Owner wanting weekly visits before a booking?

Of course, you should charge for this. Since you offer doggy daycare, use that for your "weekly" visits. Another idea, if the pending August booking is for a long timeframe, then you might want to suggest the pup have a minibreak (an overnight or a weekend) at your place in lieu of the weekly visits.

It's normal and recommended that the owner would be booking weekly visits before he boards his dog with you. This owner is making the situation easier on you and the dog. Many regular owners just bring a dog to a sitter the dog has never met before, leaving a stressed out barking dog with a tearful sitter who is going crazy when the pup is barking all night and she can't sleep. I applaud this owner for being a good and very responsible owner who is looking to make this a pleasant boarding for you and the dog. You obviously charge for the visits.

If you're comfortable with the request, you could offer to do a meet and greet with the dog and owner first to see if it's a good fit. During this meet and greet, you can discuss the weekly visits and come to an agreement on whether or not to charge for them. If you do decide to charge, you can explain your reasoning to the owner and discuss a fair rate that works for both of you. It's important to communicate openly and clearly with the owner to ensure everyone's needs are being met.

I would charge for the weekly meetings. Here's an example of how you could politely explain your reasoning to the owner:

"Thank you for your request for weekly visits before your booking in August. I am happy to accommodate this request to ensure that your dog is comfortable and familiar with me before their stay. However, due to the additional time and resources required for these visits, I will need to charge a fee for each visit. I hope you understand that this is necessary to ensure that I am not out of pocket in terms of time and expenses, while still providing the best possible care for your furry friend. Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions, and we can discuss further. Thank you!"

Good luck!