Dog sitter checklist: what to leave out before you travel

A practical packing list for your dog’s stay, whether the sitter comes to your home or your dog goes to theirs.

Writing good instructions is half of a smooth handover. The other half is making sure the sitter actually has everything they need. Lay it all out in one place the day before you leave, so nothing is hidden in a cupboard only you know about.

If the sitter comes to your home

• Enough food for the whole stay, plus two extra days.
• Medicine in its original packaging, with the dose written on it.
• Lead, harness and a spare lead.
• Poo bags, and where you keep more.
• Towels for muddy paws and an old towel for the car.
• Treats for training and for hiding pills.
• A torch or head torch for dark evening walks in winter.
• Your written handover sheet, somewhere obvious like the fridge door.

If your dog stays at the sitter’s home

Everything above, plus the things that make your dog feel at home.

• Their own bed or blanket. The smell of home helps a lot on the first night.
• Their food and water bowls.
• A favourite toy or chew.
• A crate, if your dog is crate trained.
• A copy of the vaccination record, in case the sitter needs to visit a vet.

Before you hand over the keys

1. Check your dog’s microchip details are up to date with your current phone number.
2. Make sure the collar has an ID tag with a phone number that works while you are away.
3. Tell your vet that a sitter may bring your dog in, and authorise them if the clinic requires it.
4. Walk the usual route with the sitter if they have not done it before.
5. Do a short trial visit, especially if your dog has never stayed with this person.

The first evening

Many dogs are unsettled on the first evening without their owner. They may eat less, pace or whine. Tell your sitter this is normal and usually passes within a day. Ask them to keep the routine as close to yours as possible: same meal times, same walk times, same bedtime. Routine is what tells a dog that everything is fine.

Keep it all in one place

Our free Pet Sitter Checklist covers contacts, feeding, medicine, walks and house rules, with a daily log for the sitter to tick off. Print it or fill it in on screen.