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205 E. Butterfield Road #601, Elmhurst, IL 60126

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Please remember the following things when completing a GLLR home visit report:


This may be a lengthy task, but please consider every detail you contribute helps us place the right dog to the right home and ensures our main goal of a permanent placement for the foster Lab.  Thank you for taking the time to help our Great Labs!

The Labs GLLR are placing are rescued labs. This means that they have a little bit more baggage than the average lab. Not every dog owner is a good rescue dog owner.

Most people you are meeting with will be nice people, and probably like dogs…after all they are trying to get one. Just because they are nice doesn’t mean they are the right home for a GLLR lab. Try to think about whether or not you would want your dog to stay with these people.

During a home visit most people are trying to make a good impression. If their best impression doesn’t impress you, think about what they are really like. Again, would you want to leave your dog there?

 This report is the only thing volunteers/foster homes use to tell if an adopter is a good match for a dog or not. PLEASE be complete and thoughtful in your answers. An explanation is much more helpful than a ‘yes’, ‘no’, or a ‘we discussed this’.

Feel free to put down thoughts comments, concerns or feelings at the end of the report.

Remember don’t ever tell a potential adopter that they are approved or denied. Approvals and denials always come from the Board, so the decision never rests with you. You can always say that it is not your responsibility, especially if you want to deny someone. Let them get mad at the Board.

 

 

 

 

Date of visit
Date of adoption application

GLLR volunteer doing home visit
Volunteer’s Email address

 

Applicant Name

Address

 

Home Phone (please confirm)

 

Email Address (please confirm)

 

List all applicant members present during the home visit.
All people residing in the home must be present at the time of the home visit.

First Name

Last Name

Relationship

Age (approx for adults)

 

First Name

Last Name

Relationship

Age (approx for adults)

 

 

 

 

List all pets currently in the home.

Name

Type/ Breed

Age

Sex M/F

Neutered/ Spayed/ Intact

Behavior with other dogs

Any issues with this animal

 

 

Home Situation

1. Describe the house… Does it appear the dogs are allowed in the house regularly? 

Does the home appear secure and able to keep the dogs confined? 

Are there areas of the home closed off from the dog? 

Do the furnishings of the house appear to be dog safe?
 
How did the family respond when you pointed out any potential dog hazards?    

 

 
2. Describe the yard…is it completely fenced up to the house?
Is the fencing free of stacked  material or anything the dog may jump or climb?
What type of fence is it? (wood, chain link, etc)
Is it structurally sound? Are there any areas that need to be fixed?

 

3. Describe the neighborhood. (busy street, near high traffic roads, parks, etc)


4. Do they plan to keep the dog in the yard unattended? (Dog runs are NOT acceptable!)

 
5. Is there a pool? How do they plan to keep the dog out of the pool? Is it fenced off separately?

 
6. How many hours during the weekday and weekend will the dog be left alone?
(If it is an excessive amount, is the family willing to consider doggie daycare, a dog walker,
or able to come home at lunch to let the dog out?)

 

7.  Does the applicant plan on crate training the new dog?  Where will the crate be kept?

 
8. If not crate training, do they plan on restricting any areas of the house when they are not home?     Does the applicant plan on restricting any areas of the house when they are home?

 
9. Where will the dog sleep?

 

10. Does the applicant know what they will do with the dog when they go on vacation?

 

 

Pet Ownership and Training

11. If the applicant has a dog describe how it gets along with other dogs (please include how the dog gets along with the dog you brought along)…

 

12. Is the family familiar with introducing a new dog to other pets that may be in the home?

 
13. Is the family willing to go beyond a normal 2 week period until they can find a peaceful coexistence between themselves and the new dog? (This may take several months. Please stress that behaviors not seen during the initial meeting may come out as the dog continues to get comfortable in the house)

 

14. Have the applicant owned a lab or other dogs before? What happened to them?

 

15. Has the applicant ever surrendered or given away a dog to a friend, family member, other person, shelter, or rescue organization for any reason? If yes what was the reason?

 

 

16. Does the family realize that dogs require clear and consistent guidelines and rules to be good members of the family? What sort of rules would a new dog be expected to obey in the family’s house, if any, or would the family adjust to the dog? (examples of rules: sit before eating, sit before going out the door, do not jump on guests, etc)

 

 

17. Is the family willing to go to an obedience class or do they believe they can train the dog on their own? Do they have a training facility picked out?

 

18. How and how often will the dog be exercised.

 

Vet Care

19. Do the adopters have a vet clinic in mind for the care of their animals?      
Have they used this vet in the past?       

20. Is the applicant willing to adopt a dog with medical issues? Minor/major
Please explain this could be allergies, thyroid condition, hip displaysia, ACL surgery, epilepsy, arthritis, etc

 

 
Adopting a GLLR Dog

21. What age, sex, and color of lab is the applicant looking for? (Please let the applicant know that the more flexible they are the quicker we may find a dog for them.

 

22. Is the applicant open to adopting a mix? (Most of our mixes are very labby in appearance)

23. What kind of lab is the applicant looking for? (active, couch potato, calm, sedate, one that loves to fetch, one that will sit on the couch and cuddle, one that will be a buddy to a current dog, etc please describe the temperament or personality of the lab they want)

 

24. If the applicant is looking for a younger/more active lab, is the applicant/family active? (Do they run, rollerblade, camp, hike, walk (not matter the weather), etc)

 

 
25. If the applicant is looking for a younger or active lab what sort of plan do they have to exercise and train the lab? (Have they considered how many walks they will take a day? Will they go to the dog park daily if their dog likes it? Will they utilize doggie daycare if their dog flourishes there (although not all dogs do)? Do they have a back yard that is good for fetch/Frisbee? Have they considered dog sports like agility or flyball?) Have they already made plans for the dog?

 

26. If the applicant is NOT looking for a younger lab, but a middle aged or elderly lab are they still aware that almost all labs need some exercise on a daily basis? How do they plan to address this need?

 

27. If the applicant is looking for a calmer lab, are they looking for an older lab (probably 4-5+)? Does the applicant realize that labs don’t mature and calm down typically until 3-4 or even older especially rescue labs?

 

28. Would the applicant be willing to accept an older dog that might make a better family member? If no, why not?

 
29. Are there certain behavior issues the family is unwilling to deal with? (chewing, barking, jumping, etc)

 

30. What time frame is the applicant looking to adopt? Any planned vacations in the near future?

 

Final items to go over

31. Does the applicant understand that GLLR dogs should be kept up to date on vaccinations and heartworm preventatives and review vet costs with them.

 

32. Discuss various collar options and their benefits (Gentle Leader, harness, pinch, choke)

 

 

33. Discuss the benefits of high quality food and limiting the intake.
(Any questions on food brands, please ask us)

 

34. Please inform the applicant of the adoption fees: $250 for puppies and adults up to 5 years; $200 for adults over 5 years old

 

35. Please inform the applicant of the next steps in the process.  The rep conducting the HV will turn in the HV report for the board members to review.  They should check their email to see if they’ve been approved (if they don’t see an email within 7 days please email GLLR)

Once approved they can then email GLLR if they see dogs they are interested in.  Or the board members will try to match up current foster’s with the details of the HV report and contact the applicants.

**Please tell applicants that GLLR communicates mostly via email and if they have SPAM filters they should check it frequently to look for email from us.

36. Is there anywhere in GLLR’s area they don’t want to drive to see a dog??? (If so please note on your report)

 

Final thoughts for GLLR

37. Regardless of what the adopters want, what sort of dog do you believe would best fit into the household?

 

38. Your gut instincts about the applicant and the appropriateness of their adoption of a lab?

 

 39. Are you comfortable with the amount and type of love, attention, exercise and discipline a lab will receive here? Notes about the way they interact with your own Lab, or with their own pets.  Are they loving are they nervous and apprehensive about touching them?  Do they consider their pet’s part of the family or are they always pushing them away or sending them out of the room? Would you feel comfortable leaving your own dog there with them to care for it?

 

40. If the adopters state that they want to adopt a young or a special needs dog do you believe they are committed to doing what is necessary and making the extra effort to give that dog a good home?

 

41. Any other comments:

 
 
 
 
 
 
This page updated 8/19/2008 by lm
Copyright: 2008 Great Lakes Lab Rescue