Caring for a dog in her final stage is quiet, close work, and a house sitter can only do it well if your brief covers comfort, dignity, and what to do in a hard moment — not just feeding times. The sitter is stepping into an emotional routine, so be honest about where she is in her life and what a normal day for her now actually looks like.
Her comfort routine, hour by hour
Describe where she chooses to sleep, whether she likes a blanket tucked or left loose, and how she prefers to be lifted or steadied if she needs help rising. Note how often she usually asks to go out, including overnight, and what her signal is — a stare, a whine, a shuffle toward the door — so the sitter does not miss it. Explain her eating pattern as it is now, even if that means small, frequent, warmed meals or hand-fed bites, and where fresh water must sit so she can reach it without a long walk across slippery floors.
Handling, toilet trips, and rest
Tell the sitter to move at her pace, never to hurry her on the lead or pull her up by her collar. Short trips to the same familiar patch of ground, with time to sniff if she wants it, matter more than distance. Explain any support she needs on steps, how to keep her bedding clean and dry, and how much company she seeks: some dogs in this stage want someone in the room at all times, others rest better with quiet nearby rather than constant fussing. Note her favourite settling cues — a particular song, a hand resting on her chest, the lights lowered — because those small details are what make a strange stay feel safe.
Signs the sitter must not sit on
Name the changes that mean the sitter should call you, and then your vet, without waiting until morning: she cannot rise even with help, she cries out or pants hard at rest, she refuses all food and water, she has repeated accidents while lying down and cannot be kept comfortable, or she seems frightened and cannot settle. Be equally clear about gentler shifts worth noting in a message — eating less, sleeping in a new place, showing less interest in a favourite person — so you return to a true picture, not a reassuring summary.
People, numbers, and permission to act
Leave the vet's number, an out-of-hours number, and a trusted neighbour or family member who knows her, in that order, with a note about what decisions the sitter can make in an emergency if you cannot be reached. Say plainly that calling for help is always the right choice and never an overreaction with a dog at this stage. If there are medicines to give, lay out what each one is for, when it is due, and what to do if she refuses it, without expecting the sitter to improvise.
Leaving the brief where she will actually use it
A long message thread is easy to lose at two in the morning, so put the routine, the warning signs, and the call order in one place the sitter can open on her phone by her bed. Handing that over through KinsLe Care Pass gives her temporary, clear access to exactly this dog's care routine and key details for the days you are away, and nothing she has to hunt for when your girl needs her.