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 have 2 dogs so there’s no way somebody else is bringing their dog in. Equally, when I come to sell, they’ll be popped in the car/out for a walk and there’ll be no signs of dogs in the house. We live in an increasingly diverse area and I don’t want to put off any potential buyers.

As we’ll be moving hundreds of miles away, ours will come with us but stay in the car while we view.

Imgojng to buck the trend here. Absolutely they should have asked, but if they did would you really have said no? You've not saus you or your children have allergies or anything. Not sure what the issue is.

That the EA lied. What else would they lie about or cut corners on? It's meant to be a professional relationship of the highest trust. They don't know people socially. They promise good standards of respectful and accountable behaviour because they have strangers' house keys and traipse around their homes with yet more strangers.

Totally out of order to take a dog on a viewing but do you have a camera indoors where you watch people going round your house? How did you know they held it over your baby's cot?

As you can see on the thread many people would say no. It’s the sheer entitlement of not even asking and the EA lying about it.

Thats the issue(s)

I’d be really annoyed as my husband is extremely allergic to dogs and dog hair. It wouldn’t cross my mind to mention it to the estate agent because I wouldn’t expect someone to even consider bringing their dog to a viewing!

I am a dog lover and the owner of two dogs and I would be furious with that. You just cannot take your dog in to someone's home like that and I find it bizarre that both the potential buyer and the estate agent found this acceptable!

I would lose my 💩 I have a cat and if someone brought a dog without permission then I would get a new estate agent. They also aren’t listening to you about potential buyers.
but not everyone has house on market when viewing.

It's very disrespectful to bring a dog into your home and it's weird that the EA allowed them in.

My ex dh let a friend in once with their dog and it left fleas behind. Absolute nightmare and expense to get rid of.

If you like the look of the dog you could offer a reduction if they will let you have the dog. Maybe.

I think you can decide that, can't you?

What response do you expect from a dog?

But a) you had good reason and b) you ASKED!

I would be LIVID. I'm highly allergic to dogs so certainly wouldn't want one in my home. The estate agent having the keys to my property should have my absolute trust and that would now be shattered if they had lied and said the dog had been carried throughout. Change estate agents and bill them for a carpet deep clean. Appalling entitled behaviour.

I'd bring my assistance dog to a viewing and take legal action against any estate agent or seller who had an issue with that and before the OP says it wasn't an assistance dog - there are a variety of breeds used as assistance dogs, a variety of assistance dog charities, and a variety of uniforms (some assistance dogs don't have uniforms). They all still have access rights. Tread carefully before you challenge this, I doubt you'd be able to prove 100% it wasn't an assistance dog. I've seen spaniels, poodles, cockerpoos, labradors, german shephards, collies, cavaliers, terriers all sorts as I also work for a registered AD charity.

They still need to ask. For both religious and health reasons. Dogs can't always enter a family home.

Very strange, what if you had really bad allergies or it decided to cock its leg 😱. I’d be having a word, calling out the lying in an email to the branch manager and switching agents, just because life’s too short to deal with people who you’ve engaged to provide a service who aren’t honest.

I'm assuming guide dogs would be regarded differently?

Out of interest, what would happen if the seller was allergic?

OP: after that I'd change agents.

It such a weird thing to do, I've got 3 dogs and it wouldn't cross my mind yo take them with me! It's odd but I wouldn't dwell on it.

So what if the dog walked where your kids play, it wont do them any harm at all. Its a dog, it hasnt done any harm at all by being in your house. Nothing was broken, nobody died. YABU.

To add; I have Guinea pigs, who are petrified of dogs.

I think I'd go nuclear if a buyer just flounced in with a dog.

My poor boys would likely have a heart attack and I'm not even kidding. Dogs and GPs are a big no no unless you've specifically trained the dog to be around them.

My neighbour stood outside our lounge window during Covid with her cat 🐈 and even that distance scared the boys.

when asked about it the estate agent lied and said the dog was carried the whole time

I haven't RTFT so apologies if this has already been mentioned, but I think I'd be more worried about this. It would certainly make me question the agent's integrity in general.

We had this! Except the kids broke toys! A beautiful wooden shape sorter was obviously thrown as it was broken on the floor! I was quite upset! I complained to the EA and received a bag of supermarket grade plastic balls which I took to charity shop! I love dogs (dont have one as too much commitment) but I fully appreciate that not everyone does and I would NEVER take one to a viewing and hold it over a babies cot!!!

Private households don't need to comply with the Equality Act.

I would let a guide dog into my house.

But other types of service dogs are less well trained and in any event don't necessarily need to accompany their owner on a quick walk around a house. If they really needed to bring it in, they could ask me.

For the avoidance of doubt, pets and emotional support animals are not service dogs (or cats or rabbits or anything else).

A seller does have the right to refuse a viewing.
Assistance dogs do not have automatic access rights to a private home which the vendor still owns and still lives in. You can plead discrimination and threaten legal action all you want.
The access rights apply to public spaces, public buildings and business properties but not to private homes unless the owner consents.

Or maybe the estate agents didn’t bother asking