Never!

I also don't think bringing children is a good idea, but that's just me.

I dunno, I didn't think it was.

Some of these shows are filmed in 'reverse' meaning they already own the home and the 'showing' is recreated.

I do know one dog owner who took her dog to see a prospective house--but it was the second time she was looking at the house, not the first. The dog had some issues with it's hip or something, and she wanted to make sure it could walk around on the various flooring surfaces and get up and down the stairs to the back yard. But she was seriously considering the house at that point, not just looking.

If I were selling a house I wouldn't let anyone bring a pet inside. Too many people are allergic to dogs/cats/etc.

Seems like a bad idea.

I'm not sure why you would have the dog. I wouldn't bring mine unless I had a specific need like mentioned above. Depending upon the dog, I might not want someone else's dog in my house especially if they hated cats.

We bring the kids. We have always moved long distance and there is no one local to watch them. Also, this is their new home. I feel it is important to let them see where they are moving. We try to focus them on the positives of the move as an adventure rather than the fact that they are moving away from familiarity and loved ones.

Some folks are relocating from out-of-state. Once in awhile they bring the dog on the househunting trip because leaving the dog at home alone won't work out maybe there are issues with long kennel stays.

When on such a trip with your dog, you have a few options regarding your dog.

1. leave dog in hotel room(means you cannot house hunt for too long due to need to go outside). Also if you are between towns and just checked out of one hotel, and not yet checked-in to new town's hotel, then you will have the dog with you during the day.

2) Take the dog with you when viewing homes. If weather permits, leave the dog in the car for a bit while everyone views the home. But if leaving dog in car won't work(weather, realtor's car, etc) , then you can decide to have one dog owner stay outside with the dog while the other views the home dogless.

However, what if husband and wife love the home and want to view it together to discuss options. Maybe they both viewed the home individualy already while the dog stayed outside with the other person.

I would allow a dog in the house only if the dog was small and carried, or if they were 99% sure they were buying the house and it would be a 2nd showing.
I would understand under those circumstances to let their children and dog feel the house and the yard.

Otherwise its unaccepatble, because the owners or other prospective buyers may be allergic to pets.I love pets. The truth is that a larger dog many times SCRATCHES the wood floors and especially the stairs. I know that for a fact. I've always owned small dogs and had the high gloss finish on my floors, and never a scratch from the 12 lbs ones.

Once my sister brought over her larger dog (25-30 lbs one)and the dog scratched up the stairs while she was going up and down.

I would be horrified if buyers did that while my house would be for sale. I'm just putting it out there so buyers and sellers are aware of what pets do to the house. I'm kind of picky about everything looking in top shape for a sale, but that's be just me.

If it's a Seeing Eye dog, or other genuine assistance animal ... fine.

But taking Fluffy to look at houses so you can see which one Fluffy prefers is insane.

Just the fact that we are comparing kids and dogs in showings shows how far off the deep end some people are about their pets. Human beings should be allowed in any home. Pets should only be taken into a house with the permission of the owner.

Posted by billl (My Page) on Fri, May 25, 12 at 12:57

Just the fact that we are comparing kids and dogs in showings shows how far off the deep end some people are about their pets. Human beings should be allowed in any home. Pets should only be taken into a house with the permission of the owner.

LOL.
Have you ever seen KIDS in action when buyers or renters are looking at a house? They can be 100% worse than the pets.

I'm not an agent, but I was showing a rental for my boyfriend years ago to a family with 3 kids under 10. The kids made a be-line straight into the kitchen, and started opening and slamming the cupboards. The parents couldn't care less. I was cringing, and tried to stay cool. This lasted for like 15-20 minutes, but felt like hours. I was so glad when they left. There were sticky fingers all over everything. The parents didn't care. It was a nightmare.

I also sold a few of my houses and when kids came along the place never looked the same. The doors would be left unlocked(those could have been the adults). Chocolate stains, sticky finger stains on doors, counters, even my furniture. I just rolled over and took it, until the houses sold. Would I ever like kids under 10 to come to MY house for sale? No. If its a serious buyer, and a second look, I have no problem with kids or pets.

Comparatively to that experience, a small pet carried around is a blessing.

Because I had 2 dogs and a cat, no dogs were allowed as my dog did not like other dogs. The person who bought my home had 4 dogs and she was happy what we had done for my dogs, fenced yard, doggy door etc. By that time all the dogs were gone and just one cat which we had put to sleep due to serious health problems, so I left all the food, bowls etc, because she asked us to do so. I cleaned everything up etc.
She was very happy.

Kids are allowed to act like animals and animals are treated like humans.

I take my kids whenever I shop for a house (at least I do since I've had them) and they don't touch ANYthing. Kids are only as bad as their parents allow them to be.

A dog, on the other hand, can be as good as gold and still have absolutely no business in a home uninvited.

I don't even understand people taking their dog to a pet store so I guess I just don't get it. I do have a dog.

You said a mouthful, greg! I love that, and want you to know I have copied and pasted it to a saved doc.

Wow, this really hits close to home at this time! Just visited relatives who allow themselves and their 3 children to trash the house and leave it that way when expecting company, even though family! But, lets do the math - 5 people x 2 hands, that's 10 hands to help keep a max 2600 sq ft under control - it looked like a tornado hit it 10 years ago! Not hoarders, but major clutter-ers who are breeding!

Oh, did I mention... their (not a greyhound, but that size) dog is crate-trained.

I have one dog who I would never bring with me to an open house, as he is a nutball who sheds profusely and knocks things over with his tail. I have no contraceptive failures, thankfully -- both of my children were planned for, and as an added plus, know how to behave in someone else's home.

eggshellfinish that is a pretty crude and unnecessary comment.

I am a parent. That doesn't mean that I enjoy the presence of unruly and misbehaving children. I allow my kids to be kids, but they don't get to destroy other peoples houses. The behaviors mentioned above would have been unacceptable to me. I've had kids like that at my house. I find excuses for them not to come back.

I'm a dog person and my dog comes to work with me at my own business, along with a couple others. He's basically my mentally-deficient child who will never grow up.

Having said that - I don't see any reason on earth why people should take dogs or unruly children with them to look at homes. It's not acceptable, nice behavior. But that doesn't stop anyone does it, LOL.

When we were looking, if my husband and I happened to be driving around with the dog and saw an open house, we would leave the dog in the car or if it was hot, one of us would stay outside with the dog, while the other looked.

Several homes I looked at had a cat or cats inside, or dogs in the garage or back yard. Then what?

As far as getting the dog's approval for the home, WTFLMAOPIMP!!!

Gina W...I know you think you are being cute, but your comment comparing a dog to a child with an intellectual disability is horrific! Think before you type...some of us here do have loved ones with disabilities, and even if we didn't would have the good sense not to compare a person to a pet!

Mellow out.

"contraceptive failures"? Really? Assuming that you were once a child, is that how you think of yourself?

Gina W.

No. A slur against those with intellectual disabilities is the disability equivalent of racism. Grow up and get a clue about the world you live in. Racism, ability slurs, homophobic comments, etc...not acceptable.

I regularly see people bringing their dogs with them to banks, supermarkets, drug stores, hotels and motels, Home Depot and even restaurants. Some therapists insist it's a uplifting treatment for captive residents of senior homes. After all, who but a crotchedy curmudgeon would object to a cute canine?

So it doesn't surprise me that people looking for homes or condos would bring Fido into open houses or showings.

When I was a broker decades ago, I never saw that. Only rude boors insisting on wearing their shoes, wilding children and assorted thieves, pilferers, perverts and yentas. Progress, I guess.

hey what's wrong with yentas?

Kids and dogs are a big no no when you are doing something like that. Things can get really bad. Kids are still fine if they are mature enough and when their opinion about the house matters, but dogs, ill consider that nonsensical. No offence to all those dog lovers in the forum.

I watched a House Hunters once time where the agent carried her Yorkie into every showing. She looked silly.

Dogs have accidents. Would you appreciate a strange peeing in your house?

What if there is a cat or cats left in the home during the showing??

I can understand it under certain circumstances (as posted above re the dog with mobility issues) and with the owner's permission.

My dog was a really big part of my choosing the place I did. Understood that not everyone feels the same about their pet(s), and I'm not saying they should, but I wouldn't have an issue with someone bringing their well-behaved dog to a showing if they were serious about my house. I would not be at all pleased with any dog (or other pet) tagging along for a showing without my prior permission, regardless of size, and I would be pretty ticked if someone's pet turned out not to be well behaved and peed on my rug!

My realtor when I was buying told me about a past client who thought her pet pug was her grandmother reincarnated. Since grandma had bequeathed to this client the money for the house, the client wanted to be sure reincarnated grandma (i.e., the dog) liked the home. Unfortunately, the pug laid down in the entryway, indicating to the potential buyer that grandma-dog did not, in fact, like the house. And so the buyer declined to make an offer. He he.

The realtor should tell the client that reincarnated grandma was floored and had to have the place.