Rover’s own guidance for sitters looking after senior dogs says the same thing our readers do: owners forget to mention the things that matter most for an older dog. Not the food. The stairs, the 3 am bathroom trip, the pill that has to be hidden in cheese, and what counts as an emergency for this particular dog. This is the checklist of what to tell a sitter, ordered by what gets left out most.
Download the free two page Senior Dog Sitter Instructions (PDF)
1. What normal looks like for this dog
The single most useful sentence you can give a sitter. “Sleeps most of the day, eats slowly but finishes, back legs wobble on the tile, snores loudly.” Without it, a sitter either panics at things you already know about or ignores something new because they assume it is age. Put it at the top of the sheet.
2. Mobility, in specifics
Can she do the back step? Does he need a hand under the belly to get up from the hardwood? Is there a ramp for the car, and does the dog actually use it? Will she go out in the rain? Sitters cope with almost anything they were told about and struggle with the thing they discover at 10 pm.
3. Overnight bathroom trips
The most commonly omitted item. If your dog needs to go out at 2 or 3 am, say how many times and roughly when, and what happens if they are not let out (an accident, or a dog that whines until someone wakes). A sitter who knows this sets an alarm. One who does not wakes up angry at the dog.
4. Medications, with the trick
Name, dose, times, with food or not, and how you actually get it into the dog. That last part is the one owners leave out because they no longer notice they are doing it. The sitter sheet has a medication grid with a “given” checkbox; ask the sitter to tick it the moment the dose goes in. If you already keep the weekly medication chart, leave that out too.
5. Who to call, in order
You, a backup person who can make decisions if you are unreachable, your vet, and the nearest emergency clinic with its address. Say whether your vet has the dog’s records on file, because the emergency clinic will ask. Put the same numbers on the fridge and on the wallet emergency card.
6. Two lists: call me if, and go to the vet if
The difference between these two lists is the whole point. “Call me” items are things you want to know about: skipped two meals in a row, cannot get up or keeps falling, vomiting or diarrhea more than once, breathing fast at rest, a missed or doubled dose. “Go straight to the emergency vet” items are the ones where you do not want the sitter waiting for you to pick up: collapse, trouble breathing, a seizure, a bloated hard belly with retching. Ask your vet what belongs on each list for your dog and write the answer down.
7. Food, water and treats
Brand, amount and times. Treats that are allowed and not allowed. Whether the dog drinks a lot (normal for some seniors, worth mentioning so the sitter does not worry) and whether the bowl is raised. If a medication has to go with food, say so here as well as on the medication grid.
8. Where they sleep and what they are scared of
Older dogs are creatures of routine, and the sitter keeping the routine is what keeps the dog calm. Where they sleep, the favourite resting spot, whether they are frightened of the vacuum or fireworks, and whether they get confused at night. Confusion at night is common in older dogs and alarming to a sitter who was not told.
9. A daily log for the sitter
The bottom of the sitter sheet is a short log: date, meals eaten, meds given, bathroom, mood. Thirty seconds a day. It gives you a record when you get home and gives your vet a record if anything changed while you were away.
How to hand it over
Print two copies, one for the counter and one with the medications. Walk the sitter through it in person or on a video call and physically show them how you give the medication. Photograph the completed sheet so you have it on your phone. If you board instead, the same sheet goes in the bag; our senior dog boarding checklist covers the extra things kennels need.
The full sitter sheet is one of the pages in the Senior Dog Care Binder.
Golden Years Dog Care provides organizational tools and checklists, not veterinary advice. Always follow your veterinarian’s instructions for your dog’s medications and conditions.