Owners remember two things about a sitter: whether the instructions got followed, and what the note said when they got home. This free pet sitting notes template prints one sheet per visit, so every visit ends with the same record: what was fed, how long the walk ran, what looked off, and the message the owner reads first. It also carries an 8-pet profile table for regulars, a 12-item carry list, and four tips for first-time sitters. The full Pet Sitter & Dog Walker Client Book, 18 pages with calendars, walk logs and payment tracking, is linked at the bottom. Working with a new puppy? The puppy training schedule covers the first 8 weeks.
How to use this page: print one sheet per visit (or copy the fields into a notebook you already carry). Fill it during the visit, not from memory at the car. One copy goes with the keys back to the owner, or the fields become the update message you send.
Care instructions come from the owner, not from this sheet. Nothing here replaces the owner's written instructions on feeding, medication handling, or health. This is a record-keeping aid: it captures what the owner asked for and what you saw, in your words. If a care question is not answered on the profile, the answer is the owner's to give.
The per-visit notes sheet, one page
Every field is short on purpose. A note you finish at the front door beats a report you draft after dinner.
Visit header
Pet: ______________ Date: ______________ Time in: ________ Time out: ________
Done boxes
Feeding done ☐ — note what and when: ______________________________
This is the line the owner reads first. Write the one thing they most want to know: "both walks done, Biscuit ate everything, mail collected."
Client pets mini-profile, 8 rows
Regulars deserve more than a name on a notes sheet. One row per pet, filled in with the owner the first time you sit for them. Row 01 is a made-up example; the other 7 are yours.
#
Pet name
Type
Feeding time
01
Biscuit (EXAMPLE)
corgi mix
7:30 am / 6 pm
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
Keep feeding times exactly as the owner says them. A profile row plus one notes sheet per visit covers most single-pet households; the full book adds a 2-page profile spread per pet with walk rules, house access and ask-the-owner boxes.
Supplies carry list, 12 items
Tick each item as it goes in the bag, the night before where possible. Overwrite this list with whatever your own bag carries.
Poop bags, more than you think
Spare leash
Treats the owner approved
Treat pouch
Water bottle and travel bowl
Towels for wet days
Rain gear, gloves in winter
Torch for dark mornings
Phone and charger
Keys and access notes, by name
This sheet and a pen
Client profile rows, printed or copied
4 tips for first-time sitters
In my view, these four separate a sitter who gets rebooked from one who gets a polite thank-you and no second date.
1. Send a photo report after the visit, not a test of memory
A photo of the pet mid-walk or settled on the couch does more than any paragraph: it shows state, not claims. Pair it with the message line from the notes sheet and the owner stops wondering. Photos of medication packaging or dosing are a different matter: that is the owner's written instruction to follow and confirm in words, not a photo opportunity.
2. Ask about hiding spots before you need them
The first time a cat is missing at visit two is the worst time to learn the apartment has a gap behind the dresser. Ask on visit one: where does the pet go when scared, what sounds trigger it, and what has worked before. Write the answers on the profile. This is a five-minute question that prevents one panicked phone call later.
3. Log the short and strange days too
A 10-minute rain visit with no walk is still information: the owner learns you showed up, and you have a record if anything is questioned later. Sitters who only log the good days look like they forgot the rest.
4. Write facts, not diagnoses
"Ate half the food, left the rest" is useful. "Seemed off, probably the new food" is a guess that can send an owner down the wrong path. Notes that state what you saw, in order, let whoever reads them decide what matters.
When to write an incident note
Most visits need nothing more than the sheet above. Write a separate incident note when any of these happen: a pet is missing or unreachable for more than a few minutes, property is damaged, an escape happens at a door or gate, another animal or person is involved, or you had to make a call you did not expect to make.
The note stays generic and factual: what happened, in order; where and when exactly; who was present; who was called and who was reached; how it ended; what you promised to follow up on, with dates. Write it the same day, keep your copy, and give the owner a copy if they ask. A record written calmly at the kitchen table reads better than one reconstructed from texts a week later.
What the full Pet Sitter & Dog Walker Client Book adds
Pet profile spreads, 2 pages each - identity, owner and backup contacts, vet contact recorded from the owner's card, feeding schedule write-in, walk rules, house access, and ask-the-owner boxes.
3 undated service calendars - write day numbers when the month starts, so the book never expires.
30-row walk log - date, pet, duration, notes, one line per walk.
Booking log and payment tracker - 20 bookings with confirm flags, 20 payment entries with page totals.
Client contact list, 15 rows - with access notes: which gate, which door, where the key lives. Codes stay off paper.
Supplies checklist and incident report sheets - 20 supply rows, plus a 2-page incident pair: facts in order, then who called and the outcome.
18 pages, A4 and US Letter, print at 100% and reprint the sheets you fill fastest. Record-keeping only: it follows the owner's written instructions and is not veterinary or legal advice.