Begin with the next day, not the dog’s life story
Write the usual sequence for meals, toilet outings, walks and rest. Use actual locations: “the harness is in the blue basket beside the hall cupboard” is more useful than “everything is by the door.” Explain the amount of food using the measure the carer will find, and identify which container holds the correct food.
Include the dog’s name, your contact details and the agreed backup contact near the top. Add veterinary details and any written professional instructions that apply. Keep those instructions separate from optional activities so essential care is not buried among favourite games and anecdotes.
Describe handling and boundaries concretely
Explain how doors, gates and barriers should be used. Note situations the carer should avoid, such as a crowded route or direct greetings with unfamiliar dogs. Instead of saying the dog can be funny about visitors, describe the arrangement: visitors do not enter the resting room, and the dog remains behind the agreed barrier while the door is open.
Write down familiar cues only when they are genuinely useful. A long dictionary of commands can distract from the practical management the carer needs. Include what to do when an ordinary plan does not work, such as using the shorter walking route and contacting you rather than trying an unfamiliar training method.
Test the notes with the person using them
Ask the carer to talk through a meal and departure using the written instructions. Gaps become obvious when someone tries to locate a bowl, secure a door or decide which lead to use. Update the notes before leaving rather than sending several contradictory messages afterwards.
Date the final version and remove outdated copies from the usual handover place. Keep private account information and unnecessary personal documents out of the notes. After the care period, ask which instruction was unclear and revise that part. The goal is a short, dependable reference that reduces guesswork, not an impressive document nobody can scan while holding a lead.
