Control, commands, and honesty about his reactions
The first emergency details for a German Shepherd are about control, because a large, strong, loyal dog in a disrupted household is a safety question before he is a feeding question. Tell helpers the exact commands he knows and reliably obeys — sit, down, stay, leave it, his recall word — and demonstrate them, because a shepherd who works beautifully for his owner may test a hesitant neighbour. State which lead and collar or harness he uses, that he is never handled by grabbing his collar in excitement, and how he is walked past other dogs.
Be completely honest about his temperament. If he is wary of strangers, guards the door, dislikes certain dogs, or must not be approached by visiting children without you present, helpers need that in plain words, not discovered. Explain his signals too: the barking that means a delivery, the fixed stare that means a helper should create distance, and the settling routine that tells him his watch is over.
Feeding, rest, and the physical facts of a big dog
Give helpers his measured meals and times, where his food is stored, and the rule that he rests quietly after eating rather than being exercised or played with — a routine worth protecting in a deep-chested breed. Note his water arrangements and his toilet routine, including his usual spots and times, because a shepherd kept waiting becomes restless and vocal.
Add his physical care facts in ordinary language: any stiffness or joint sensitivity a vet has noted, whether stairs should be limited, the surfaces he slips on, and how he is helped into a car if he ever needs transporting. Include his weight if you know it, since anyone lifting or restraining him, or a vet treating him, will ask.
Medical contacts and what counts as urgent for him
Write down your vet's name, address, and number, an out-of-hours emergency contact, and your own number, plus a second family contact who knows him. Authorise helpers in writing to seek emergency care and explain how costs will be settled. List his known health history in plain terms — past stomach problems, ear trouble, allergies you are aware of, any previous injuries — and his microchip number, so a helper can hand a vet a useful history immediately.
Define his urgent signs specifically: repeated unproductive retching or a swollen abdomen, collapse, uncontrolled bleeding, a seizure, or a sudden inability to rise or walk. Those mean a vet now, with a phone call ahead, not a message to you and a wait.
House and boundary rules that keep him contained
Finish with the property details: how helpers get in, which doors and gates must stay closed and latched, where his lead, food, bedding, and cleaning supplies live, and any rooms he is not allowed into. Emphasise the garden boundary check before he is let out off lead, especially after storms, and that visitors should be met with him settled in another room if that is your normal rule. A loose German Shepherd is a neighbourhood incident, not a minor mishap, so containment instructions deserve the same prominence as feeding.
One temporary handover, everything in it
Assemble all of it — commands, reactions, feeding, rest, vet contacts, urgent signs, house rules — as a single handover a named helper can use for a defined period, rather than scattered texts and memory. Review it whenever his training, diet, health notes, or your vet changes, because a confident breed handled from outdated instructions is a risk multiplied. KinsLe's Care Pass gives the neighbour or relative stepping in temporary, clear access to your German Shepherd's care routine and essential details while you are away, so they work from the version you approved, in full, from the first minute.