Regardless of breed, I prefer to meet the dog at its home with its owner present before a sitting to begin to establish myself as "safe" instead of meeting for the first time as an "intruder". My main concern is the dog's interaction with people and other dogs, both on a leash and off. Any potential behavior issues, like bolting out the door when someone tries to leave or barking incessantly at the mailman or a tendency to chew anything left on the floor, are good to know as well to provide a safe and healthy environment for the dog.

My philosophy is that the least a dog's routine and environment change while you are gone, the better. I like to sit dogs in their own home because their owner is already gone, which can be stressful and upsetting already. To remove them from that "home" environment can cause additional stress. I try to modify my routine with each dog to mimic what the owner does. If you take your dog on three walks a day, I will do the same. If you feed it an "appetizer" an hour before each meal (yes, this has happened), I will do the same.