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Meet and Greet - Would you book it?

Hello Sitters! Yesterday I had a meet and greet that was kinda weird. I talked to this lady and she has two dogs - one old and another one 4 years old. She is older and seems nice, and she asks for a meet and greet. So yesterday she shows up in my building and when I come downstairs to pick her up, I have a surprise: she is with her husband and she doesn’t have her dogs with her. I didn’t know what to do at that point. They are an older couple (60 something maybe) and when asked about the dogs, she said they get car sick so she decided to not bring them. I thought the whole point of the meet and greet was to see if my dog would get along with someone’s dog. But ok I get that she wanted to check if my place is clean, organized and If I am a nice person. But made me REALLY uncomfortable to have a strange couple in my house, especially because I was alone. And how they talked! It lasted for 30 minutes. She was nice, played with my dog, explained how her dogs are (the older dog apparently have some difficulties). I can’t complain about them personally. My question is: would you book the dogs without meeting them? And how this situation should have been handle? I know I didn’t do the right thing. But if I am booking with a woman in my profile and schedule the meeting and greet, and she decides to bring her husband without letting me know.... I should just not let them come in?

Comments

I have had this happen, taken the dog to board and it was a disaster. The person I met with said the dog gets very excited initially so they did not bring the dog. The dog ended up be quite hyper with separation anxiety. I always insist that I meet the dog before boarding.

I understand bringing her husband, almost everyone I book with has brought someone with them since they are going to some strangers house for the first time. Not bringing her dogs is weird... If it was one night I would do it but more than that no since you’d be stuck with a potentially bad stay

2 Answers

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Yes, I can understand that you felt uncomfortable, but I frequently get an unannounced husband showing up for the M&G. The wife is typically the one who registers at the website and does the sitter selection. Then they both show up on my doorstep. I, too, am usually alone but haven't gotten any weird vibes or felt threatened.

I am more concerned with the fact that they did not bring their dogs. It could signal that the dogs are not well trained and could turn into a total disaster.

If they do go ahead and try to book you, tell them that you absolutely need to meet their dogs. You have your own and they all need to meet. Moreover, you need to assess how their dogs will do in your home. No exceptions.

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No, I would never book dogs without a meet and greet first. And no to the second question. I would meet them downstairs, told them this is where I live, described your home and apartment amenities related to dog space, period. I would have found a neutral space to meet and talk. If they wanted to see inside my place, I would have said, “sure, next time when you bring the dogs”. I would never show my bedroom, even if requested. Boundaries.

If the meet and greet was arranged with the expectations to meet the dogs, then she should have texted or called you before showing up and told you about the change of plans. I do all my meets and greets outside and they never enter my home on a meet and greet. Granted, I have a huge yard and that’s why they are seeking to book with me. And I have a strong background and profile, so maybe they don’t feel they need to see the inside of my home, because my profile has photos of dogs inside. I do however invite them in when they drop off and pick up their dog on a booking. And no one has ever requested to “check out” the inside of my house. The main purpose of a meet and greet is to ensure the dogs and humans are a good fit. You could try adding photos of the inside of your home on your profile and if anyone inquires, you can point them there. Bottom line: if it makes you uncomfortable, just say I’m sorry I’m not comfortable with that; always pay attention to red flags - not bringing the dogs.