If you have pets, especially dogs that are easily excitable, aggressive, territorial or protective of you and your home, inviting an HVAC technician or other type of tradesman into your residence can be a special challenge. Not only do you not want a visitor to be attacked or bitten for his or her own sake, you certainly don’t want to face a lawsuit.
You and other pet owners should follow these tips for times when an HVAC technician or other worker is scheduled to visit for maintenance, a repair or an installation.
First of all, if you know there’s a chance your dog will attack a visitor, make sure you restrain it during the visit, outside in a fenced area, on a chain, or in a room with the door securely closed. For a lengthy service call, consider scheduling a day at the kennel for Fido.
If you’re fairly certain your pet will be okay with a visitor but don’t want to take chances, or think there might be some barking, warn the service worker on the phone that you have one or more pets. If the worker seems nervous about the situation, go ahead and remove your dog to a closed room or fenced yard. Introduce your dog to the technician, speaking in a quiet and confident voice. Suggest the worker call the dog by name.
If you have one or more cats, make sure their litter box(es) aren’t located anywhere near the furnace, A/C or heat pump that the technician will be working on. Ideally, move the cats into a closed room.
If you have one or more dogs that are prone to escaping the house, make sure the technician understands that he or she shouldn’t leave the door open when going in and out. Ask them to let you now if they’re going in and out.