Dog sitter checklist
The dog-specific version — walks, recall, lead manners, and what a stranger needs to know.
A general pet sitter sheet misses the things that only matter with a dog: whether recall is reliable, what happens on the lead when another dog appears, and which command actually works when it counts.
This is that list. Print it, fill it in, hand it over with the lead.
Everything it asks for.
Print it and write on it, or copy the fields into whatever you already use.
Your dog
Walks
Say where, not just when. "The long loop" means nothing to someone new.
| Time | How long | Where | Off-lead? |
|---|---|---|---|
Feeding
| Time | Food | How much | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Medications
| Medication | Dose | When | What it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
On the lead, and off it
The honest answers here are the ones that prevent an incident.
Things that are not allowed
- Foods they react to
- Off-lead areas to avoid
- Rooms or furniture that are off-limits
- People or dogs to steer clear of
- Treats that upset their stomach
Vet and emergency
What counts as an emergency
Worth writing down. A sitter who hesitates is a sitter who waits too long.
When the paper stops keeping up
Same sheet, minus the rewriting. PetPacket keeps your dog's records once and builds a Sitter Handoff whenever you need one — current doses, current vaccines, current vet.
Worth reading alongside it: what to leave for your pet sitter, and dog boarding checklist.
The other templates
- Pet sitter instructions template — Everything a sitter needs, on two sides — printed, or filled in on screen and handed over as a PDF.
- Dog vaccine record template — Every shot a kennel asks about, already printed. You fill in two dates per row.
- Pet vaccination record template — One sheet with every vaccine, the date it was given, and the date it lapses.
- Dog boarding form — What the kennel asks for at check-in, filled in before you get there.
- Pet emergency card — Cut it out and keep it where someone will find it — for the person who has your pet when you don't.
About this template.
What to put in it, and what people usually leave out.
What should I tell a dog sitter?
Walk times and routes, feeding portions, any medication with its timing, and the honest version of how your dog behaves on the lead and around other dogs. Add what counts as an emergency and whether they should call you first or go straight to the vet — that decision is much harder to make in the moment than to write down in advance.
Should I say my dog is reactive?
Yes, in plain words. A sitter who knows will cross the road early; a sitter who finds out will be holding the lead when it happens. It is not a judgement on your dog, and hiding it is how a manageable walk becomes an incident report.
How much detail does a dog sitter need about feeding?
Enough to repeat it exactly: the brand, the amount in cups or grams, and the times. A sudden food change on top of you being away is a common cause of an upset stomach that then reads as illness.
Fill it in once. Hand it over every time.
PetPacket keeps your pet's records in one place and builds the same page whenever you need it — current doses, current vaccines, current vet.
