Written by High Park Pet Care · Reviewed by Chris Baillie
Published August 2026 · Last reviewed August 2026
Based on our experience providing professional pet care in Toronto since 2014.
So you’ve found a pet sitter or dog walker and scheduled a Meet & Greet.
Great!
Now what?
The Meet & Greet doesn’t need to be complicated and a little preparation beforehand can make it very useful.
Show rather than simply tell.
For a dog, that might mean showing where the leash and harness are kept, explaining the usual walking route and demonstrating how the harness is put on.
For a cat, show where the food, litter, toys and supplies are kept and explain what a normal visit should look like.
The goal isn’t to create a perfect instruction manual, but a visual and tactile walk through is extremely helpful for your walker/sitter.
Every pet has quirks. We want to know about them.
Does your dog bark at skateboards? Chase squirrels? Refuse to walk in the rain?
Does your cat disappear under the bed when someone enters the house? Try to escape through the front door? Demand that a particular toy be brought out before they’ll acknowledge your existence?
These details may sound minor, but they help a caregiver understand what to expect.
This isn’t the time to make your pet sound better behaved than they really are.
If your dog pulls, lunges, guards food, reacts to certain dogs or has ever shown aggression, say so.
Likewise, if your cat bites when overstimulated, becomes frightened around strangers or is an escape artist, let the sitter know.
The more your caregiver knows beforehand, the better prepared they can be.
If your pet will be fed during visits, show exactly what they eat, how much they receive and where everything is kept.
If medication is involved, explain what is required and how your pet normally takes it.
Don’t assume something that feels obvious to you will be obvious to someone entering your home for the first time.
Keys, condominium fobs, concierge procedures, alarm systems and lockboxes should all be sorted out before the first scheduled visit.
If a lockbox is being used, make sure it works and that the caregiver knows exactly where it is. Using a spare key? Check that it works during the M&G. Better to know if a key isn’t working before it’s really needed!
If your building has particular access rules, explain those too.
Nobody wants to discover at 7:00 a.m. that the concierge won’t release a key without written authorization.
Make sure your caregiver has current contact information for you and knows what to do if you can’t immediately be reached.
Provide your veterinarian’s information and identify an emergency contact if appropriate.
If your pet has an existing medical condition or there is something important a veterinarian would need to know, discuss it during the meeting.
The Meet & Greet works both ways.
Ask anything you still want to know about how the caregiver works, how visits or walks are handled, how updates are provided or what happens if plans change.
You should know what to expect before the first service takes place.
Sometimes the most useful part of a Meet & Greet isn’t the conversation.
Watch how the caregiver approaches your pet. Do they give a nervous animal some space? Do they listen when you explain something important? Do they seem comfortable handling your dog?
And watch your pet.
Some animals welcome strangers immediately. Others need time. Nobody needs to become best friends in twenty minutes, but the meeting should give you a sense of whether the arrangement feels right.
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