Why Client Notes Matter
When you're juggling multiple clients, it's easy to remember the basics for your regulars — but details fade, especially for clients you see less often, or when you're covering for someone else. Good notes mean you (or anyone covering your route) can walk into a new situation prepared, instead of guessing or texting the client mid-walk.
Notes also matter for safety. If a dog has a medical condition, a behavioral trigger, or a specific way it needs to be handled at the door, that information needs to be available before it becomes relevant — not after.
What to Track: A Category Breakdown
Most useful client notes fall into a handful of categories. You don't need to fill out every field for every client — just capture what's relevant.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Access | Lockbox code, key location, gate codes, parking notes, alarm instructions |
| Routine | Usual walk route/length, leash type, treats allowed, where the leash/harness is kept |
| Behavior | Reactivity to other dogs, fear of specific things (vacuums, men in hats), pulling habits |
| Health | Medications, mobility limitations, recent surgery/injury, age-related considerations |
| Household | Other pets, kids, who else may be home, expectations about indoor access |
| Preferences | Owner's preferences for photos/updates, specific things to avoid (certain streets, dogs in the area) |
A Simple Client Notes Template
Access: [Lockbox code / key location / parking notes]
Routine: [Usual walk length, route preferences, gear location]
Behavior notes: [Reactivity, fears, handling notes]
Health notes: [Medications, mobility, anything to watch for]
Household: [Other pets, who may be home, indoor access rules]
Preferences: [Photo/update preferences, anything else]
Last updated: [Date]
This works as a single-page reference per client — something you can glance at before a visit, especially for clients you don't see every day.
Keeping Notes Current
Notes are only useful if they're accurate. A few habits help:
- Update immediately when something changes — new access code, new medication, a behavior shift
- Review periodically — every few months, skim through and remove anything outdated (an old medication, a behavior the dog has grown out of)
- Note the date when something was added or changed, so you know how current the information is
Be careful with assumptions. A note like "fine with other dogs" written six months ago might not reflect a dog's current behavior. When in doubt, confirm with the owner rather than relying on an old note for something safety-related.
What to Share With Clients
Some notes are worth confirming directly with clients — access details and routine preferences, for example, benefit from a quick "here's what I have on file, let me know if anything's changed." This is a good thing to do during your onboarding process and periodically afterward.
Other notes — your own observations about how a dog responds to certain handling, for instance — are typically for your reference. There's no hard rule here; if a client asks what you've noted, being transparent is usually the right call.
Notes That Travel With the Booking
Notes stored separately from your schedule — in a notebook, a notes app, scattered texts — tend to get out of sync. The note that matters is the one you can see right when you need it: before or during the visit itself.
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For notes specific to a single visit rather than standing information, see our after-walk update template — it covers what to send clients after each walk.