What makes a good meet and greet?

Before any first booking on Haus Dogs, there's a meet and greet. Fifteen minutes, usually your place or neutral ground. It looks casual. It's the most important quarter hour of the whole relationship — here's how to spend it well.

What the provider is doing

A certified provider is reading your dog the whole time: how they approach (or don't), what their default posture says, how they recover from the doorbell. They're also listening for the real routine — good providers ask about feeding times, walking equipment, and quirks before they ever talk about themselves. If someone spends the whole meeting pitching, that tells you something too.

What you should ask

Skip 'do you love dogs' — everyone passes that one. Ask instead: What would you do if she refuses dinner the first night? How do you handle leash pulling — what equipment do you like? Walk me through a typical overnight, evening to morning. What would make you call me versus handle it yourself? Specific dogs deserve specific answers, and the difference between rehearsed and real is easy to hear.

What your dog decides

Let the dog approach on their own schedule — a provider who crouches, angles sideways, and waits is showing you their training. A dog who checks in with you, investigates, and then relaxes has cast their vote. Take it seriously; they're often faster to a correct read than we are.

Afterward

Book while it's fresh, and put everything you told them in the booking notes anyway — spoken routines evaporate, written ones travel. And if the fit wasn't right, say so and meet someone else. That's the entire reason this step exists.

Three parties attend a meet and greet. The one with the best judgment usually has four legs.