Daily dog care checklist for the fridge

Most dog care is the same handful of jobs every morning and evening, plus a few weekly and monthly ones that tend to slip. This is the list we use with our example family (Pepper the dog, Mom, Dad, Noa and Ari). The printable on this page has the same lists with tick boxes.

Morning

• Potty trip outside first thing
• Breakfast, measured, at the usual time
• Fresh water in a clean bowl
• Morning walk
• Quick look over Pepper: eating normally, moving normally, nothing stuck in paws or coat
• Mark it: who fed, who walked, and when

In a family, the last line matters most. If nobody writes down the meal, someone else will give it again.

Evening

• Dinner, measured, at the usual time
• Evening walk, and a last potty trip before bed
• Bowls rinsed and water refilled
• Ten minutes of play or training
• Toys picked up, gate or door checked
• Glance at the record: did everything get done today?

The ASPCA's general care guide says dogs should have clean, fresh water at all times. Refilling the bowl is a good job for a younger child, with an adult checking.

Once a week

• Wash food and water bowls properly with hot soapy water (more often is better, see below)
• Brush the coat
• Wash soft toys and wipe hard ones
• Check stock: food, treats, poop bags
• Check collar, ID tag and leash for wear
• Ten minute family check: what got missed this week, and what changes next week

The American Kennel Club's article on bowl hygiene says bowls should ideally be washed daily, and bowls and scoops washed with soap and hot water after each use. If daily isn't happening in your house yet, make it a named weekly job and work up from there.

The ASPCA recommends regular brushing to keep the coat clean and cut down on shedding. Long and double coats need it more often. The same guide recommends a license, an ID tag and a microchip so a lost dog can get home, which is why the tag check is here.

Once a month

• Nails: check and trim if needed, or book the groomer
• Flea and tick prevention on the date your vet set
• Wash the dog bed and blankets
• Restock anything running low before it runs out
• Look at upcoming vet or vaccine dates and put them in the calendar
• Update the duty roster if schedules changed

The AKC says most dogs need a nail trim every three to four weeks, depending on activity and how fast the nails grow.

Which flea and tick product to use, and how often, is your vet's call. The ASPCA does suggest checking your dog for fleas and ticks daily in warm weather, so in summer move that check to the morning list.

What is not on this list

This is a routine list. It won't tell you how much to feed, which medicines to give or when to vaccinate. Your vet sets those, and the list just helps you remember the dates. If something in the morning look-over seems off, like a skipped meal, limping or anything new, call your vet. New puppy? Start with the puppy's first 30 days plan instead, then move to this list.

Making it stick

• Put names on it. If every line says "someone", the same person ends up doing all of it. Write a name, or use the duty roster.
• Keep it near the bowl. The fridge door or the food cupboard, not a drawer.
• Tie a pen to the sheet. You'd be surprised how much this helps.
• Start a fresh sheet each week. Keep the old ones for a month. They're handy if the vet asks when something last happened.

Where PupShift fits

PupShift keeps these lists on one board the whole family shares. Fed and Walked are one tap, you can add your own tiles like "Brushed teeth", and the journal holds repeating reminders such as a weekly bowl wash. Dates your vet gave you, like flea pills or vaccines, go on the health and upkeep page.