“He gets dinner in the evening and likes the park” sounds clear until someone else has to decide which food, how much, what time, and whether the dog park is actually part of the plan.
Good instructions answer the questions your sitter will have while you are unavailable. Start with a short handoff they can scan, then add the details your dog needs. A note in their phone and a printed copy at home are perfectly reasonable tools.
Return to your handoff, or use the sections below to decide what to include.
Write down the ordinary day, not the ideal one
Give time windows where they are flexible and exact instructions where they matter. “First potty break between 7 and 8” is more useful than “morning walk.” State which parts of the routine must not be missed, how long your dog can normally be left alone, and who can help if a visit runs late.
Describe the walks your dog already knows. Include the usual length, a shorter backup route, and any limits agreed with your vet. This is not the week to ask a new sitter to introduce off-leash walks or a more demanding exercise routine.
If you need help organizing the times, use our workday walking schedule guide before filling in the sheet.
Replace labels with instructions someone can follow
“Friendly,” “nervous,” and “a bit reactive” leave a lot of room for interpretation. Describe the situation and what the sitter should do.
- Instead of “doesn’t like bikes,” write: “Cross the street early when a bike approaches; avoid the shared bike path.”
- Instead of “wears a harness,” show which harness to use, how it fastens, and where the leash clips on.
- Instead of “fine with other dogs,” agree on a clear greeting rule. The sitter does not have to introduce your dog to anyone.
- Instead of “can escape,” explain which door or gate needs extra care and demonstrate your exit routine.
These are examples to adapt, not assumptions about your dog. Be candid about bite history, guarding, escape attempts, or handling your dog finds difficult. If the sitter is not equipped to manage a particular risk, a better-written note will not fix that mismatch.
Walk through the handoff together
Before the first solo visit, test access to the home, fit the walking gear, and do a short walk together. Have the sitter try the parts they will need to handle, rather than only watching you. Leave time for questions and agree on backup care if they cannot make a visit.
The Pet Sitters International standards call for an initial meeting and a detailed pet profile as part of professional onboarding. Your sheet supports that conversation; it does not replace a sitter’s own intake process or care agreement.
Keep food clearly labeled and leave the supplies where you said they would be. The AKC’s home-preparation checklist also covers household instructions and making care supplies easy to find.
Make the emergency plan usable
Leave your vet’s number, the nearest suitable emergency clinic, and a local backup contact who has agreed to help. Check the clinic details before you leave. Tell your vet who is caring for your dog, and arrange any required treatment authorization and payment arrangements directly with them.
For medication, provide the current written veterinary instructions and demonstrate administration. Include what the vet says to do if a dose is missed or cannot be given. Do not ask the sitter to guess, change a dose, or wait for your reply before seeking urgent veterinary help.
The AAHA guide to pet sitter instructions is a useful reference for medical information and emergency planning. Our checklist is an everyday handoff, not a medical plan or legal authorization.
Fill in your checklist, then copy or print it
For several dogs, name each dog in instructions about their food, medication, or routine. If separate sheets would be clearer, copy or print one before starting another. Put the most important warning near the top. Share door codes and other access credentials securely, separately from the general care sheet.
Use the form above without an account. Choose a visit brief for the essentials and every detail you entered, or full instructions to include the unused checklist prompts too. Save a draft explicitly to keep it in this browser; changes are saved only when you choose Save changes. Anyone using this browser can reopen the draft.
Copy the text into a private message, or open the print preview and choose Save as PDF in your browser. Pick A4 or US Letter. The full version leaves prompts for writing by hand. Check missing details with the sitter before sharing. Changes here do not update a copy you already sent.
Agree on one useful update after each visit
Decide where updates go and what you want to hear. For example: “Home at 12:40. Short loop, pee and poo, water refilled. Avoided the park because it was crowded. Next visit is at 5.” That is easier to act on than several photos with no explanation of what happened.
If you already share dog care in Lapka, walk history and notes can help the next person see the recent outings. Keep emergency numbers and essential instructions available separately, so nobody needs to install an app or sign in during a problem.
Before you leave, ask the sitter to explain the next visit in their own words. Any uncertainty they mention now is one less question they have to solve at your front door.