Questions about upcoming home visit for a rescue group

Aaw its nice that you'll be potentially adopting. Ive never had a visit from a rescue group but I assume they will be there to make sure your home is appropraite for one of their dogs.
 
So just make sure your house is tidy, with no potential choke hazards, or alot of electrical cords on the floor. Also, if you have a backyard make sure it is completely escape proof, I will bet they'll want to know why you want a dog, why you feel you can commit yourself etc.
 
I'd offer them drinks, and maybe a snack (for them and the pup if its appropriate) its just good hospitality.
 
Good luck with your visit!

We just had a home visit on Sunday! ( [linkhttp://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org]http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org[/link] )
 
I was so nervous that I forgot to offer anything, but we did end up putting water out for the visiting dog.
 
Mostly they checked out the yard, then asked us a bunch of questions off a form.  It was some of the same things that were asked on the initial application.  Then we talked a while about what our lifestyle is like (or would be like with a dog) and what type of a dog would fit best.  They gave us all kinds of info on the breed and their daily routine with their dogs.
 
They didn't seem very interested in the house.   I didnt think to offer a tour.
 
Mostly they were interested in the backyard and in us.

I do home visits for breed rescue.  Basically, I check out the accuracy of responses on the application.  I check out the home and other environments for safety reasons.  I dont expect to be entertained (refreshments).  I usually have a bottle of water with me anyway.  I want to interview and meet all family members (it is a requirement).  I complete a written report and email it to the rescue coordinator and a decision is made.  I do not always hear the results.

Our home visits (and the ones I do now for my private rescues or others) expanded on the information in the applications or e-mail contacts. My goal is to get a picture of how the family expected to incorporate the dog into their lives. I'd ask to see the areas where they planned to allow the dog (the answer that made me happiest, of course, was, "Oh, we'd better show you all the rooms!"). I look less for things that were unsafe and more for signs that a dog would be uncomfortable there - extra cleanliness or extra disorderliness. Remember, of course, that my breed specialty is a boistrous dog that would spend a lot of time playing outside. I suspect if I did Crested rescue I'd have less squeamishness about someone who had a very large display of porcelain collectibles.

I allow plenty of opportunity for families to discuss any issues I noticed - I am pretty open - so if I see white carpet everywhere I'd point out that the dog was going to bring in a lot of dirt annd what their plan was to deal with it. Ditto lack of fence, plans to limit interaction with the family, signs that any adult in the family is somewhat unenthusiastic about the adoption, or an odd schedule.

Another thing I do is make sure it's OK to bring a dog when I visit (if the answer is no that says a lot right there, lol!). Then I bring one of my own Border collies that is well behaved but, um, active. Then while the family is accomodating their guest dog, I'll ask questions about what they plan to do if their dog turns out to be like that. One problem with placing Border collies is that everyone wants the ones that are smart, but aren't "Crazy" and they don't want to do more than take a walk or so a day and play a little frisbee in the park on the weekend. But the average rescue BC is, well, average, and sometimes they seem somewhat subdued in rescue then turn into a normal BC once they are settled in their new homes.

I'm very open minded and it's worked fine for me when I'm making the decisions about my own dogs. If you've got all your ducks in a row there's no real need to be nervous, though excitement shows the evaluator that you are taking this adoption seriously.

Oh, and I'd LOVE snacks and a beverage - but I probably shouldn't, I'm trying to lose weight. []

I've done some home visits, and I can go for half an hour without food or drink...not necessary...and I do not bring my dog...I am interviewing them, not vice versa. 

In addition to what others have said, being in the South where there are a lot of pools, I look for a fenced in pool and discuss the dangers associated with it, especially as my breed cannot swim for the most part.

Just wanted to thank you all for your help.  We didn't end up offering the home visit person anything, it also did not seem necessary to give her a tour of the house, so we didn't offer.  We did have a nice treat for her dog though.
 
The home visit lasted almost 2 hours.  Don't know if that is normal or not, or it just may be because I tend to ramble when I am nervous. 
 
I did have to chuckle though.  My 12 year old daughter answered the question about "what do you consider to be an appropriate food for your dog?"  My daughter pretty muched ripped into the dog foods that have corn products in them.  She remembered lots from a discussion my sister-in-law and I had a couple of weeks ago about dog food nutrition.   
 
We did get approved to adopt from this rescue, which was a lot faster than the home-visit person said it would be.  We are thrilled!
 
Thanks for everyone's input -

Congratulations on getting approved!!

So, a plate of brownies and a Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon would be suitable?