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First time jitters?

Hi all -- haven't yet had a booking, but am eager too and just would like to know how a successful and seamless meet & greet work. A couple questions:

1) is it really necessary? 2) Where would we meet that would be convenient so as not to make it an out-of-the-way trip for me (and my 3 young kids)? 3) After I meet and love on the dog, what do we talk about? 4) I'm reading that they are recommended to weed out a mismatch. How would that be handled if thats the case at the M&G?

Would love to get an idea of how these work and how they can be most beneficial.

Thanks

6 Answers

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Dee B.

You'll rest a lot easier with a meet and greet. While your dog may be super friendly, a client's description of their friendly dog may not match reality. We had a little 5-lb Maltese attack my 50-lb hound on a meet-n-greet so we knew right off the bat that it was a bad fit and we saved everyone's time and heartache.

We have had a few stays w/o meet-n-greets that have gone well, but I try to make it rare. Those were mostly people traveling through town so they couldn't come in advance. If the initial meeting had not gone well, they would have had to find an alternative fast! Thankfully they ended up being really chill dogs!

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Karen R.

Book a Stay
Chicago, IL

1) No, it isn't necessary but advisable for the sake of all parties.

2) Rover's training vids say to meet outside on neutral turf, which could be on the sidewalk outside your home. Clients come to my house because that way they can see where their dog will be staying. My dog does better meeting others inside the home (he's leash aggressive).

3) Talk about what you provide and what the client expects, any special needs the dog may have, his/her routine, pickup/dropoff times, food issues, medical needs,...anything. I give them my Dog Info Sheet, which they fill out and give back to me when they bring the dog over for his/her stay. It contains all the necessary contact info, vet info, as well as a section on behavioral characteristics (likes, dislikes, fears, etc.)

4) I think both parties would realize it, but at times owners have an overly optimistic view that whatever behaviorial issue will work itself out. You have to decide whether it is a good fit for you, your dog and especially your young kids. Be honest and upfront with potential clients if you have qualms and that you are sure there will be a better fit with another Rover sitter.

I think I've only bowed out of one potential engagement because the other dog wouldn't leave my dog alone (constant humping) and I didn't want to subject my dog to that 24/7. Don't overthink it. A meet and greet doesn't take very long and isn't stressful in the least.

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Dusty G.

I just made the mistake of sitting a dog in my home, without a meet & greet. AWFUL! The dog wasn't housebroken and was not feeling well... in addition to that, had never been trained with any basic commands (she is also SUPER scared of humans)... she also bolted out the front door (we chased her forever, down a busy street, it was scary). When they dropped her off, the owners said they would pick her up 2 days later at 10am, then the next day, said they wouldn't be here until 4pm. I changed my plans for the day, and then the day they were to pick her up, messaged me and said they wouldn't be here until 7pm, so I again had to change my plans... then in the middle of my dinner at 530, they called and said they were outside my house... All of this could have been avoided if we had just done a meet & greet. I would have never allowed her to stay had I seen any of this before her arrival.

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Haley P.

No Meet and Greet's aren't necessary but strongly recommended. I'm relatively new but recently had a bad experience with a client who wasn't able to schedule a meet and greet. One of my dogs can be a bit territorial at first but after a couple walks with a new dog she cools down gets along well. Well the client showed up her 10lb dog and my dog growled and snapped at him. I don't blame the client for cancelling after that but also know that if they had met on neutral territory my dog would have been okay.

So I consider it a lesson learned- always schedule a meet and greet or at least introduce them on neutral territory (like on the street.) It's in your best interest as well as your client's to schedule a m&g, especially if you have dogs of your own.

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Laura R.

Book a Stay
Portland, OR

Hi Cristina -

For me, the meet and greet is the most stressful part of the whole experience, but it's totally worth it.

1) Depends on your situation. For me, yes. I took my first couple clients with no meet and greet. They both turned out to be ill-suited to my living situation. They were both LOUD, and I lived in an apartment complex at the time. They were very sweet dogs, but if I were my neighbors, I'd have been annoyed. They weren't getting paid to put up with barking at 3 am.

2) Personally, I have people come to my home. There's a field at the end of the block, so when they arrive, I meet them out at the street so the dogs can all sniff on more neutral ground. Then we take them for a short walk together while my partner and I chat with the owners. If the dogs are doing well together, then we can take them over to the field for some less structured play/group sniffing time. After all that, I'll invite them to come inside to see where their dogs will be staying.

I've also had meet and greets at dog parks, coffee shops with outdoor seating, etc. In most instances, I take initiative proposing the location and structure of the M&G, so find a place near your home that can easily accommodate a handful of dogs and humans and will let you see the behaviors in the dogs that you're interested in assessing. How well they walk on a leash, how they react to other animals, how they play with your pets/children, etc.

3) I've found through trial and error a number of things I like to discuss with the owners. Generally we first just chat with them about what they do, where they're going, where they're from.. general get to know you stuff. I honestly don't interact with the dog much at first other than a brief greeting. Most of the time, they're far more interested in my dogs or the new environment anyway, and I'm much less concerned with how they react to me than watching how they react to everything else in the environment.

Once the basics are out of the way, I'll start on the questions that matter: - What does a typical day look like for your dog? - What are your dog's favorite activities? - Are his/her vaccines up to date? (specify which you're interested in) - How vocal is your dog? Under what circumstances do they bark/whine? What techniques do you use to stop/prevent it? - Does your dog have any special requirements? (medications, food restrictions, treat restrictions, toy restrictions, activity restrictions, etc etc) - Are there any behaviors you'd like us to work on while your dog is with us? - Are there any house rules you'd like us to enforce?

I also have a questionnaire built ... (more)

Comments

Hi, I would like to view your questionnaire if that is still a possibility. Thank you, Robin

Robin R.

Sure, Robin! I posted the link in another thread on here and someone sent it out to one of their clients rather than making their own - just to be completely clear, if someone submits this form, it sends the answers to me, and I have no need for info on a bunch of dogs I'm not sitting! :) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1CEXfKQO7p9PWnQSuLKj9uiow9Ghd-9DJ4a1SKazUi7Y/viewform Feel free to use it for inspiration, or even copy it word for word, just be sure to do it in your own document, so when you send it, you get the answers!

Laura R.

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Elissa P.

Definitely meet n greet! I do it at home.

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