Home visits

[sweet_ceana]

Chris and I are now volunteering with the local rescue and we are on the list of volunteers to do home interviews. What questions do you folks find the most important and imformative? What should I look out for? (I obviously have a general idea since I have two dogs myself, but experience can be priceless)

[Rebecca, Irena Farm]

An established rescue should at least have some guidelines to follow. I also contact the foster home of the dog being considered for the home, if there is any dog lined up.

 

There's two questions I feel lend the most insight to a person's attitude toward dog ownership:

1. What previous pets have you had and what happened to them?
   
2. Sometimes a Border Collie may seem less active in a foster situation than he or she will be once comfortable in the new home. What plans do you have, if your new dog ends up requiring special training, or more exercise, than you originally planned for?
   

There aren't any right or wrong answers to these questions. A person who answers the second one, for instance, with a lot of reservations, I'll counsel on the wisdom of getting a mixed breed or an older dog, or a dog who came from an owner turn-in where the activity level of the dog is well-known. Or, I might get bad vibes from responses that seem to lack flexibility or concern for the dog's welfare over their own "wants" - they want a cool, purebred, young BC but not the commitment that a "real" Border Collie comes with.

 

Similiarly, you can get into some good discussions from the first question too. A person whose dog was run over isn't automatically anathema in my book, but I have some issues with someone who says it happened because the dog was "too stupid to learn where the property line was."

[Redbirdie]

This is a home visit checklist that a rescue I've worked with uses.

 

 

Subject: Home visit checklist

 

To insure that all the information that we have been given on a profile form is correct and to help avoid any potential problems/dangerous situations that might be found and need to be rectified before the adopted dog comes to live there.

 

POTENTIAL ADOPTER:

Name:

Address:

Phone:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Are Vehicle tags from a different state? Yes No 

 

HOUSE:

Do the storm doors close properly behind you & do the latches work? Yes No

 

Is there evidence of dogs being allowed inside often? (Dog hair, beds/blankets, toys, water bowl) Yes No

 

Do you see damage to the house by the dogs? Yes No

 

Are there areas indoors where dogs aren't allowed? Yes No 

 

Are there any potentially toxic houseplants? Yes No 

 

DOG HAZARDS INSIDE:

Is there anything you notice that is dangerous dog level? (Sewing kits, exposed electrical cords) Yes No __________________________________

Are there chemicals in the garage or storage areas that dogs have access to? Yes No 

 

Can the dog get into trashcans? Yes No  

 

Any other dog hazards noticed?

 

FENCE AND YARD:

How big an area is fenced & how tall is fence?

 

Describe fencing materials:

 

Describe fenced area floor (grass, dirt, gravel):

 

Is the area properly shaded? Yes No 

 

What protection from the weather does dog have access to?

 

Does the yard look reasonably clean (feces)? Yes No

 

Are there potential escape routes? Yes No  

 

What types of latches are on the gates and do they secure properly?

 

Is the driveway enclosed? Yes No   If so, is there antifreeze or other car liquids on the driveway? Yes No

 

Is there debris, poisonous plants, etc... in the dog yard? Yes No __________________________________

 

NEIGHBORS:

Is the fence shared with neighboring property? Yes No

 

Are there kids, dogs or livestock on neighboring property?

 

Can any of them get into the adopters yard? 

 

Describe surrounding area (rural, suburban, urban):

 

Is the dog yard accessible via alleyways or public sidewalks?

----------------------------------------------

 

INTERACTION WITH CURRENT PETS:

Do the current pets seem well socialized? Yes No

 

Are they reasonably clean, any evidence of parasites, etc...? Yes No

 

Do they seem to be socialized? Yes No

 

How did they greet you?

 

How do they act towards their owners? 

 

Do they respond to commands? Yes No

(Are the owners heavy-handed, loud or accepting? Do they try to make the dog mind or accept the disobedience?)

 

How do the children interact with the pets? Is it appropriate behavior? 

 

Do pets have current identification tags on their collars? Yes No

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

CONCLUSIONS:

Do you feel the adopter will love & care for the dog properly?

 

Does this adoption "feel" right?

 

Does the overall appearance of the house/yard give the impression that it is a clean and healthy environment?

 

Any other comments?

 

Home visitor:

Date:

 

 

I hope this is what you are looking for.

 

Robin

[sweet_ceana]

Thanks guys! That helps