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What are some (ideal) Meet & Greet questions?

I am a Traveling Sitter and before I get my first stay I was wondering what are some ideal Meet & Greet Question that you normally as potential clients who either have a cat and/or dog that they would like me to watch? As well as for dog (or cat. You never know!) walking?

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any food aggression, very important if there is any history of aggression towards other in house pet, commands to keep the training, how many treats per day, behavior with unknowns dogs during walks

I always ask if they have special instructions for me. This is a non-confrontational question that allows pet parents to mention things like "Fuzzy does not like to get too close to strange dogs on his walk". If they have no instructions, I just ask what "Fuzzy" enjoys doing (walking, playing ball, treats, etc.). I hope this helps.

What does the dog enjoy the most? Walks, runs, cuddle time. Allergies? Feeding schedule?

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This is a great question.... I always ask if the dog is a runner, does he take any chance to run away to find the owner, is the dog the kind that tries to get out of his leash so a harness would be most wise. Ill ask questions about how the dogs like to be picked up or petted you will be surprised that dog owners LOVE to talk about their Babies. So ask anything, anything is not a stupid question and you will be able to know what questions to ask as you have more stays. Like for me in the beginning didnt take the dogs out to potty before bringing them into my home for the first time since the owner dropped them, they always pooped right when they walked in, so my new thing was that when the dog is dropped off we go for a 5- 15 minute potty walk so they are set when we go inside, and its not always fool proof so you have to keep an open mind and have the carpet cleaner ready.

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I always ask about medications, food allergies, where they sleep and if they are allowed on furniture. How many walks do they need, how do they behave on leash, do they enjoy going to the dog park? What about the river or hiking? Are they friendly to other dogs? What is their favorite toy? Which commands/tricks do they know? Do they come when called by a human they don't know?

I also always spend ample time physically letting the owners take me through their dogs daily routines when I go to visit, including going for a walk or watching them do meal time, etc. That way I can get a feel for the dog's personality, I know exactly how their person does things with them and I am already starting to form a bond and relationship with the dog before I show up to sit them.

The more you pet sit the more questions you will be able to come up with! Good luck! Im sure you'll do great.

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I always ask where the cleaning supplies are, because when dogs are anxious, sometimes they have accidents that they don't usually have otherwise -- and I want to be able to tend to it right away in that case!

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Great Question! I have a Meet & Greet Checklist with all of the above questions and more: Does your pet need medication? If so, how is it administered? Does your pet have any allergies? How do you get your pet to drop something? To come when called? Where would you prefer the daily pictures be sent? Rover.com? Text? Do you have any questions for me?

At the top of the Checklist I place the people's names; pet's names/ages/breed; Start Sitting Day/Time & End Sitting Day/Time.

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Hi Susan! Any chance you could share your checklist with us?

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In addition, to all of the great answers above, you should make sure to ask the owner about any likes and dislikes the dog may have, as well as any quirky behaviors or habits. I once watched a dog who drank water so fast that he would cough very badly, as if he was choking on something, but the owner warned me of this before the stay took place and assured me that it was absolutely normal. If I had not asked the owner the question about quirky behaviors, then I would've been pretty freaked out when I heard the dog coughing so badly!

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