Dog came to our house viewing

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Our estate agent brought a potential buyer round to view our house today who turned up with their dog. I saw them on the front door ring camera carry it in to our house but when I checked the back garden camera I could see it walking on our carpet!

We have a 5 year old and a 5 month old and it walked all over where the boys play (luckily most of their things were put away for the visit) and the estate agent knows this.

The dog also was carried into their bedroom and held above our baby’s cot.

if this hadn’t annoyed me enough when asked about it the estate agent lied and said the dog was carried the whole time. When I told her we can see it on the ring she said she’d make a note that no pets would be allowed on future viewings and that’s it ok as the dog didn’t go to the toilet in our garden.

I don’t think I’m being unreasonable but just wanted to gauge opinions before I speak to the agent properly tomorrow and whether that’s normal behaviour or is as bizarre as I think it is.

I am one of the weirdos that has brought my dog to viewings. The reason why she had to come was that I had just moved abroad with the dog and I had 6 days to find a home to buy. We stayed in a hotel and she was super anxious because of the long trip and wouldn't let me leave her alone in the room. I had nobody to look after her because the people I know here were at work so I asked the agent, who checked with the sellers and all of them were OK with me bringing her. Found a home on the first day of looking so she only went into two homes and I carried her the whole time. Was perfectly drama free.

In your situation that is understandable, but you did ask beforehand and I think that is part of the issue here. It's really about being polite and considerate.

@TwistedWonder well I would prefer no children looking around my house having seen how they behave in viewings. Carrying a dog is no different to carrying a child around

So your agent knows they shouldn't be showing the house to someone without a sale, and showed it anyway. Can I guess that they're selling via the same agency you're using?

The EA sounds terrible and really unprofessional.

Only crazy ones. No dog lover in their right mind would say this is OK. I have three dogs. I would NEVER take them to someone's house without them explicitly saying it was OK, and it would never ever cross my mind to take them to a house viewing!

Children are human dogs are animals - it’s completely different

@Mirrorxxx Sorry but there is a difference. Even a small dog being carried would traumatise my elderly cat.

There’s a huge difference if someone’s allergic/asthmatic. A child may be annoying if they’re not well behaved; a dog can be life threatening if you’re allergic. They didn’t know if it was ok, didn’t even ask and then lied about it.

I get that but my confusion is the OP doesn’t have anyone in the house with an allergy right? So what’s the big deal? I said in my response I understand it’s a bit weird not to ask permission but it’s been and gone now and I don’t know why it needs to be made into such a big deal. She can now just tell the estate agent she’d prefer no dogs and move on no?

Also, if they didn’t tell the estate agents then what were they supposed to do? Turn the potential buyers away because they had a harmless little dog with them? Their job is to sell the house, not to worry about whether you have a massive hate towards dogs. Tbh humans spread more germs than dogs so if it’s germs the OP is worried about then that’s silly. I’ve yet to become contaminated by a dog but adults and children, they are usually contagious of something or other.

Children destroy things, jump on furniture, cough and sneeze everywhere. Never caught anything from a dog but children carry everything under the sun.

I would be changing agents because she lied to you. Absolutely unacceptable. On top of allowing the dog into the house without your permission, also unacceptable.

I have a dog and would never bring her to a viewing. I would have to be paying some attention to what she was doing, rather than focusing on the property.

Does the dog tell you if it doesn’t like a house, aye?

I think it is strange to do so without permission and the estate agent needs to be made aware but it’s really not that bizarre, it’s just a dog, not a horse. When I was renting and had people come for viewings, a few people brought their dogs, this was with permission though.

Disagree entirely. It is weird to bring a dog to a house viewing. It would be weird to bring a cat, hamster, horse. What are you hoping to achieve with bringing a dog? I am a very long time dog lover, dog breeder etc. I would NEVER take a dog somewhere where it wasn't critical to bring it. This is exactly the reason why dog people get a bad name.

We just seem to live in a society now where some people have to take their dog everywhere. I have dogs, but they don't need to pop to every shop or pub with me. I would never dream of taking them to a house viewing - just rude.

The reason you take children to view a house is psychological. House moves can be very challenging to children, and you take them so they feel part of it. I have recently moved house. We had three viewings in total of the house we wanted. We took my 10 year old to the second one, not to all of them. So she could see her room etc and feel part of it. I have three dogs. Never in a million years did I consider taking them. Now that's not to say I didnt think of them, or my cat. I deliberately wanted to live in the country away from a main road with lots of lovely walks etc for them. I didn't however need to get their opinions or psychologically prepare them for it. A child is unlikely to randomly wee on a lawn either.

This is absolutely nuts. Just when I think I can't be any more astounded by dog owners.

I would be fuming

As a nation of dog lovers, it is not a demand that we allow other peoples dogs in to our homes

My inlaws always bring their dog, and I hate it = i wish they could see how rude and presumtious that this is - they allow their dog to sit on their sofas too

My sofas cost more than their car, and i have told them repeatedly NO but they try it every time

We actually had a friend once who fell out with us - a close friend too, stopped speaking to us as we requested they stopped bring their dog round to visit

Children don’t tend to take a crap on the carpet in my experience. Dogs can easily be left at home for an hour, young children can’t. It’s in no way comparable. Animals are not humans - that’s a fact.

Where does the line get drawn? Bring a zebra next to you view a house? Take a llama to Tesco? Maybe a meerkat friendly cafe?

To be fair, a lot of dogs have very strong opinions on interior design, and some can smell hidden structural issues, probably.

Well quite. I think my older dogs would have had some really good opinions, but my younger one is overly anxious and didn't want to move. I fear her input would only have made moving more difficult so she spoiled it for everyone.

What if the OP and her family had allergies?
What if they were Muslims, to whom dogs are considered ritually unclean?
What if they just don't want a dog in their house?

The dog-owners are entitled idiots, OP, and your estate agents are disrespectful and dishonest - sack them off and demand a house clean.

Can picture it now, "Good God, woman, look at those cornices - we can't possibly live here!"

There are FOUR CATS living next door, who have turned out to be bully's. Dogs would have vetoed it straight away.

I would be on the phone to that estate agent having a “conversation” what if your children were allergic. I would be fuming! So disrespectful!