---
title: "What to do during a Meet and Greet"
description: "The meet and greet is arguably the most important tool you have to assess whether you and Mad Paws pets are a good match. While we always encourage sitters to have a low decline rate, most importantly, we want to make sure that you only accept bookings that you are confident will be safe and suitable for everyone involved."
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# What to do during a Meet and Greet

The meet and greet is arguably the most important tool you have to assess whether you and Mad Paws pets are a good match. While we always encourage sitters to have a low decline rate, most importantly, we want to make sure that you only accept bookings that you are confident will be safe and suitable for everyone involved.

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Here are **a few things to consider for a meet and greet.**

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Test [editing](https://helpcenter.dev.brainfish.ai/)

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* **Where do I hold the meet and greet?** Ideally, you’ll have a meet and greet at the location the pet will be staying. However, initially, you may feel more comfortable meeting the owner at a dog park or a safe public area within walking distance of the location first. If the initial meeting goes well and the parties feel comfortable, then proceed to the house.
* **Setting expectations** – how much time will you be able to spend with the pet, house rules, sleeping arrangements, quirks, is the environment puppy proof, children and other animals.
* **Walking the Dog.** Does the pet have good recall? Where do you take your dog for a walk? Do you have a good rapport with the pet?
* **Is your home environment right for the pet?** Does the dog get along with other animals? with children?  If there are to be other dogs present we'd strongly recommend introducing them before the stay. If it isn’t possible to introduce them during the meet and greet, ensure all owners are aware that there will be other

We know that meeting a stranger and their pet for the first time may be daunting so we've prepared some resources to help guide the conversation. We know incidents occur and **things can go wrong when no Meet and Greet occurs**. It is the most crucial part of understanding the Owner's expectations and animal.

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Additional resources

* [Meet and Greet Sheet](https://help.madpaws.com.au/hc/en-us/article_attachments/12346080046617/Mad_Paws_-_Meet_and_Greet_-_Sheet.pdf?blk=true)
* [Checklist to puppy proof your home](https://help.madpaws.com.au/hc/en-us/article_attachments/12354492794905/Mad_Paws_-_Property_Walk_Through.pdf?blk=true)

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