Dog sitter handover kit: a printable checklist and instructions

What to leave for your dog sitter

The kit turns everything in your head into a few clear fill-in pages: a welcome letter to your sitter, trip details and a contact sheet (owners, a backup person nearby, your regular vet, an emergency vet, an animal poison helpline, dog walker and neighbour), house rules, your dog's personality, triggers and quirks, the words and signals your dog knows, where things are kept, and your usual walk routes and walk rules.

A pre-departure checklist, started about a week before you leave, and a packing list for the sitter or kennel help you sort out food, prescribed medication, keys and your dog's bag in good time.

Emergency plan and vet authorization

The emergency plan collects the nearest emergency vet and the route there, transport, insurance details, how vet costs are paid and up to what amount, known health conditions, and who decides if you can't be reached. A page of signs that need a vet straight away tells the sitter when to call – and when in doubt, to call.

There is also a blank authorization template you can fill in and sign, so the sitter can take your dog to a vet while you're away. It is a general template, not a legal document, so ask your vet clinic whether they need their own form.

Daily schedule, feeding and medication times

Write down a normal day with times – wake-up, meals, walks, midday, the last toilet trip and bedtime – plus a feeding chart with food, amounts, treats per day and anything your dog must never get. The medication page is only for what your vet has prescribed, filled in exactly as on the label; the kit itself contains no treatments or dosages. A weekly plan covers fixed things such as daycare, training or visitors.

Daily sitter report

A daily log for the sitter – breakfast, dinner, water, pee, poo, walks and mood – takes a couple of minutes a day and tells you how each day went. When you collect your dog, the pick-up and return pages help you go through the handover together, with a short checklist for the first days back home.

FAQ

What should I leave for my dog sitter?

Contact numbers (you, a backup person nearby and your vet), the daily routine, feeding amounts, any medication times your vet has prescribed, house rules, walk rules and where things are kept. The kit has a fill-in page for each.

What instructions should I write for a dog sitter?

Write down a normal day hour by hour, your dog's quirks and triggers, the words and signals your dog knows, and what to do in an emergency. The kit includes a welcome letter and an emergency plan to fill in.

Does it work for a kennel or family member too?

Yes. There's a packing list for the sitter or kennel, and the pages work for anyone looking after your dog.

What format is it?

A printable 19-page A4 PDF in English, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish and German (5 files), downloaded right after purchase. Nothing is shipped.