I'm usually OK with showing homes where dogs are present. I've been around dogs my whole life and can generally develop a rapport pretty quick. Sort of like a mutual respect and understanding. You leave me alone, I'll leave you alone.
My rapport was tested to the extreme showing a house the other day. Although the owner was home at the time the house contained five pit bulls and what I can only describe as a wolf (the seller told me it was a German Shepard but I've never seen a German Shepard this big). He (it) was behind sliding glass doors in the basement. Thankfully, the wolf was kept separated from everyone else because it wasn't very friendly. Shocker there. The seller asked if we wanted to go into that room and look around and I think we all answered no a bit too quickly.
If you're old enough and remember, The Little Rascals had a pit, bull and extra points if you remember his name...Petey. My recollection of "Petey" was that he was friendly and actually pretty short. Stocky but not very tall.
Anyway, these five pit bulls were enormous compared to Petey. Like they mixed steroids in their dog food. They almost came up to my waist and all five were following us around as we tried to tour the house for sale. At one point in the basement they ALL developed a fascination for smelling my crotch. There is nothing worse than five pit bulls nosing each other out of the way to smell your crotch. I think they sensed the fear emanating from every pore of my body. If they did they were right, I was truly scared.
OK, the owner is with us but I'm thinking to myself...what the hell can a 110 pound woman carrying an infant do if five pit bulls decide to act? Nothing. She wouldn't be able to get one pit bull off, much less five. I can't imagine the liability she's letting herself in for by having people view the house while the dogs are loose. Did I mention there were five pit bulls?
We flew through the house as best we could. Actually, my buyer clients seemed to be OK with the animals following us around. When I initially expressed concern they were the ones who said let's go inside.
I don't fault the agent because I'm sure he instructed the sellers to get rid of the dogs when someone has an appointment to view the house. Maybe some fault though because when I made the appointment, I was never told there were dog(s) in the house. I can't really fault the sellers either. I have two small dogs and I know what trouble it is to corral them up when I need to. Where do you put five pit bulls and a wolf? Now that I think about it, what do you feed five pit bulls and a wolf? Maybe we should check for missing real estate agents in the area.
I'm sure that house will be on the market a long time. Not everyone is comfortable viewing a house with one dog, five is out of the question for most agents and buyers. Even if people do go in it's like a sprint to view the house and get back out. A good number of buyers will spend less time in a house with a dog that is not crated.
I'm thankful my clients weren't interested in the house so I don't have to go back.
Rich Iarossi is a full time licensed REALTOR®, working in Crofton, MD. My coverage areas are: Anne Arundel, Prince George’s, Howard, Calvert, Queen Anne, and Baltimore City and County. I specialize in residential real estate, working with both buyers and sellers. Use the registration free search on my website at www.RichSellsHomes.com. If you’re not already working with a REALTOR®...I can help. Call me at 443-995-9595 (Cell) or 410-451-6255 (Office).
SKYPE ME: RichSellsHomes
I have a home where the tenant has 3 small dogs. I won't list it to be shown because I don't want the liability and these are 8-pounders.
If there are pets in the house (of whatever kind), I try to remember to put it in the MLS listing. (Though the most recent time I had to do that involved putting, "Longhorns are friendly. Make sure to close the gates.")When I see that there are pets in a house that I'm going to show, I try to remember to ask their names when I call to schedule the showing, and make a note of them - it helps enormously (even if they're crated, if they bark and I say their name, is seems to calm them down and make them less noisy).
Five pit bulls would be a distraction, I grant you, though, just because their sheer size would make it difficult to see everything properly!
As I sit here on my couch, coffee in hand, with my laptop, my labs Sylvie and Micki Bird are on each side of me snoring. I love dogs, but I don't think I would have gone in that house. At the very least, that seller should be corralling them in one room with the door closed. That's a huge liability. Glad you made it out alive.
Oh, I forgot to mention, I do remember Petey. That brought a smile to my face - thanks.
I am not very comfortable showing homes with dogs. Especially 5 pitbulls! Animals are unpredicable, and scary when you do not know them.
Hi Richard, I think it's important to remember that not everyone is a dog person. I am and when looking at homes last year I was confronted by 3 dogs with my realtor at this one home in which we had an appt and they were scary and very big. Take a person like my sister - she was attacked by a dog a few years ago and seeing a big dog is hard for her.
I do think it's best to have notes in the MLS so that the potential buyers and agent are aware of what they may come across on their visit. When confirming the appt perhaps the owner can take the dogs out or place them in an area of the home that allows more comfort and ease to see the home. Just my thoughts - best of luck to you. ~Anne Marie
Rich- 5 pit bulls, yikes! I think I would have had to rethink that one for sure. Good that the Seller was home. I think I would have asked him to take them ALL to the yard.
I find that dogs distract from the client looking at the house even if they are nice. I once had a client who decided not to make make an offer on a house because the neighbors dogs barked the entire time we were in the backyard. I can't say I blame her!
We once showed a house with instructions do not go to the garage! As we walked through the house we saw all the dog "evidence" from hair, stains, scratch marks, half (of mostly) chewed pieces of shoes, toys, furniture. Slowly we worked our way around the house and when we got near the garage door this crazy growling started, and the garage door into the house for half chewed from the bottom corner! Needless to say, we left without going back. And we love dogs!~Rita
Pitt bulls . . . don't get me started!! I had a listing that could only be shown one Sunday a month, between 1 & 3pm - they had 13 pitbulls and I was told that it was the only day the owner was prepared to remove them from the property. I arranged several showings for that one magical day and I arrived to find 8 pitt bulls still in one room, thankfully in their crates but doing everything in their power to escape and eat me! I have never prayed for steel to be at it's strongest!!! The crates were just rocking with these beasts growling and snarling, drool flying everywhere - YIKES! When my clients arrived, the racket from the upstairs dog room was terrifying. We did find a buyer that day and I am forever thankful at her understanding the situation and seeing beyond these threatening monsters!
Vicky: I didn't even think about the liability at the time but it's a real concern.
Hope: I think the seller tried corralling them but without any success. Dogs hate being out of the action.
Martha: I was involved with stupid showing trick number two. This was during the height of the remnants of Hurrican Hannah. No way were these dogs going outside. They had more common sense than I did.
Rita: I love dogs too but they are unpredictable, especially when you're invading their turf.
Even friendly pets should not be home, unless it's an emergency situation, when there's a house showing, but I'm shocked that the listing agent didn't warn you. (I always carry dog cookies in my car, just for "emergencies". Like you, I'm pet friendly, but 5????? And a wolf??????
As a former dog groomer, I can tell you that even the sweetest will bite if they fell threten or cornered. Dogs are territorial and its their job to protect that territory. When we sold our home I took our to our new home while my husband stayed behind to repaint, carptet and remove any signs of dogs. When the house was showed, it was clean and fresh. It sold quickly. If the dogs were still there, it may have taken a long time.
The smaller they are the harder they bite! I always carry some treats with me if I know dogs are on the premesis.
It should be a cardinal rule that sellers with dogs should remove the dogs from the home whwn there is a showing. Crating them, putting them outside, or in another room just isn't a good idea. many times sellers are too concerned for their safety or are too scared of the dog and don't concetrate on the house.
I will admit I love dogs, but not 5 at once in the same house, they are a pack at that number. Bad Business for all involved. I think selling a home with 5 dogs in it would be the most difficult thing to accomplish. The dog smell, the dog nose prints on windows, and the dog hair, would be enough for me to take a pass on such a listing.
As a professional home stager, I always tell my clients to remove any evidence of their dogs--including the dogs! I ask what their plan is for a showing, and as a dog lover myself, I tell them that people with pets are the most critical, as they know what damage a pet can do to a house. You must be in a seller's market, because here, the buyer really calls the shots. You could always hire a home stager to be your "bad guy" and tell the seller to find a place for their animals during showings! I do believe you could face some insurance issues if one of thoe dogs got out of hand.
As a professional home stager, I always tell my clients to remove any evidence of their dogs--including the dogs! I ask what their plan is for a showing, and as a dog lover myself, I tell them that people with pets are the most critical, as they know what damage a pet can do to a house. You must be in a seller's market, because here, the buyer really calls the shots. You could always hire a home stager to be your "bad guy" and tell the seller to find a place for their animals during showings! I do believe you could face some insurance issues if one of thoe dogs got out of hand.
Ruby: One on one I'd be OK with just about any dog but five against one is way too many teeth.
Allen: I agree that smaller dogs tend to bite more often but I'm not so sure about harder. Pits are renowned for their jaw strength.
Kathy: I think that you can crate one dog but more than that it becomes a problem.
Mary: Frankly, I don't recall there being a dog odor. But then again, it wasn't my priority at the time.
I love dogs BUT...I'm very hesitant when I'm around ones I don't know. I have shown many homes with dogs but luckily they were kept outside until we were finished looking around. Both of my Sister's were bit by dogs so that just leaves me....so needless to say i feel I'm next. LOL!
Oh my goodness! And I'll bet those homeowners will still be wondering a year from now when their home doesn't sell! I'm a dog lover myself but I don't think I would have shown the home. The least the owner could have done was take them in the backyard or load them ino the car so you could see the home unencumbered.
I don't think they will sell the house very easy. Sometime people don't get it. They don't understand how others are affected.
I also ran into over the years that happy dog who likes to sniff. I think you know what I mean.
Richard
Hi Richard, During a showing where the son had been instructed to walk the dog ( the listing agent forgot to call him ! ) we opened a door to find the biggest German Shepherd ever ! Turns out he was trained in Germany using German commands. So, there are three of us in a small area. The wife ( dog lover ) moves her hand slightly - crunch ! Moves the hand away - crunch ! The husband ( dog lover ) tries to help the wife - major crunch ! Now there is blood and my life is flashing before my eyes, I was able to close the door and we left. The couple made me promise not to report it to the authorities because that would mean a death sentence for the dog who was only doing his job. The listing agent didn't seem to understand the seriousness of the situation!
My sellers had a chocolate lab (labs are usually pretty friendly) and they put him in his kennel before they left and asked me to let him out when I was leaving. So I got a treat for the dog and showed it to him but when I put my hand on the kennel door the dog showed his teeth and snapped at me. (Scared the heck out of me) I called my sellers so they could come home at lunch and let their dog out of the kennel. I had been at the home several times when the owner was there and the dog was great. Dogs are territorial and you can never predict how they will behave in their own home when the owners are not home.
Janis: Just because your sisters did, you shouldn't. Loved Barnegat Bay when I lived in NJ.
Connie: Raging storm outside with thunder and lightening so that was out of the question.
Rich: The occasional happy sniffer is easy to deal with. Five happy sniffers got my attention.
Bill: Wow! In this case I think the listing agent should instruct the sellers to take the house off the market until they have a solution for the dogs.
Kathy: Even caged dogs can be dangerous.
Well, I've had dogs all my life. Three of them were Dobermans. I've never had a problem with showing homes with dogs as they can tell "dog people". But I would NEVER enter a home with 5 pit bulls. As some one said earlier, at that point they are a pack and can act unpredictable.
5 pit bulls are a bit much. I don't think I would be spending too much time at that house.
I love dogs but would not step into a house with a pit bull let alone 5 with clients, the liabilities if something happened are just not worth the business
I love dogs, and don't have any issues with them. And my ONLY dog bite was from a clients dog. And that is one that had sat with his head in my lap getting his ears scratched more than once. But, it seems that he doesn't like people in a specific place... and I ended up there once. It was a shocker for everyone.
They were too busy thinking I was going to sue them (never even thought about it). Left a little scar. And I'm still not nervous around him... except for that one spot.
Dogs should be caged or out of the house. I personally don't care but some people are very affraid of dogs.
Sorry but I am not comfortable, and neither are most of my clients. Unfortunately, some folks just don't like pets. Not to mention, you run into liability and health issues God forbid someone gets bitten. Just not worth the potential strife. Gotta lock the doggies up if you want to sell your home.
Richard - I really like your post and sometime dogs can be a issue when showing a home. I have had two different clients nipped by dogs, (reason) because my clients are very scared of dogs. The home owner stated that their dogs were harmless. Some dogs know when people are scared and they are also territorial.
I love dogs but think it's risky to show homes with loose dogs because you never know if they'll be aggressive or not. When it's a pack of dogs, it's worse. Or when it's a breed known for more aggression, it's just scary.
What were the sellers thinking???
I had to read your post after seeing the title...It is well known to my clients that I am terrified of dogs. (even dogs that are in the back yard and dogs that are next door on the other side of the fence). In fact...I showed a home the other day that had a dog in the back yard and I wouldn't even go out there! My client said to the owner " My Realtor is very afraid of dogs so she is going to stay inside! OK, this may not be the greatest but the fact is; I am afraid of dogs! I commend you on you courage and bravery b/c I would have stayed outside and if my clients wanted to see the home the owner would have to give them the tour.
Just my two cents though. LOL.
Personally we like cats, dogs and other critters, but when it comes to taking clients into homes where there are animals, no we do not like to do that. We always ask that the animals in homes we show are secured. It does not always work out well however, and even if agents say that the animals will be controlled, they aren't always. But it is too much liability to take clients into homes with animals of unknown temperament. Our 2 cents.
Richard, I'm the first to admit it, I'm not much of a dog person... I don't mind them and can tolerate them, but I've never felt fully comfortable around aggressive dogs. The smaller or passive ones... okay. Some bad experiences as a child may have scarred me. Nevertheless, sellers with the "Realtor-eating" variety should take caution to make the home more showable.
Pets are a major problem for sellers. Buyers know the issues involved with having pets especially if carpets are installed. If we had to show a house with animals, one of the first issues at hand is cleaning out the smell and asking the owners to move their pets outside till the house sells.
Yikes. I admit I would not have gone in. I love dogs, too. Glad you and your buyer weren't hurt!
I would be totally freaked out with 5 pit bulls. I love dogs but that would be a bit much for me. What about the liability for your buyers too?
5 Pitt bulls? No way do I go in without a taser or cattle prod! I usually don't have a problem with dogs, they always seem to like me and just follow me around because they sense that i will pet them and scratch that particular spot behind the ears! I was bitten ONCE by a dog at one of my own listings. The dog charged at me, the owner shouted just say still, which I did but bowser still chompped my knee...No real harm but my embarrassed client bought me some new slacks...
Most HOAs have limits on pets. The cities and county in our valley have household limits on pets (which is two or three.) Insurance companies are banning specific breeds for coverage (pit bulls being at the top of the list). I sincerely couldn't tell you how these people ended up with so many!!
I understand that pit bulls are sweet and loving dogs. Terriers are problem dogs and I have had more problems with jack russell and rat terriers than pit bull terriers or staffordshire terriers.
This situation would have terrified me and I would have been very upset that these dogs were following me around the home. I would never show that home again. I'm also glad you survived and dont' need to go back. There is no need to feel threatened when showing houses and 5 pit bulls would have put me over the edge.
Not big dogs. I saw a rotweiller try to tear off an agents arm once. The dogs jaws opened up like a bear trap. I have had enough experience, and I will not enter a home if not secured or removed.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for sharing that story. I needed a good laugh today. I am sure you know I am not laughing at you it was the presentation. I would feel uncomfortable with 5 dogs of any bread. I have a pit bull she is on the small side and I often wonder if she even knows she is a dog. She is afraid of the geese and often hides behind me. But two many animals in one place is a danger.
The crotch thing is still making me laugh. By the way meet Isabel.
I have been attacked twice by dogs in my real estate career. Once by a German Shepherd and once by a chihauha. The little dog scared me more. The big one ended up with one of my cowboy boots as I exited over a 6 foot board fence trying to escape!.
I once showed a home that had three pit bulls in two cages. Not only did it give the home a certian odor, but the incessant barking and tearing at the cages was a little un-nerving. I know people love their pets but what are they and their agent thinking? I'll take a cat or gold fish in the house, anytime.
Last year we sold a home with 5 dogs. Finally after weeks and weeks of in and then quickly back out, we convienced out sellers that even though their dogs were in crates and a fence it left their home off the short list for buyers. They got in laws to take the dogs and it sold right away. Pets and buyers don't mix well.
Richard,
I can only imagine your heart rate as those muts stiffed around your crotch. I had an agent one time that failed to tell me about a rotwieler that was next door to a rental that I was showing. I stepped out the back door and heard a snarl and then the privacy fence bent over (quite a bit) from where this 100 pound rot jump up on it.
I jumped back and asked if the clients wanted to see the detached garage which to my suprise they did! The fence swayed vigorously over the next couple of minutes as I prepared an exit strategy!!!
I blamed the agent for not giving me any warning and let him know that I didn't appreciate him not advising me. He said that he didn't want to miss a showing... I told him I didn't want to miss an arm or a leg!!
I think one of the keys to being a sucessful agent is for us to cooperate with one another. If I have a truly move in property, I advertise it as such. If I have a dog either, (literally or figuratively) I let agents know because it will provide me with much needed creditability amoung my peers to get places shown and sold.
Richard - very scary story. Any of the listings I have with dogs (and even cats) 9 out of 10 times the seller (or myself) will remove the animals for a showing. I strongly stress to sellers the liability to involved with leaving pets at home, attended or not. And I have two huge dogs myself, Milo and Koudi (although they do seem harmless to me...) Dog person or not, it's just not safe to be around other dogs that don't know you.
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Richard-
I can truly understand your and everyone else's concerns with dogs in a home. It is my recommendation to ALL sellers that the animals (dogs, cats, gerbils, etc) NOT be in the home during a showing. Whenever I have talked with a dog-owner/seller, I also let them know that I train dogs on the side. I have worked with large, x-large and small dogs. Pit bulls, German Shepherds, Jack Russell, Corgi's etc. I know dogs. That many dogs (no matter what the breed) is simply irresponsible on the part of the owner. Dog's in crates are more likely to bite than dogs running loose. Why? Dogs have a choice when they feel threatened, fight or flight. Crated dogs don't have the option of flight, so they tend to go with their only option. This has given me an idea for a future blog.......
Richard, I don't blame you. 5 dogs of any breed can be intimidating...well maybe not toy Chihuahuas...lol. A mention should always be on MLS and at the house, they should be put away if a showing is scheduled. Thanks for the post.
Keep on bloggin'