Short answer
Sign PDF lets a dog walker send a service agreement with key-holding terms and an emergency vet authorisation for the owner to sign on their phone. The signed PDF records how many keys you hold, the alarm arrangements and the spending limit for vet treatment if the owner cannot be reached.
Updated 25 October 2026
The key-holding agreement
Owners trust you with their house as well as their dog. A key-holding section in your contract says how many keys and fobs you hold, how they are labelled, where they are kept, and how they come back when the arrangement ends.
Good practice is to tag keys with a code, not the address, and to record alarm codes separately from the keys. Say what happens if a key is lost: who pays for a rekey, and how fast you will tell the owner.
Emergency vet authorisation
If a dog is hurt on a walk and the owner is on a plane, you need permission to get treatment. An emergency vet release names the owner's usual vet, sets a spending limit, and says what you may approve without reaching them.
Keep it with the agreement as one PDF so the owner signs once. Add a free text field for medical conditions and medication, and checkboxes for off-lead walking and group walks.
The rest of a dog walking contract
Most of the clauses are short. What matters is that the owner has read them.
- Walk length, group size and the area you walk in.
- Behaviour disclosure: any history of biting, reactivity or escaping.
- Vaccination and flea treatment requirements for group walks.
- Cancellation notice, bad-weather policy and bank holidays.
- Your insurance cover, and permission to post photos of the dog online.
Ending the arrangement and returning keys
Clients move house, get a second dog walker, or start working from home. Your contract should say how much notice either side gives and how keys come back. A short key return receipt, signed by the owner when you hand them over, closes the loop and protects you if a door is later found unlocked.
Keep it to three lines: number of keys and fobs returned, date, and both signatures. Send it on the spot from your phone.
Signing it at the meet and greet
Send the agreement from your phone during the first visit. The owner opens the email, enters the six-digit code and signs with a finger, while you are both standing in the kitchen with the dog. If your contract is a printed sheet, take a photo and upload it.
A walker taking on a couple of new dogs a month fits Light at $5 for 2 documents. If you run a team and take on more, Full at $10 a month is unlimited, with templates and reminders. We do not do scheduling, invoicing or GPS walk reports; your walking app does that.
Questions people ask
Do both owners in a household need to sign?
Usually one is enough, but you can add both. Each gets their own link and signs on their own phone.
Can I update the agreement when I add a second dog?
Send a short updated agreement or change order. The original stays sealed as it was.
Can I keep the owner's alarm code in the agreement?
You can, but it is safer to keep codes separately from the signed contract, which may be emailed and stored in several places.
Does it work for pet sitters and cat visits?
Yes. Use the same agreement with overnight or drop-in visits in place of walks.
Send your next dog walking and key holding agreement for signature
Upload it from your phone or laptop. The boxes go in the right places, your client signs on their phone, and you get a sealed copy back.
Upload a document