When we sold our flat the agents didn’t come round for viewings, we were expected to be there and show round, we have a house cat and I put her in the main bathroom when they came in, i asked if they were ok with cats and if they weren’t I warned them where she was, and before I showed them the bathroom I took her out and moved her to another room we’d already seen, would never expect them to have to deal with my animal if at all possible!
If she as a dog she’d have been going to a friend or family member. YANBU at all

MotherOfBeagles · 12/02/2018 19:16

We were trying to sell for quite a while due to my husband refusing to accept below the asking price Angry and we have two dogs. I did my best to remove all beds and toys etc into the car so the house was dog clutter free. I also tried to get my mum to come and walk them for me whilst i did the viewings, my husband was never home as he works over an hour away.

However, sometimes there was literally nothing i could do with the dogs and i'm sorry but i'm not risking them dying in a hot car so that you can look round my house. I shut them in the garden and if people wanted to look in the garden i would go out and hold them. Luckily we were trying to sell in summer, if the weather had been bad again not locking them outside to get wet through, they will get shut in a specific room.

My agents NEVER did a viewing, not one and we had two agencies advertising our property. They always had an excuse which meant they couldn't do it. Waste of spaces.

However, i always picked up the dog poo and would never let them jump at anyone!

Teetotal2018 · 12/02/2018 19:18

This put me off every house I went to with a dog. Dogs create a smelly, unrelaxing and unwelcome atmosphere.

Bluelady · 12/02/2018 19:21

Only to people who hate them. The smell can be appalling but I've asked several trusted people who don't own dogs if our house smells of dog and every one of them has said no.

Nomorechickens · 12/02/2018 19:22

In my experience agents know little about the property they are showing, and would be hard pressed to tell you the number of bedrooms without consulting the information sheet, so no chance of finding out how old the boiler is or whether you get sun in the garden in the morning, let alone what the neighbours are like.

Nomorechickens · 12/02/2018 19:26

The last house we bought, no dogs but the kids (including one still in nappies) had peed on the carpet and sofa in their bedroom to the point that it took all my self control not to hold my nose when the bedroom door was opened. The (naice) ladybowner was oblivious. Didn't stop us buying the house as it was perfect size and location but taking up and disposing of that carpet was not pleasant!

Maireadplastic · 12/02/2018 19:26

Agreed, NoMore. I made sure one of us was there to furnish viewers correct info about house and local area. Agents were useless.

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