Looking after someone else’s dog is a huge responsibility. Here’s how to help your dog sitter do it with confidence.
(And see below for a free printable checklist to make pup life easy at handover time!)
While your dog is unlikely to let their sitter forget walks and essential ear scratches, the finer details of their day-to-day can easily slip your mind after leaving town. And let’s face it, there’s not much point in asking the dog how much food he needs.
If you take one thing away from our dog sitting guide, let it be this: if your dog sitter is staying at home, make sure they visit you and the dog at home. That way they can see them in their comfort zone and watch their habits and behaviour around you – it’s a good reference point to compare behavior to once you’re out of the picture.
To avoid any confusion or anxiety on the dog sitter’s part, we recommend noting down all the details together when you meet.
Make sure they know about:
- Commands your dog knows and/or is learning
- Amounts and frequency of food
- Any special treats, toppers or bowl builders to add to their meal
- Walk routine, distance and habits enroute
- Amounts and frequencies of medicines and how to administer it
- Any idiosyncrasies to be aware of
- Any behaviour issues or bad habits and how to correct them
- Their usual sleep routine
- Their favourite spot to sleep
- Their favourite toys
To make it easier to keep all this info in one place – and to avoid missing anything – we’ve made this printable checklist to fill out for your pre-sitting catch up.
Download our free dog sitting checklist
Download our free dog-sitting checklist
You can add any extra notes and numbers to this list too. Take a photo of it before you leave too, in case the paper ends up becoming a dog’s breakfast (literally).
Familiarise them with your dog’s space
If your pet sitter is staying over, leave enough time to make sure they’re comfortable with access to your house, how to secure the property and any household quirks they need to be aware of. Additionally, show them exactly where to find walking gear, food, medication, treats, poop bags, dog toys and grooming equipment.
Closing off any areas that your dog shouldn’t go into is probably a good idea if the pet sitter is leaving your dog home alone for periods of time. You may also like to move or protect anything your pet might chew or break if they become anxious about having someone new in their space.
Ready for anything
Whether your pet sitter knows your dog well or not, make sure they’re prepared for an emergency. Give them phone numbers for vets, friends and family members in case you need them. Consider connecting them via a chat group before leaving so that they can act quickly in an emergency.
They’re the boss
While your pet sitter is in charge, encourage them not to let things slide. Letting them jump up or sit on the couch will only cause strife for both you and the dog later on, if these are behaviours you’re trying to discourage.
However, it’s always kind of fun to be the ‘cool babysitter’. In this respect, the odd freeze-dried meat snack for a well-behaved dog is like the pup equivalent of an R-rated movie.