Before any dog crosses our threshold as a boarding guest, they come to say hello first. Here’s why that matters — and what it actually involves.
Every enquiry we receive at Doggie Faire BnB follows the same path. We have a conversation, we learn about your dog, and if it sounds like a good fit, the next step is always the same: a Meet-and-Greet. Not a provisional booking. Not a holding deposit. A visit.
This isn’t a box-ticking exercise or a formality we’ve added to look thorough. It is the single most important step in our process — and understanding why tells you a great deal about how we operate and what we stand for.
What Is a Dog Boarding Meet and Greet?
A Meet-and-Greet is a trial visit to our home in the Quercy region of South West France, arranged before any boarding stay is confirmed. Your dog comes to spend time here — exploring the space, meeting Steffie, and getting to know any dogs who are currently in residence..
It is, in essence, a dry run. A chance for everyone involved — your dog, our current pack, and us — to establish whether this is the right fit before any commitment is made on either side.
At Doggie Faire BnB, this visit is mandatory for all new guests, without exception.
Why Is It Non-Negotiable?
The answer lies in how we operate.
Because our home is 100% cage-free and kennel-free, every dog who stays here moves freely through the living space. There are no separate runs, no partitioned areas, no way to keep dogs apart once a stay has begun. Dogs sleep on beds and sofas alongside each other, share the garden, and spend their days as a small, informal pack.
That environment is wonderful — but it only works when the dogs in it are genuinely compatible.
Pack Harmony Is Everything
We use the phrase pack harmony deliberately. It describes the calm, settled dynamic that exists when a small group of dogs simply gets along — not perfectly, not without the odd grumble, but without tension, stress, or conflict that would affect the wellbeing of any individual dog.
Introducing a new dog into that dynamic without preparation is a risk we are not willing to take. Not with the dogs already in our care, and not with yours.
The Meet-and-Greet is how we protect that harmony. It gives us — and the dogs — the information we need before anyone is committed to a stay.
We Need to Be Honest About Suitability
We would rather tell you at the Meet-and-Greet stage that our home isn’t the right environment for your dog than have that become apparent after you’ve already left for your holiday.
Some dogs, through no fault of their own, are not suited to in-home dog boarding in a shared, cage-free environment. They may be uncomfortable around other dogs, or simply need a level of space and solitude that our home cannot provide. That’s not a failure — it’s just information, and it’s far better to have it early.
The Meet-and-Greet is where we find out.
What Actually Happens During a Meet-and-Greet?
Your Dog Explores the Home and Garden
From the moment they arrive, your dog is free to investigate the space at their own pace. The house, the garden, the smells, the layout — all of it. This isn’t just pleasant for them; it’s genuinely useful. A dog who has already pottered around our garden and sniffed every corner of the sitting room arrives on boarding day somewhere that already feels familiar, not foreign.
They Meet Steffie
This is where the foundation of trust begins. Your dog will interact with Steffie — on their own terms, without pressure — and start to establish her as someone safe and known. In a private dog sitting environment where there is one consistent caregiver rather than a rotating staff, that relationship is everything. It starts here.
They Meet the Current Pack
This is the heart of the Meet-and-Greet. Your dog will be introduced to whoever else is currently staying with us, and our own dogs, in a calm and supervised setting. We watch how the dogs interact, how quickly they settle with each other, and whether the social dynamic feels easy and natural. We are looking for compatibility, not perfection — but we are looking carefully.
We Talk
After the Meet-and-Greet, we have the chance to talk. About your dog’s routine, their preferences, their quirks, any medication they take, what they eat and when. The more we understand about your dog before they arrive, the better their stay will be. The Meet-and-Greet is when that understanding begins.
What Happens After the Meet-and-Greet?
If the visit goes well — and for the right dogs, it usually does — we confirm the booking and agree the details of the stay. Your dog leaves having had a positive experience in our home, with a sense of Steffie and the space already established.
If we have any concerns, we will always be honest with you. That might mean suggesting a longer trial session before committing to an overnight stay, or it might mean acknowledging that our environment isn’t the right fit. Either way, you leave with clarity — which is always more useful than false reassurance.
What the Meet-and-Greet Is Not
It is worth being clear about this, because we want to set the right expectations.
The Meet-and-Greet is not a guaranteed path to booking. We reserve the right — and the responsibility — to decline a booking if we feel it isn’t in the best interests of your dog or our current guests. This isn’t something we do lightly, but it is something we do when necessary.
It is also not a lengthy or stressful process for your dog. For most dogs, it’s simply a nice morning out — a new place to explore, some new friends to meet, and a biscuit or two along the way.
How to Arrange a Meet-and-Greet
The first step is always a conversation. Get in touch and tell us what you’re looking for. If it sounds promising on both sides, we’ll arrange a time for you to bring them over.
There’s no commitment required at that stage. Just a visit, an honest conversation, and the beginning of what we hope will be a relationship built on trust — for you, for us, and most importantly, for your dog.
Doggie Faire BnB — in-home dog boarding and cage-free pet sitting in the Quercy region of South West France. Serving local families and expat communities across the area.