Start with identity, contacts, and temperament
Begin a Poodle care log with the essentials a sitter reaches for first: your dog's name, size and age, your contact details, a nearby backup person, and your veterinary clinic with its after-hours arrangement. Add a few honest lines about temperament. Poodles read their people closely and can be reserved with strangers or unsettled by a changed routine, so note what comforts your dog, whether visitors should let the dog approach first, and any situations — doorbells, other dogs on walks, being picked up — that need calm handling rather than enthusiasm.
Feeding a dog who may eat politely or not at all
Record the food, the amount per meal, and the times, plus where everything is stored. Unlike greedier breeds, many Poodles are measured eaters who may skip a meal in an unfamiliar rhythm, so tell the sitter what a normal appetite looks like for your dog and how long a refused meal should be left before it is picked up and noted. List approved treats and their daily limit, any foods that are strictly off limits, and whether your Poodle grazes or eats on schedule. Note tear staining or a sensitive stomach if either is part of your dog's normal picture, so ordinary quirks are not mistaken for illness.
The coat and ear care a sitter cannot skip
This is the section that separates a Poodle log from a generic one. Explain how often the coat needs brushing during the stay, which brush and comb to use, and how to work through the friction spots where mats form first — behind the ears, under the collar, in the armpits, and around the feet. A coat left unbrushed for a week can mat tightly enough to need clipping out, so make the task's importance plain without making it sound optional. Add ear checks: Poodle ears are hairy and well covered, moisture lingers, and the sitter should note head shaking, scratching, or a sour smell rather than attempting deep cleaning. If a grooming appointment falls during your trip, include the date, place, and what style to ask for.
Exercise, training cues, and the shape of the day
Set out walk times and lengths, play preferences, and the cue words your household actually uses, since an intelligent Poodle will test whether the sitter's rules differ from yours. Mention mental exercise too — puzzle feeders, training games, or a familiar trick routine — because a bored Poodle finds its own projects. Cover bathroom timing, sleep arrangements, and any stairs, furniture, or rooms that are off limits.
Daily notes back to you, and when to call
Ask the sitter to write a short daily entry: food eaten, water and bathroom patterns, coat care done, exercise, mood, and anything unusual such as loose stool, repeated paw licking, or a skipped second meal in a row. Give clear call thresholds: not eating for a full day beyond the usual settling-in pattern, vomiting more than once, signs of ear pain, or any injury should reach you or the vet promptly rather than being saved for your return. Handing this log over through KinsLe's Care Pass lets your sitter hold your Poodle's routine and key details as temporary, clear access, instead of piecing it together from texts and memory.