As professional pet sitters and members of NAPPS, it's crucial to shift the traditional "Meet & Greet" towards a more structured "Consultation & Behavior Assessment" (and start charging fo them - if you haven’t already!). This approach reframes the interaction, positioning it as a mutual evaluation to ensure the safety and well-being of the pet, the integrity of the client's home, and the preparedness of the pet care provider.

Why Transition to a Consultation & Behavior Assessment?

The evolving industry of pet care, it's essential to move beyond informal meetings, or meetings where the client thinks they are interviewing YOU , vs the opposite. Changing the wording/title of this part of your onboarding will clarify the importance of assessing each pet's behavior and the environment they'll be in. This not only ensures compatibility  of your businesses needs, but also underscores your commitment to providing safe + professional care.

The primary goal of Consults  is to identify any signs of aggression or fear-based behaviors and check for home sanitation that could pose risks. By thoroughly assessing each situation, we ensure the safety of the pet, the client, and the sitter, maintaining the high standards expected within the NAPPS community.

Top 3 Steps for a Successful 30-Minute Consultation

1. Lead the Conversation with Purpose

Begin by clearly outlining the steps of each visit for you to do and for the client to understand what the purpose of this time commitment is:

• Safety and Compatibility: Assessing the pet's behavior to ensure a safe environment for both the pet and the sitter.
  
  

• Home Environment: Understanding the layout and any specific requirements or routines, and sanitation.
  
  

• Client Expectations: Discussing services offered, policies, and any special requests.
  
  

By steering the conversation, you position yourself as a professional, ensuring all critical topics are addressed.

PRO TIP: RIght off the bat say the following “ Hi, Im ( insert first name). Ill have my phone out to make notes, Im not ignoring you- I promise! Ill need you to show me all the important locations of items for you pet like food, water, litterbox/ leashes, and toys. Ill be ignoring your pets to start to let them come to ME, but at any point during this visit Ill be doing certain behavior and body checks to see how they react- so don’t worry if I suddenly get down on the ground with ( insert pet names)”

2. Conduct a Behavior Assessment

Evaluate the pet's comfort and behavior  once they come and approach you and show clear body language that says it should be safe:

• Touch Test: Gently interact with the pet, noting reactions to various touch points to assess comfort levels. This includes, paws, face, tail and general body area. Be sure you are positioned to ensure safety for your face and ability to back off easily if it goes negatively.
  
  

• Observation: Watch for signs of aggression, fear, or anxiety based on dog body language training you have completed ( if you haven’t check out our NAPPS Certification Course)
  
  

• Interaction: Engage in basic commands or play to gauge responsiveness and temperament. This could be asking about previous training to make notes of key words used, or go into the backyard with a dog to throw a toy and check fence safety at the same time. Or with cats- see if they have a toy like a laser to get them interested in you.
  

3. Implementing the "Leave and Re-Enter" Technique

To further assess the pet's comfort with the sitter:

1. Joint Departure: Both the client and sitter leave the home together and go to an area the pet cant see you ( usually in front of a garage or to the side of it). For 5 minutes go over  step 4 below- policies and questions.
   
   

2. Solo Re-Entry:Then, the sitter returns alone into the house after a brief period. Be obnoxious- knock on door/ ring door bell, pause, enter home- and see how pets do- then try to see how pets react for safety. IF dogs are typically caged- cage them before going outside with client. If they are needing to be harnessed/lleashed for future visits- see if they let you as this is a hot spot common problem.
   
   

3. Observation: Note the pet's reaction to the sitter's solo presence. If any concerns of safety- do a video recording to be able to show client
   
   

4. Documentation: If the pet remains calm, take a photo for the update you will send after the visits- so clients can see your great photos skills and get an automatic FREEBIE of a good pet pic!

4. Outline Next Steps and Highlight Key Policies

Conclude the consultation by:

• Summarizing Observations: Share insights from the behavior assessment. If there are hard/negative conversations to have you should have been noting those concerns throughout the Consult ( I like to use the GREEN, YELLOW, RED flag wording with clients) which is easy for them to understand.
  
  

• Discussing Policies: Review essential policies scheduling, software downloading if needed, emergency procedures, and communication protocols. I avoid cancellation policies as it can leave a bad taste in their mouth( human psychology - it brings up thoughts of WHY they would need to cancel and have negative concepts like their vacation getting cancelled- you don’t want that bad juju at the first meeting!) but refer them to review our FAQs on our website if they want more info.
  
  

• Setting Expectations: Clarify the next steps, whether it's scheduling services or providing additional information.  Many companies have started requiring TRIAL visits  prior to scheduling vacation visits- or this would be the first visit for dog walking clients- to iron out any kinks, check codes work, and interpret any notes the clients have made.
  
  

By requiring a consult and behavior assessment, we ensure every pet is a good match for our services, setting clear expectations and building trust from the start. This not only creates a safer, more personalized experience for everyone—it also allows us to confidently charge rates  for this time -because the quality of care speaks for itself.

Amber Van Denzen is the Founder of Atta Boy! Animal Care, and Pet Sitter CEO Youtube channel. A dually certified Professional Pet Sitter, retired Veterinary Nurse of 13 years, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences.  She lives with her 2 dogs, 15 chickens, 3 fish aquariums, and 3 hermit crabs with her human family in Lakeland, Florida.