Having our home visit done- one mild concern?
In order to foster for the rescue organization that I have started volunteering for, a home visit has to be done. Thankfully, since I’m already a volunteer, I just saw that our request for a home visit just went up on the volunteer website (which means they already checked and are okay with our references!), and I also have access the form that people doing home visits have to make notes on.
I know, it’s kind of cheating, but I’m mostly looking up whether or not our home visit will go well. One thing kind of bothered me. There is a section about how our current pets interact with us and the home visit person (strangers). Holly, our older Border Collie, is fine with strangers, after she gets to know them. But if they try to pet her when she’s still on edge, she has nipped at people in warning before. She’s also really… vocal… and doesn’t stop barking for a very long time. Do you think the person doing the home visit would find it "mysterious" for us to lock our dogs in the kitchen with baby gates when they first enter the house? Or would they find it strange if we requested that they do not pet our dog until she’s calmed down?
7 Comments on “Having our home visit done- one mild concern?”
I think it would be perfectly fine to ask that they ignore the dog until she has calmed down. When training dogs, you should do this, so it wouldn’t look bad.
I don’t think they will have a problem with it, we have to do that with our dogs when people come over because they just go crazy. Just explain it to them and I’m sure they’ll be fine, Once your dogs calm down then let them out to greet so the people can been that they are calm and well behaved.
No I don’t think they will find that strange at all once you explain the situation to them. Also asking them not to pet the dog until she is calmed down is just looking out for their welfare and they should be grateful for the advice. Don’t worry, everything will go just fine. Be yourself, don’t try to hide anything, and everything will go just fine.
there are alot of pet owners that do that s they shouldnt find it strange if anything they might take it as a sign of consideration for other people and an understanding of how your dog works
I had the opportunity to visit the *Top Dog* of a Dachshund Rescue to pick up a dog to foster.
She had dogs with various degrees of: *Please don’t try and pet him.* Watch Tippy. She likes to bite ankles…….*
You will not have a problem.
I really wouldn’t worry about it!
My home visit volunteer was greeted at the door by a hyper Cattle Dog and about 100 toys she wanted the person to throw. She was warned that if she picked up even ONE that it was "game on"! LOL
After that she was swarmed by 6 Minpins, all of whom wanted to be greeted and given food……
My Cattle Dog is a "do not pet" dog, and I explained that at the door. The volunteer did not pet her and was fine with that.
I think that if you have "unknown" responses for strangers entering the house, that it is a great idea to keep them all behind a baby gate. They can come out one at a time to greet your visitor, and then maybe they can all go in the backyard while your visit is being done, so they are not in the way.
No one in rescue really expects to find perfect dogs in homes-and they all have the same issues that you have, so they will be understanding and supportive.
Good luck!
I volunteer with a dog rescue group in Texas and have done home visits. I would strongly urge you to put your dogs in the kitchen with a baby gate initially — anyone working in rescue with dogs should totally understand if you have a dog that is not good with strangers, that you request they ignore this dog until its level of comfort is good. I actually foster a dog that we cal lthe "invisible foster" when someone comes to visit us — the person is given strict instructions not to acknowledge this dog, not to pet her and when she is ready to say hi and be nice, she will come over and wag her tail — otherwise, they could get bitten.
Good luck with your adoption. Natalie in Texas