What to tell a new dog sitter

Begin with the next handover

Tell a new dog sitter four things: what happens in the first hour after drop-off, your dog’s normal daily routine, who to call and in what order if something changes, and how to reach your vet and an emergency vet. Start with the drop-off, not a full biography of your dog. A sitter walking in cold needs to know where the leash, food, and any medication live, plus how your dog tends to greet strangers at the door.

Write down the first hour in plain steps: where to find supplies, how to handle the initial greeting, and what to do if your dog seems anxious once you leave. A short note taped to the counter works as well as a long conversation, and it means the sitter isn’t relying on memory once you’re gone.

Cover these basics before you walk out the door:

• Where the leash, harness, and poop bags are kept
• Feeding location and how much food to leave down
• Any door, gate, or crate that needs to stay locked or shut Any medication: name, dose, time, and how your dog takes it
• A phone number for you and one backup contact
• The name and location of your regular vet, in case of a routine question

Keep the handover itself short. A sitter juggling a new dog and a new house doesn’t need every detail at once; they need the pieces that matter in the first thirty minutes.

If your dog has a strong reaction to new people or new spaces, say so plainly and describe what that reaction looks like. A simple sentence like “she barks at the mail slot for a few minutes, then settles” gives them something concrete to expect, instead of a surprise.

End the handover by confirming the sitter has what they need physically in hand: keys, leash, food measured out or the container shown to them, and any written notes. A quick walkthrough of the space, room by room, closes gaps that a verbal summary alone tends to leave open.

Make the usual routine easy to find

Write the daily routine down somewhere the sitter can check without texting you every time. A posted schedule removes guesswork and cuts down on interruptions during your trip.

Keep the routine to what actually happens on a normal day: feeding times, walk times, and where your dog sleeps or rests. Skip aspirational routines you don’t actually follow.

A simple written routine might include:

• Feeding times and portion size
• Walk or outdoor time, including preferred routes or areas to avoid
• Rest spots, including any furniture rules
• Toys or items your dog uses regularly
• Any household sounds or triggers your dog reacts to, described plainly

Post this somewhere visible, like the refrigerator or a shared note. A sitter managing a new environment can glance at a written list, which beats trying to recall a verbal rundown from the handover.

If your dog has a habit that isn’t obvious to a stranger, such as needing a specific door left cracked or a particular walk timing, name it directly. A sitter who hasn’t lived with your dog won’t pick it up on their own. Mark which items are genuine requirements and which are just how your household does things, so the sitter knows where there’s room to improvise.

Leave room on the written routine for the sitter to jot down what actually happened each day. A short daily log, even three or four lines, gives you a record to compare against your dog’s normal pattern when you’re back.

State what the sitter should do when plans change

Tell the sitter exactly who to contact first if something doesn’t go as expected, before anything actually happens. A single clear point of contact, listed by name and number, saves time when a decision needs to be made quickly.

Give the sitter a short, ordered list of who to call and in what order. A specific sequence beats a vague instruction to “reach out if needed,” and ambiguity here is where confusion tends to build, especially if you’re unreachable for a stretch of time.

A basic escalation plan might look like this:

1. Call you first, at the number you’ve provided
2. If no answer within a set window you’ve agreed on, call your backup contact
3. For anything involving your dog’s health, contact your regular vet’s office directly
4. If it’s after hours or the situation seems urgent, use the nearest emergency vet you’ve identified in advance

Write down your vet’s phone number and address, and do the same for an emergency vet option, even if you don’t expect to need it. Having both listed removes a step during a moment when the sitter may be deciding quickly.

Be specific about what counts as a plan change versus a normal deviation. A slightly shorter walk because of weather is different from your dog refusing food or seeming unusually withdrawn.

Spell out which situations warrant a call versus a text update, so the sitter isn’t left guessing where the line is. Close the loop by telling the sitter what you’d like to hear from them once you’re reachable again, whether that’s a summary text or a quick call.