Most pet owners struggle with leaving home and not bringing their furry friends. Although you wish you could always take your dogs along, sometimes that’s impossible.
When that happens, you must ensure someone takes good care of them while you are gone.
Hiring a professional pet sitter is the best way to ensure your dog sticks to his routine and gets all the necessary care.
Dog sitters know how to make the time apart from you less stressful for your pup by providing care and attention in your absence.
However, for the process to go smoothly, you must leave the pet sitter with everything they need to care for your furry family member.
It won’t take much time, but creating a dog sitter checklist will give you peace of mind and help protect your dog’s well-being.
Before you pack the car and hit the road, prepare your home using this 10-step pet sitter checklist.
1. Information about your pet
The pet sitter must know every important detail about your dog, including his unique routines and characteristics.
Inform them about the dog’s daily routines, how, when, and what they eat, their favorite toys and games, whether they get along with the neighbor dog, etc.
Also, make sure your dog sitter has information about your dog’s microchip in case your pup gets out and the sitter has to report it missing.
Every detail ensures your dog gets the best care possible during pet sitting.
Provide the pet sitter with a comprehensive list of your pet’s daily routines, including feeding schedules, exercise routines, favorite games, and specific behavioral cues or triggers.
Open and transparent communication will help the pet sitter provide the best care.
2. A list of your dog’s conditions and medications
If your pup has to undergo treatment while you’re away, ensure the sitter knows what to do, how, and when.
You wouldn’t want to rely on your sitter’s memory, so it’s good to write everything down, including conditions, treatment, medications, or scheduled vet visits.
Also, provide emergency contact information for both yourself and local veterinarians.
3. Emergency information
Give the sitter all necessary driving, metro, or bus directions to the local veterinarians, emergency vet stations, and all essential emergency contacts. Provide phone numbers and addresses.
If anything unexpected happens, you wouldn’t want them to waste valuable time looking for those things.
Your pet sitter should have this information in case of an emergency.
4. Important contact information
Your pet sitter needs to be able to reach you and not just you. It’s not enough to provide your cell phone number. You need to ensure there is a backup person or secondary contact they can call if you’re unreachable.
Leaving the name and phone number of the hotel or apartment where you’ll stay is also imperative. Mobile phones can act up at the worst possible moments, and it’s always good for the sitter to have another way to reach you.
5. Precise information about your itinerary
To ensure there’s no confusion, write down the dates.
If anything unexpected happens and you need to delay your return, notify the sitter immediately.
6. Access to all necessary supplies
Ensuring you have enough supplies for your pet is essential, and ensuring the sitter knows where to find everything they need is just as necessary.
Ensure the sitter can easily find the food, toys, leashes and harnesses, ID tags, grooming and cleaning supplies, etc.
If needed, write everything down for them, take a video of everything with instructions, and send it to their phones.
7. Keys to a fully-prepared home
The pet sitter’s only job is to take care of your pet, so it’s essential to hand them the keys to a clean, safe home.
Prepare your home for your absence and take care of all safety hazards.
Ensure you take all potentially dangerous chemicals out of your dog’s reach. That may include cleaning products, rat poison, weed, insect killers, or anything else that may harm your pup.
Repair any fence holes and secure all the gates before you leave.
8. A list of house rules
Just because you aren’t around doesn’t mean your dog gets to drink from the toilet, sleep in your bed, or chase the neighbor’s cat.
The pet sitter should know what your pet is and isn’t allowed to do around the house. You wouldn’t want to return home to a pet that has lost all the discipline you’ve ever taught him.
9. An authorization letter or a credit card
If your dog has an emergency and needs to go to the vet, the sitter should be able to pay for the treatment—even if it’s pretty expensive.
Leave a credit card for emergencies and a signed letter stating you allow this person to use it.
Preparing an authorization letter and a credit card for the pet sitter is crucial for emergency vet visits.
The authorization letter should include your contact information, permission for the pet sitter to seek medical treatment for your pet, and any specific instructions or limitations.
This ensures that your pet can receive necessary medical care promptly, even in your absence.
10. Information about visitors
Write down the names and dates of anyone visiting your home while you’re away. For example, if you use a dog-walking service, let your sitter know when the dog-walkers will be there.
Or, if your pet sitter provides that service, be sure to change your walker’s schedule.
Your mom may come to check the house, or it may be the pool cleaner, the gardener, or the pooper scooper.
Don’t let unexpected guests stress out the pet sitter.
Use a dog sitter checklist
A little preparation will make everyone — your dog, the pet sitter, and yourself — feel better and more at ease.
Preparing your home for the pet sitter is essential to ensure the safety and well-being of your furry friend.
Start by removing potentially harmful substances such as cleaning products, rat poison, or plants that may be toxic to pets.
Ensure all gates and fences are secure, and repair any potential hazards in the home.
Provide clear instructions on where to find essential items such as food, toys, leashes, and grooming supplies. A safe and organized home sets the stage for a successful pet-sitting experience.
Use a dog sitter checklist the next time you leave your pet with a sitter to ensure everything goes smoothly.