The Collie temperament a new carer should expect
Temperament is the right place to start a Collie handover, because this breed notices everything and worries quietly. Tell the carer that your Collie may hang back from visitors, startle at sudden noises and pace when routines change, and describe what reassures her: a calm voice, a predictable order to the day and a quiet corner that is hers. Name the family members and dogs she already knows, and be honest about whether busy households, young children or frequent comings and goings will unsettle her during a first stay.
That long coat needs a written grooming plan
Coat care for a Rough Collie cannot be left to chance over a long stay. Explain how often you brush her, which areas mat first, typically behind the ears, under the front legs and at the back of the thighs, and which brush and comb you use. Tell the sitter never to bathe a matted coat without brushing first, and to check for grass seeds and ticks after country walks. If she is mid-shed, warn the carer about the volume of loose undercoat so daily brushing sessions are planned rather than squeezed in.
Exercise, herding instincts and commands
Exercise notes for your Collie should balance her stamina with her sensitivity. Give her usual walk lengths, the routes she knows, whether she is reliable off lead and how she reacts to livestock, cyclists and joggers, since herding instincts can surface as chasing or circling. List the commands she knows and the words you use, especially recall and settle. Mention the games she enjoys and the ones that wind her up, and say how she travels in the car, because a Collie who gets carsick needs shorter, calmer journeys planned with the boarder.
Feeding and the sensitive Collie stomach
Feeding information deserves its own section in a Collie handover. State the food, amounts and meal times, and say plainly which extras upset her stomach, because many Collies run sensitive digestions and a well-meaning treat swap can cause days of loose stools. Ask the carer to report appetite changes, repeated vomiting or diarrhoea that does not settle, and to contact your vet rather than change the food mid-stay. Include vaccination status, your vet's details and any ongoing monitoring your vet has set, written exactly as you follow it at home.
Settling in, security and emergency cover
Settling details finish the picture: where your Collie sleeps, what her bedtime routine looks like, how long she can be left and which doors or gates must stay latched, since a worried Collie may slip out to look for you. Add written permission for emergency veterinary care and an emergency contact. Ask for a daily update during a first stay so you can spot a problem in the reports early. Show the sitter where the grooming kit lives, and ask for a photo of the finished brush-out if you want reassurance partway through a long stay.
Holding her grooming plan, feeding rules and vet history in a KinsLe Pet Passport means a new boarder receives your Collie's complete record, not just verbal instructions at the door.