questions to use when home checking for dogs?

[sbaxter]

Ok so know the basic questions ie
where will dog sleep?
Is someone around during to day to exercise dog let out for wees etc?
Who`s living at the home?
secure garden ?
exercising?
Arrangements for holidays ?
Anyone have ant other useful questions i can use?

Am going to be calling someone today and hopefully doing check over the weekend

 

[hartleybun]

not quite sure what you mean by home checking? are you trying to home a dog?

you might want to ask about training/obediance. do they have access to a vet and can they afford one.

sorry if im vague - i have homed a litter of pups in the past!

 

[sbaxter]

Am checking the home is suitable for rehoming a dog to from a rescue centre,really being the eyes for the rescue that are 250 miles away from the possible offered home!! Have done it before just a bit rusty!! LOL

 

[hartleybun]

the penny drops!!!

when i was homing pups i had one lady call to ask the price. when i told her she said she couldnt afford it as she was on benefits and wanted something cheap.:X

good luck! and i hope the dog finds their forever home

 

[sbaxter]

I`m sure this`ll be it just need to check the basic`s and they`ve not got unsecure garden and plan to leave the dog alone for long periods etc,am thrilled i can help but would of course be honest in my feed back to the rescue ,anyway have spoken to to the daddy of the family and he seems really nice:biggrin2:

 

[Jenson]

I'd also ask if they own their house or is it rented, if rented check they have permission from the landlord.

Do they have any other dogs, or have they had other dogs? How long did they have them?

I would also have a contract saying that if they find at any time they cannot keep the dog they must offer it back to you and if you cannot take it back you must over see the dogs rehoming. Just to make the dog safe from being resold or given away etc. You might also want to have it in the contract that you cannot be held responsible for any damage to property or otherwise caused by the dog once it leaves your care.

Without the contract you really have no control of what happens to the dog after you hand it over so it really safe guards the dogs future, and also any people who are not 100% serious about the dogwill run a mile when you whip out your contract!

 

[sbaxter]

Thanks Jenson will add those questions to my list, regarding the contract i know the rescue will deal with this,many thanks again

 

[Double N]

If you mean you will be going to the house and checking it that way, here is what I look for and report back to the rescue (or fostering family):

Is the yard secure? If not, do you see evidence of a tie out? (since I deal with toy breed rescue, we would prefer the dogs to never be tied out, although I don't think you should tie out any dog of any size)

Where will the dog stay when alone in the home?

Will you crate train if needed? (many people see a crate as a cruel tool and it's not...sometimes you need to educate as well).

I also always look around for things. If this is a first time pet for someone, ask them about any plants they might have. For example, ANY kind of Lily is deadly to cats. Many people do not know this. There are several types of indoor decrotive small palms that are deadly to dogs and again, it's not very well known.

Do they have children? And if so, are there a ton of toys scattered everywhere? Just gently remind them that the dog will probably not know the difference between his toys and the baby's!

Other dogs in the home? How do they react to you?

Do you have a dog yourself? I always bring along one of my little dogs with me on a home visit. This way I can see how their dog reacts to mine. If their dog comes charging out and lunging at mine, I will help them with introduction pointers.

And the final question I always ask myself is: Would I leave my own pets there?

 

[sbaxter]

Thanks for that Jenn cos it`s for a puppy the toys and plants issue important :biggrin2:

 

[sbaxter]

Thanks Jen that was very informative and av more to add to my list:biggrin2: good idea about the toys as the check is for a puppy

 

[Double N]

No problem. Home visits are an important thing. It's great talking with people who are adopting. I just love it because they are so excited! It makes me so happy to find other people who think of adopting first.

 

[sbaxter]

I know what you mean, they sound a lovely family and if only a tiny part of the process it`s an honour to be able to help! !

 

[sbaxter]

When you getting some buns Jen?:biggrin2:

 

[Double N]

Oh gosh....I wish it was today! lol

Hubby is a firm NO on buns. I had another post about this somewhere. He and I went to a rabbit show and he fell in LOVE with the French Lops.

I wanted to show him a Flemish Giant so we headed over to this breeder. I knew that we shouldn't have started talking to him because he is one of those breeders who thinks all rabbits should be outdoors in little cages to breed and that's it.

So he started spouting off all this HORRIBLE information and things just took a terrible turn for the worse. Now he is dead set against them no matter what I say.

 

[sbaxter]

Aw nasty hubbies keep working on him LOL my hubby grew up with no pets :wink:wink i worked on him for a cat which i got he got Sky tv LOL, then i wanted a dog ,cocker spaniel,he only wanted black and thats now what we have,the bunny was from one of his work mates who needed too rehome George due to house move i said foot down rabbits need company so we got Belle ,now i swear every few hrs he`s in their room looking at them calling "quick come see what they doing " what a shame maybe look after some`s buns when they on hols and maybe that`ll work

 

[Brandy456]

sbaxter wrote:

Ok so know the basic questions ie
where will dog sleep?
Is someone around during to day to exercise dog let out for wees etc?
Who`s living at the home?
secure garden ?
exercising?
Arrangements for holidays ?
Anyone have ant other useful questions i can use?

Am going to be calling someone today and hopefully doing check over the weekend

Any other pets?
Would the pet be in a social atmosphere or more home-body ?

I don't think secure garden should be a 'necessity' for a dog, We don't have a secure garden and Sparky does just fine.

 

[Double N]

The "secure garden" might be something the Rescue Group requires. A lot of them do. The Great Dane rescue by me requires it.

Or it might go on a dog by dog basis. There have been fosters of mine that I will not under any circumstances adopt out to someone who doesn't have a fenced in yard. But others, I know they will be fine.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

Do you have any contacts with the rescue? They might have a list of questions or criteria for adoptions. You could also check their website to see if there is anything they require for adoption or anything that they will not allow.

If they have other pets, are they cages secure and stuff put so that the dog can't get at it. They might have a cat with its food on the floor, but that might not work with a dog around. Some dogs will bother small animals like rabbits. Do they have a plan to protect those pets.

How clean is the house? It doesn't have to be prefect, but you should be able to get around easily and without tripping over stuff. You should mention that stuff on coffee tables can be knocked off by larger dog's tails. Large dogs can also access a counter or table easier than a small dog. These are not necessary things that would affect the adoption, but are things that the family might want to take into account and may need to change.
Is the yard/garden clean? The dog will probably be out there unsupervised and having lots of stuff could be an issue. Toys, tools, garbage etc could be dangerous to a dog and the owners might not notice if the dog does get into trouble. If there is a fence, can the dog escape. Some rescues want at least a 4ft fence.

I would check for cleaners and chemicals that the dog could get into. Some dogs can open cupboard doors and get into things. Garbage is also a concern. Anything dangerous should be put away.

Get them to show you where the dogs stuff will be. The bed, crate, food and water bowls should have a place, even if they have not been bought yet.

As it is a home check, you basically want to make sure the house is suitable for a dog. I would assume that they have gotten enough approval as people to require a home check. Check that the home is ready for a dog and that the people are ready.

 

[doggie0506]

I'm not sure if this has been suggested yet but on the ospca's website they have adoption forms that can be printed out. They ask all the questions eg; how many other pets? ect. I'm pretty sure that they cover everything. If you go on the website it's under adoptions. I hope this helped

 

[sbaxter]

Thank you sooo much everyone for all your help,did the check tonight and they are a lovely genuine family, young children well behaved, all went perfectly well 100% confident it`s one lucky puppy going to a fabulous forever home inkelepht: