After you have researched online, checked with your friends and contacted the potential professional pet sitter/dog walker, you will need to set up a time to meet in person. Professional pet sitters/dog walkers will insist upon a Meet & Greet so that everyone is comfortable. Also, so your pet sees them coming into the house with you there. The pet would be uncomfortable if a stranger just showed up with no one home. By you being there when the professional pet sitter/dog walker shows up your pet may realize it’s ok for them to be in the house. You will want to see how your pet reacts to the sitter/walker. If it is a normal response then proceed with the Meet & Greet. You will also want to get a feel for the person as well. You want to meet the person or persons who you are trusting to take care of your pet. At the Meet & Greet you should be meeting the person or persons who will be walking, providing care for your pet. When JOA does a Meet & Greet both business partners go, even though only one of them will be doing the visits. We want you to meet both of us in case we have an emergency and won’t be able to get to your place on time.
The professional pet sitter/dog walker will have questions that will pertain to the profile you filled out. They will ask to see where the leashes are, harnesses, food, treats, where to deposit the waste after a walk or cleaning the litterbox, where your pet sleeps. They will ask about what route to take when walking your dog, if there are any houses they should avoid, if there are any dogs to watch out for. Hiding places for your cat, favorite toy they play with, litterbox location. If your pet has bit anyone or scratched anyone. Answer their questions openly and honestly, we need to know what to watch for. If you can explain the circumstance of the incident some pet sitters/dog walkers will understand. We need to know if we need to approach the pet in a certain way. Others will not be comfortable but it is better for everyone to find the pet sitter/dog walker who is willing to work with you. They just want all the facts so they can make a game plan.
As I said earlier you will be asked to show where the food is located. You may think that if the pet sitter/dog walker is only coming in to walk the dog why would they need this information. If you work late or go out for the day and will be back after your pet’s dinner time you can hire the pet sitter/dog walker to come by and feed your pet. It’s better to show the pet sitter/dog walker where things are so it saves them time which can be spent playing with your pet.
The Meet & Greet is also a good time to ask questions. Before the professional pet sitter/dog walker gets there, write down some questions you may have. Pricing, scheduling software, types of service, what happens during a visit, payment, cancellation policy, how to book visits, how to cancel visits. If you have never hired a pet sitter/dog walker then ask for clarification on what they will do and what they don’t do. Don’t assume that if you book a 20 minute visit that they will be taking to a trail and walk your dog for 20 minutes. A 20 minute visit is door to door. A pet sitter/dog walker will come in, put on the harness and take the dog around the neighborhood then back in 20 minutes. Overnight pet care is from 8 pm to 6 am (each professional pet sitter has their own hours). It is not 24 hour care so you may need to add a midday walk or a midday walk may be included. Make sure to ask for clarification on any service you want to use so there is no confusion.
You may want to take notes during the Meet & Greet in case you are asked for more information. The professional pet sitter/dog walker may ask you to update your profile with certain information. Such as the amount of food to give your pet. Never assume the pet sitter/dog walker is going to know. There are so many dogs on specific diets that we need detailed information. Make note of anything the pet sitter/dog walker asks you, there is a lot of information going back and forth it would be easy to forget something.
