What your dog sitter needs on one sheet of paper

Put the phone numbers at the top

• Your primary phone number and expected availability.
• A backup person who has agreed to help.
• Your regular veterinarian and the nearest appropriate emergency clinic.
• Written instructions for when the sitter should call each person.
• Any documented treatment or spending authorization requested by the veterinary practice.

Write down the boring routine

Record meal amounts and times, usual walk windows, sleep location, bathroom routine, door routine, approved activities, cue words, and the normal way your dog enters or leaves the home. Specific instructions are easier to follow than a description such as “they are easy.”

List medications exactly

Use the prescription label and veterinary instructions. Record the medication name, prescribed amount, timing, storage, and who to call with a question. Keep medication in its labeled, secure container. The sitter should not improvise a missed dose or give an unapproved medication.

Do not soften the risky parts

• Door-dashing, escape routes, hiding places, and gates that must stay closed.
• Known sensitivities involving people, dogs, handling, sounds, food, or objects.
• Resource guarding or situations that should be avoided.
• The safe, familiar response the sitter should use when a routine goes wrong.

The house needs a handoff too

Include access instructions, alarm steps, parking details, supply locations, waste routine, thermostat limits, and the areas the dog may use. Share only the access information the sitter needs and retrieve temporary credentials afterward.

Ask the sitter to read it once

Ask the sitter to read it before you leave and explain anything unclear. Confirm phone numbers, medication details, dates, and the emergency clinic. Update the sheet when the routine changes.