Get the handover in writing before the owner leaves
A verbal 'he is easy, feed him twice a day' collapses by Saturday evening. Ask for the essentials in writing: what food and how much per meal, walk and toilet times, where the dog sleeps, what frightens it, any health conditions and current care needs, and the vet's name and number plus permission arrangements if treatment is needed. Confirm what the dog may never have — cooked bones, certain human foods, off-lead time near roads — because a guest dog will be offered all three by a well-meaning household.
Set up the house for a dog that does not know it
Walk the main room at dog height before arrival: lift shoes, chargers, children's small toys, bins and any food within reach of a curious nose. Check garden fences and gates properly, since a dog that never tests its own fence may test yours, and plan lead-on garden trips until you have seen recall work in your space. Give the guest dog one quiet base — bed, water and a familiar-smelling blanket from home — away from the busiest household traffic, and let the dog discover the rest of the house gradually.
Keep the dog's own routine, not your improved version
Feed the owner's food at the owner's times and amounts, even if your own habits differ, because sudden food changes are the fastest route to a miserable weekend of digestive upset. Walk the routes and distances the dog is used to, keep bedtime where the dog expects it, and resist the kind invitation to sleep on your bed if the dog sleeps in a crate at home — unless the owner has said otherwise. Familiar rhythm is what makes a strange house feel safe to a dog.
Introductions to your own dog, children and visitors
If you have a dog, arrange the first meeting on a walk rather than in your hallway, feed the dogs apart, and supervise shared time until you have seen both relax and rest in the same room. Brief children before arrival: no hugging the guest, no disturbing it asleep or eating, and an adult manages every interaction until the dog's temperament in your home is known. Keep visitor numbers low for the first evening, when everything is new and the dog's tolerance is thinnest.
Exercise, settling and the Sunday wobble
A walked dog with a sniff-rich route settles; an under-exercised guest dog redecorates. Build in the dog's normal exercise plus calm chewing or licking activities in its quiet base, and expect some restlessness the first night — panting, pacing or whining at the door usually eases once the dog has slept, eaten and toileted on routine. Many guest dogs wobble again just as they settle, often on the last evening, so keep that night especially calm and predictable.
If something goes wrong
For vomiting that repeats, refusal of all food and water, limping, a swallowed object or any escape, phone the owner and the dog's vet promptly rather than waiting for pickup day — small problems are far easier early. Keep the lead, collar and any ID on or near the dog at all times, walk on a lead in unfamiliar streets, and if the dog does slip away, contact the owner and local services immediately with the area and time. Note appetite, toilet and sleep through the weekend so your handover back is factual, not impressionistic.
The handover that makes weekend care simple
Scattered texts and a shouted routine at the door are how feeding amounts and fears get lost. A KinsLe Care Pass hands a trusted sitter temporary, clear access to the dog's care routine and key details, so you can look after your friend's dog exactly as its owner would.