Dogs are sweet, BUT!

Your dog Jake may be the most lovable, docile puppy in the world with you and your family. But when strangers come around he suddenly turns into "Cujo". It's his job to warn away strangers! But this can be a problem when the real estate agent is showing your house to a steady parade of strangers.Just as you and your children have agreed to be elsewhere when your property is being shown, your dog is a member of the family too and needs to be "elsewhere". Perhaps this would be a good time to take him for a run at the beach or a nice time to visit a dog-loving friend.Many people are frightened of dogs and will not enter the premises even if a dog is confined in the basement. One of these people could have turned out to be the buyer. Many Realtors® have concerns about entering premises where a dog has been left and rightly so! The Realtor® doesn't know the dog and vice versa.If you must leave your dog at home during the open house, please leave signs advising that your dog is confined and where he is. Most of us love dogs and know that they can be our best friends and fiercest protector. It's just that we don't want them protecting to the point of scaring off potential buyers.