Mike and I do home visits all the time. We actually, for the first time, last year turned someone down. When we do a home visit we always get a feel for the people first by chatting and watching body language and then we go through the house and check the yard (that's Mike's job) for size, fence, holes in the fence etc. We see where the dog will live and sleep. Most people are thrilled to have you come to their houses to do a home visit. If they have an issue with us coming, they automatically flunk and don't get the dog...

The people we turned down had an absolutely pristine home (and that's why they were turned down) with white carpeting and hugely expensive furniture and they had no fence and were thrilled because they backed up to a wildlife preserve....which I do not think is a good idea without a fence. I was afraid that the dog would pee one time on the carpet and she would end up at the shelter.