A good sitter brief answers every question before it gets asked at an awkward hour. Your sitter should be able to run an ordinary day, handle a strange one, and reach the right person fast, all without guessing. That means four things written down plainly: her routine, her feeding, her vet and emergency contacts, and the house specifics that keep the home itself running safely while you are away.
The Daily Routine, Written Down Plainly
Start with the rhythm she trusts. Note when she wakes, when walks happen and how long they last, where she toilets, and what her signals look like when she needs to go out. Write feeding as exact amounts and times, not handfuls or guesses, and say where the food lives, what treats are allowed, and what she must never be given. If she takes medicine, give the name as labeled, the amount, the timing, and what to do if a dose is refused or spat out. Add her limits honestly: the stairs she should not race, the dogs she finds frightening, the fireworks or doorbells that unsettle her, and the greetings that calm her fastest. Finish this section with the evening pattern she knows, because a familiar wind-down is often what settles a dog sleeping in a house that smells faintly different. Keep a copy of the whole brief on your phone as well, so the sitter can check a detail in seconds rather than relying on memory from a busy handover conversation.
Vet Contacts and Permission for Urgent Care
Give the sitter your usual vet first: the practice name, the address, the phone number, and her name exactly as the practice holds it. Behind that, add the emergency vet she should use out of hours, with its address and number, because searching for one at midnight wastes the minutes that matter. Then write the contact order: you first, by phone and message, then a named local backup who can get there and make decisions if you cannot be reached, then anyone else the sitter should update. Sign and date a short authorization saying the sitter may approve urgent treatment, state the payment arrangement you have agreed for that care, and tell your vet the arrangement exists so nobody argues about billing during an emergency. Confirm the sitter's own agreed terms in writing too: the fee, the exact dates, the duties covered, and what happens if your return is delayed. Keep the signed authorization with the sitter from the first day of the trip, not filed away at home where nobody can produce it.
House Specifics and a Calm Handover
Walk the sitter through the house in person rather than leaving a note on the counter. Show which doors stay shut, how the alarm is set and unset, where the heating controls sit and what temperature she sleeps at, which plants are within reach, and where post, bins and deliveries fit into the week. Point out the stopcock, the fuse box and the torch, and leave your itinerary with flight times and the hours when you will be out of signal. Agree the update rhythm before you go, perhaps a photo each morning and a message each evening, so silence never has to be interpreted. A short trial visit, or one overnight stay before a long trip, lets her learn the sitter while you are still nearby to answer questions. For those dates alone, KinsLe's Care Pass lets you share feeding instructions, walk times and emergency contacts with that one sitter, and the access closes when your trip ends.