What Your Pet Sitter Really Needs to Know About Your Dog

The routine, hour by hour

• What time your dog normally wakes, eats and goes out.
• Walk times and typical length, plus how your dog behaves on the lead.
• How your dog signals that they need the toilet.
• Meal amounts, and whether your dog guards food or the bowl.
• Rest times, and where your dog prefers to sleep.

Health and medication

• Any current medication, dose and time, in the original packaging.
• Allergies, including food and environmental.
• Ongoing conditions: arthritis, epilepsy, digestive problems, heart conditions.
• Recent surgery or injury, and any movement to avoid.
• Vet name, address and phone, plus an emergency contact.

Behaviour and temperament

• How your dog is with other dogs, cats, children and strangers.
• Any history of biting, nipping or resource guarding, and the exact circumstances.
• Whether your dog is a door bolter, and how you manage it.
• What frightens your dog: thunder, fireworks, doorbells, lawnmowers, umbrellas.
• What your dog does when frightened: hides, paces, shakes, barks, freezes.

Training and cues

List the cues your dog actually knows and the exact word you use for each one, plus any behaviour you are currently working on so the sitter does not undo it. If your dog is toilet training, say where they normally go and how often they need out.

The small things that make a big difference

• Which toy your dog takes to bed.
• Whether your dog likes to be touched while eating or sleeping.
• The treat that actually works as a reward.
• Whether your dog drinks less when unsettled.
• Anything your dog does that looks alarming but is normal: reverse sneezing, dreaming loudly, licking the air.

One page is enough

Write it down, one page, and bring it to the meet and greet so the sitter can ask questions while you are still there. Paper beats a long text message the sitter reads in a hurry.