Food and the lead are the obvious items, and they are the ones least likely to cause trouble. A first weekend with a sitter goes wrong, when it does, over the unconsidered things: the dog who cannot settle without his usual blanket, the medication nobody mentioned, the gate latch the sitter did not know sticks, the bedtime routine that exists only in your head. Packing well for a sitter means packing for three things at once — your dog's comfort in your absence, the sitter's confidence to handle ordinary moments, and a clear path if anything unexpected happens.
Comfort Items That Help Your Dog Settle
Your dog will read the weekend through smell and routine more than through objects, so send the things that carry home with them. A blanket or bed he already sleeps on, unwashed for once, settles far better than anything new. Add a worn T-shirt of yours if he is the type to check where you have gone, plus one or two familiar toys rather than a bagful of novelties. Familiar comfort items matter most on the first night, when the house sounds different and you are not in your usual chair.
The Practical Kit for Walks, Mess and Weather
Think through the weekend hour by hour and pack what each moment needs. Poo bags in more than one pocket or bag, a towel by the door for wet paws, and a spare lead and collar in case one gets chewed, lost or soaked cover the common mishaps. Check the ID on the collar is current before the weekend, not after. If rain is likely, leave the coat your dog actually tolerates rather than the smart one he hates. At home, point out cleaning supplies, the mop, and what to use on the carpet, so a small accident at midnight is a nuisance rather than a crisis the sitter hides from you.
Medicines, Vet Details and Permission to Act
Any medication needs its original container where possible, the timing written in plain words, and a note on how your dog takes it — in food, by hand, hidden in something soft. Leave your vet's name, address and phone number, the out-of-hours arrangement, and your own mobile number where the sitter will actually find them at 2 a.m. Add a short signed note giving the sitter permission to seek emergency treatment for your dog, and say how costs will be settled, because a sitter hesitating over money is the last thing an emergency needs. Mention allergies, old injuries and anything that looks alarming but is normal for this dog.
The Routine Notes a Sitter Actually Uses
Write the routine as your dog lives it: walk times and the usual route, meal times and amounts, where he sleeps, what the bedtime cue is, and the house rules that matter — whether he is allowed on the sofa, which doors stay shut, how he behaves at the front door. Include his quirks honestly: the neighbour's cat, the scooter noise, the game that winds him up before bed. Keep it to one clear page the sitter can glance at, rather than a long document nobody rereads. Walk through it together before you leave, ideally on an actual short walk with the sitter holding the lead.
Leaving the Sitter Equipped, Not Just Informed
The best test of your packing is whether the sitter can get through the weekend without needing to improvise or phone you in a panic. A KinsLe Care Pass supports exactly that handover, giving your sitter temporary, clear access to your dog's care routine and key details while you are away, so the feeding times, vet number and bedtime routine you packed around are in their hands whenever the weekend asks a question you forgot to answer.