What to tell a pet sitter or dog walker
By the Momsity team · Updated
Tell a pet sitter or dog walker everything you'd want to know if you were caring for someone else's animal for the first time: feeding amounts and times, behavior around people and other dogs, health issues and medication, your vet's contact, how to get in and out of the house, and what to do if something goes wrong. Writing it down once saves you from answering the same questions on every visit.
Behavior comes first
The single most useful thing you can share is how your pet actually behaves, not how you hope they'll behave. A dog who pulls hard, lunges at bikes, or slips a collar changes who should walk them and how. A cat who hides from strangers changes what a good visit looks like.
- How your dog reacts to other dogs, children, cyclists, and strangers
- Any bite history, even a single incident, and what triggered it
- Leash manners: pulling, lunging, slipping out of a collar or harness
- Fears like thunder, fireworks, or trucks, and how your pet shows stress
- Whether your pet can be off leash anywhere (in most cases, the answer should be no)
Food, water, and routine
Pets do better when their routine survives your absence. Be exact about amounts and times, and say where food is stored. "A scoop" means different things to different people.
Instead of: “Feed her dinner.”
Try: “One level cup of the dry food in the bin under the sink at 5 pm, plus a spoon of the wet food from the fridge. Fresh water every visit. No table scraps; she has a sensitive stomach.”
Health and emergencies
Leave your vet's name and number, the nearest emergency vet, and any medication instructions in writing. Say what counts as an emergency for your pet and how you want to be reached. If you'd want the sitter to take your pet to a vet, say so in advance, and decide how that would be paid for.
Sitters and walkers aren't veterinary professionals. They shouldn't give injections or medical treatment, and you shouldn't ask them to.
Getting in and out
Explain how the sitter gets in, where the leash and bags live, which doors stay closed, and whether any rooms are off limits. If you use a lockbox or door code, plan to change it after you're back. Mention anything that could let a pet slip out, like a gate that doesn't latch or a door that sticks.
Walks, drop-ins, or overnight?
A dog walk is usually a 20 to 60 minute visit focused on exercise and a bathroom break. A drop-in visit covers feeding, water, litter, and company. Overnight stays are a bigger commitment that mixes pet care with looking after your home, and on Momsity they fall under house sitting, which only MOMs approved for house sitting can offer.
Common mistakes
- Leaving out a bite or escape history because it "only happened once"
- Assuming the sitter will know where the leash, bags, or litter scoop are
- No plan for a late flight or a delayed return
- Forgetting to mention other animals in the home
- Sharing a door code and never changing it afterward
Pet care checklist
- Pet's name, age, breed, and size
- Feeding amounts, times, and where food is kept
- Behavior around people, dogs, and children, including bite history
- Leash, harness, and walking route preferences
- Medication instructions, your vet, and the nearest emergency vet
- How home access works and which areas are off limits
- How and when you'd like updates
- What to do if you're delayed getting home
Where Momsity fits
On Momsity you can post a dog walking, pet sitting, or house sitting Task. MOMs nearby who offer that service can make an offer, and you choose who helps. Your exact address stays private until you authorize a MOM, and updates stay in Task messages with your Task.
What Momsity doesn't do
- MOMs are independent, and Momsity doesn't insure pets or provide veterinary care.
- Dangerous or exotic animals can't be booked on Momsity.
- Overnight stays are house sitting, offered only by MOMs approved for it.
Read how Momsity works and how trust and payments work.
Ready to post a Task?
Posting is free. MOMs nearby can offer, and you choose who helps.