Hello Wagglies! Happy Monday! This week in the blog, I wanted to talk about what a Meet & Greet is and what to expect.

First, let me say, I know many people have never used a dog walker or pet sitter before. In fact, for most, it's pretty unusual to put your trust in a complete stranger, hand them a key to your home, and give them the responsibility of looking after your best (furry) friends. Yep, when you think about it like that, it's a totally weird concept. Many of the pet owners who have never used a dog walker or pet sitter say this to me during the Meet & Greet. And trust me, I get how weird it is to put your trust in someone you've just met. You're trusting them with a huge responsibility. The good news is, if you're working with a professional, they will be doing everything in their power to make sure they can earn your trust and keep you happy and satisfied. After all, our businesses are on the line! So we wouldn't want to do anything stupid to break your trust!

Because trust is such an important factor in this relationship, I require all of my first time clients to do a Meet & Greet session with me. The Meet & Greet is a 30-60 minute meeting that takes place in your home at a chosen time of your convenience. During this time, it's important to get to know you, your pets, and let you meet me and ask questions. Most of the time, I've been really lucky and had an instant connection with the pets and their owners, and I am so grateful to have such amazing people and pets that I'm able to work with everyday! I have had a few Meet & Greets, however, that didn't end up working out. And that's okay too! In the end I got to meet some more cute pets and great people, but we realized that this wasn't the best fit for either party. The whole Meet & Greet process is very low-key and should have no pressure associated with it.

As we go through the meeting, I'll ask some basic questions about your pets and what type of services you're looking for. If you're looking to potentially schedule daily dog walks, I'll ask you about your dog's activity levels and we'll try to figure out what the best service is for your pet. I customize all of my services to your pet's exact needs, so it's important to get all of the details in the beginning so I can provide the best experience for you and your pet and make sure everyone is happy, healthy, and satisfied!

Some people may want to know what type of questions are asked during the Meet & Greet. Here's a sampling of questions I typically go through:

• What is your pet's favorite toy?
• Where is your pet's food kept? How much food do they get? (Relevant for pet sitting jobs)
• Where does your pet like to hide?
• What is your pet's normal schedule for potty breaks? (Relevant for dog pet sitting)
• Are there any training techniques you'd like me to continue/work on with your pet during our visits?
• Can you please show me all of your hand/voice commands that you use with your pet?
• How does your dog react to meeting other dogs and people?
• Is there anything else I should know about?

The good news is, if you're working with a professional, they will be doing everything in their power to make sure they can earn your trust and keep you happy and satisfied.

So, how do you schedule a Meet & Greet and what do you need to do to prepare?

• Fill out the form on the contact page on my website
• I'll follow up to confirm the date/time of the meeting
• Make a copy of your pet's vaccination history and medical records to have ready for the meeting
• If any medications need to be administered, I'll ask for demonstrations during the Meet & Greet, so it'd be great if you can hold off on giving your pet his/her medications until I arrive and can see exactly how you'd like me to administer the medications.
• Have two spare copies of your house key and building access fobs (if applicable) ready to provide to me.
• If you think of any questions, you may want to write them down so we can discuss them in the meeting. But no worries if you forget, I'm always available by text, phone, or email! :)
• Have a pen ready to fill out some forms (don't worry it's not a quiz and the questions are easy!)
• Get your pet excited to meet his/her new awesome friend and show off their sweet place (no, you don't have to clean the house for me - consider me part of the family!)

The whole Meet & Greet process is very low-key and should have no pressure associated with it.

So hopefully by this point, you're super excited to take your first step towards joining in on the fun with The Waggly Tail! I'd love the chance to meet you and your pets and see if The Waggly Tail is a good fit!

Have any questions about the Meet & Greet? Or are there any topics you'd like to see covered in next week's blog? Post them below in the comments!

Have a Waggly Tail Day!