Leaving Your Dog for the First Time? Here's What to Expect

The first three hours

Your dog arrives, sniffs the place, and works out that you have gone. This is the most unsettled part of the whole stay. What helps is a sitter who does not over-handle the dog: a walk, a drink, an explore of the yard, and then quiet company while the dog settles.

The first night

Night is when owners worry most, and it is usually the quietest part. Dogs who are used to sleeping near a person will often sleep in the bedroom or nearby. Dogs who sleep in a crate should keep the crate. Ask about this at the meet and greet so it is decided in advance.

A little unsettled shuffling at bedtime is normal. Ask for one photo on the first evening so you know, rather than imagine.

Day two onwards

By the second morning most dogs have worked out the routine, and the stay becomes ordinary: walks, meals, play, rest. This is the point where owners often get the best photos of the whole trip, because the dog has relaxed.

What to agree before you go

• How often you will get updates, and at what times.
• Who to contact if your dog is unwell, and up to what cost the sitter may authorise treatment.
• Whether the sitter will tell you about small problems as they happen.
• Your return time, so the handover is calm rather than rushed.

What not to do

• Do not disappear for the whole trip and refuse updates to prove you are fine. Updates are how you catch a real problem early.
• Do not ask the sitter to keep your dog awake or walking to tire it out. Routine beats exhaustion.
• Do not return early without telling the sitter. A surprise arrival unsettles the dog.

The handover on the way home

Expect a happy, tired dog who smells faintly of someone else's house, and often sleeps for a day afterwards. That is a normal stay. If your dog comes home anxious or over-thin after a long trip, that is worth a conversation, but it is not what a first stay with a sitter who is home all day normally looks like.