I do a little dog sitting from time to time, mostly while the owners are out of town. I’d like to draft a form for owners to fill out beforehand, including specific instructions for me, but also stating general points of how I will be caring for their dogs.

I’m thinking there should be boxes to check on whether a certain dog is allowed off-leash, how long he may be left home alone, whether he is okay with children…that type of thing.

What else should I be including, in your opinion? What would you want to tell a potential sitter about your own pet?

No worries, I always know the dogs well before they come to stay with me. I will not be needing this form as a cheat sheet at all. Rather, I want to be sure that whatever I agree on with the owner is well documented. I like most of my clients, but I’ve have some bad experiences, too.

Topics: dogs, law, pets, animals, contract, pet care