How to write your dog’s routine for a sitter

Describe the existing day

The RSPCA advises leaving clear instructions and details of a pet’s usual routine when someone else is providing care. Start with a normal day in your own household, then identify which parts the caregiver has agreed to handle.

Do not copy a schedule simply because it is labeled for dogs of a similar size or breed. This page is a writing framework, not a recommendation for feeding quantities, exercise duration, or time alone.

Source: RSPCA: Exploring pet sitting options.

Use a schedule with an instruction beside every time

A row saying ‘7:00 — dog’ is hard to act on. A row should name the task and link it to an instruction. If the timing is flexible, describe the window you and the sitter have actually agreed on. Keep confirmed times separate from items still to discuss.

Explain equipment and familiar responses

Identify the harness, lead, bowls, bedding, and cleaning supplies by location or a clear description. Demonstrate equipment during the handover. Write factual observations such as how your dog usually responds at the door or settles after a walk, together with the owner-approved handling instructions.

Avoid labels that leave room for interpretation. ‘Nervous’ is less useful than an observation describing what happens and the agreed response. Do not present a generated explanation of behavior as a diagnosis.

Agree how changes will be handled

Decide how the sitter should contact you if the planned time changes, supplies run low, or an instruction is unclear. A journal entry should record what happened and when; it should not silently rewrite the plan. Use an actual completion time so the next caregiver can distinguish a planned task from a finished one.

• Each task has an agreed time or window.
• Food and quantities come from the owner’s existing instructions.
• The caregiver has seen the walking equipment.
• Known restrictions are visible near the relevant task.
• There is a contact route for questions and urgent concerns.

Review the routine after each trip

Ask which instructions required a follow-up message. Add those answers to the reusable profile, remove instructions that are no longer current, and review the next trip separately. If your dog’s needs have changed, get the appropriate professional guidance before updating the care plan.