We are in a pet-loving community, but I am sure we have different experiences on how to build trust with pets on pet-sits.
Sometimes we have a handover with HO where we can introduce ourselves with the pet, other times we must enter the home of a pet without - as a stranger.
I’ve so far done cat-sits with homeowner present, so not so much anxiety yet. On other sit a few years ago, I used my dads trick of having a few dog treats in my pocket when entering. Makes one more popular - at least with some. 
I must say that entering the home of dog (-s) without homeowner present is maybe what si would be most anxious about.
Do you have any tips or histories you can share? 
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I find it is best to not try too hard to force a bond or contact. If a dog or especially a cat seems wary at first, I just let them approach me on their terms. We just go about our business not paying too much attention to them.
Most dogs seem good to go right away, even when we are meeting them on our own after the hosts have already left; some cats may remain a bit aloof the whole time, yet I can tell they are comfortable around us. In these cases, I just let them keep their distance if that is what they prefer.
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I agree. It has to be on the animal’s terms, let them decide when they’re ready to introduce themselves. Read the room. If a dog or cat is friendly and inquisitive right off the bat then you should have no problem forming a bond quickly. If however, they are nervous or hesitant around you just ignore them and don’t make eye contact or approach or invade their space. I find being at their level, so sitting or even lying still on the floor and still not making eye contact helps. Nervous dogs will usually cautiously approach to sniff you etc… just stay still and let them do their thing, they’ll quickly become more confident around you. Dogs that display more aggressive or defensive signals (growling/barking/snarling/raised hackles) will need a similar non confrontational approach but will require more patience and possibly diversion tactics such as treats /toys or games and exercise. With such nervous dogs it would be best for the pet parent to be around to show their dog that you’re welcome in the home and a new member of the pack.
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Before you unload the car or unpack cases (ie before you create havoc and noise), just pop the kettle on and sit for 30 minutes and watch tv with the dog while giving it a stroke, but only if it wants you to, if it doesn’t want a stroke let it be, just talk softly to it occasionally, until it comes to you. It is probably used to the background noise of the TV, so instead of sitting with a stranger it’s more familiar to them.
In the UK the likelihood is the dog will greet you warmly and want affection, and be flat on their back for a tummy rub straight away. For more timid dogs, bribery can help, but only with the specific treats the dog is used to, or you could give it an upset stomach if they are too rich for the dog.
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Sorry to resurface an older discussion, I just think it’s a great topic and wondered if there are any new tips that can be shared?
A good welcome guide and open communication between sitters and owners is so important to creating a bond and ultimately trust between both people, but what about building relationships with our furry friends?
Of course, every pet has their own unique personality, so when you’re meeting them for the first time, what are your tips for building a positive relationship quickly?
Some great advice already;
- Patience
- Some tasty treats
- (if possible) hangout with the pet and HO a little
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As someone that’s sat 56 cats so far on THS and volunteered for a cat shelter I agree with the comments that it’s best to allow the animal to decide if and when they’ll approach you. I talk softly to the cats I sit and use their name.
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I’m one of those people who’ll want to greet the cat before I greet the people, like “Yeah, whatever, hi… Oooh, KITTY!” 
… But after meeting the HOs, once the cat appears I will sit down on the floor right away and talk to them, inviting them to approach. I do a lot of slow-blinking too. I’ll extend a hand and always let the cat give me a rub or a tail-swipe first before reaching to pet them. They decide how fast we make friends!
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Sometimes it is better to meet dogs on neutral territory rather than in their house. Going for a walk with the dog and owner often helps to settle a nervous or anxious dog.
We did a new local sit this year where one of the dogs is very afraid of strangers in his own house (the other dog greets them like old friends!) He’s very submissive so will just slink off and hide in a bedroom, ears back and tail tucked right between his legs.
On our first sit the boys were on a Scout camp for part of the weekend, so once I had dropped them off I shut myself in a room with the other dog after laying a trail of food to the fearful dog’s food bowl. He did creep down and eat his food.
Later he let me put a lead on him so I took both dogs out for a walk. He was a totally different dog out of the house, and seemed comfortable with me once we returned.
When the boys returned from Scout camp he hid again, so I sent them to stand at the end of the driveway on the street. I put both dogs leads on, took them out of the house, and immediately handed the nervous dog’s lead to the boys. He was fine and firm friends with everyone after that. In fact he kept pawing us all for attention!
I have suggested to the owner that when she has new sitters she should do the same, meet them outside the house and go for a walk first, to settle the nervous dog and get him used to them. The funny thing is he isn’t at all afraid of people outside of the house, and will nuzzle people’s pockets in case they have treats! The owner thinks he got scared when they were having a lot of building work done on the house.
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Great advice about neutral ground Debbie, we had friends over for dinner on a dog sit recently and we took the dog for a walk and met them on the street. By the time we returned home the dog was relaxed around our guests.
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