The Meet-and-Greet: What to Watch For Before You Book

The meet-and-greet is your interview, your dog's interview, and a rehearsal for the real thing, all in thirty minutes. Most people waste it on small talk. Use it to watch.

Schedule it at your home, where the sitting will actually happen. You want to see the sitter in your dog's territory, not on neutral ground where every dog is on best behavior.

Watch the first sixty seconds

How the sitter enters matters. The good ones do not rush at your dog with hands out and a high voice. They let the dog come to them, stay relaxed, and let the sniffing happen. A sitter who reads the room in the first minute will read your dog well all week.

Notice what they do with the information your dog gives them. A dog that backs away is saying something. A sitter who respects it is showing you their whole approach.

Give them the tour, then watch them listen

Walk them through the routine: feeding station, walk route, where the leash hangs, the quirks. Then notice whether they take notes. A sitter who writes things down is a sitter who plans to get it right. A sitter who waves it off with "don't worry, I've got it" is telling you exactly how the week will go.

This is also when you hand over the written version. If you use the Sitter Travel Pack, the meet-and-greet is the perfect time to walk through it together and fill in anything missing while you are both looking at the same rooms.

Ask the uncomfortable questions now

What happens if my dog gets sick at 2 a.m.? What if there is a power outage? What if my flight is delayed two days? You are not being difficult. You are finding out whether this person has a plan or just optimism.

Ask about their own backup too. Sitters get sick. A professional has someone who can cover. A hobbyist does not, and you find out at the worst moment.

End with a short solo test

If the greeting goes well, step out for fifteen minutes. Go get coffee. Let the sitter and your dog have the house alone, then come back and read the room. A calm dog and a relaxed sitter is the green light. A frantic dog or a flustered sitter is information you needed.

Trust what you observed more than what you were told. The meet-and-greet is the cheapest insurance in the whole trip.

Bring the written routine

Show up to the meet-and-greet with your routine already drafted. Walking through it together surfaces the questions neither of you thought of: the weird latch on the back gate, the neighbor dog that charges the fence, the exact spot for the food bin. A sitter who engages with the details is a sitter who will follow them.