Home · Sitter Mode

New in v1.2.2

Hand off the leash, not the worry.

Sitter Mode is a time-bounded handoff to a temporary dog sitter — a private CKShare invite via iMessage. Logged feedings, walks, and (opt-in) medications flow back to your dashboard in real time. When the sit ends, the sitter's access ends.

Download on the App Store

How Sitter Mode works

Four taps from "going away for the weekend" to "the sitter is logging meals from their iPhone."

  1. Schedule the sit

    Open Settings → Sitter Mode. Pick your dog, type your sitter's name, set the start and end dates. Decide whether medications are part of the share (off by default). Add any notes you want the sitter to see — the spare key code, how the dog handles thunderstorms, the vet's emergency line.

    EmberPaws Schedule a Sit form — Dog: Sim, Sitter: Rachel, dates May 24 through May 26. Include medications toggle is on, with a note that the sitter will see the med schedule and can log doses given. A free-text Notes field is below. The copper Create & Invite button waits at the bottom.

  2. Send the invite

    Tap Create & Invite. EmberPaws creates a private CKShare for this one sit and opens the iOS share sheet. Send the link via iMessage with the preview card showing your dog's name. AirDrop and Mail work too — anywhere a link goes.

    Your sitter taps the link on their iPhone. If they don't have EmberPaws yet, the App Store opens; they download (free, no signup) and the share is waiting. If they do, the app opens straight to their sit dashboard. The native iOS CKShare acceptance handles authentication via their Apple ID — no usernames, no passwords, no friction.

  3. Watch the care happen

    Your sitter sees a focused dashboard: today's feedings, the walk plan, your notes, the primary vet's phone number, and (if you opted in) the medication schedule. They tap each task as they complete it. Every logged event flows back to your dashboard with a green Logged badge in real time.

    EmberPaws Sitter Mode owner dashboard — Sim's breakfast, dinner, and probiotic medication all show green Logged badges with the time they were given. The next walk and most recent walk are visible. An End sit now button is available at the bottom.

  4. Auto-cleanup at the end

    When the sit ends — at the scheduled end date or when you tap End sit now — EmberPaws deletes the shared CloudKit zone. The sitter's local copy of your dog's records is removed on their next app foreground. No manual revocation, no "I'll get to it later," no lingering access.

What's shared. What's not.

Sitter Mode is scoped. The sitter sees what they need to care for your dog during the dates you set — nothing else.

Shared with the sitter

  • Your dog's name, breed, birthday, weight
  • Allergies and care notes
  • Feeding schedule
  • Walk schedule and the primary vet contact
  • Your "while I'm away" notes
  • Medications — only if you opted in
  • Their logged meals, walks, and notes flow back to you

Never shared

  • Your other dogs
  • Weight history charts
  • Stool and skin score history
  • Vaccination history
  • Full vet directory (only the primary)
  • Trail pins and Walking Club RSVPs
  • Photos and any data outside this sit's scope

Sitter Mode FAQ

The questions owners ask before their first hand-off.

Does my sitter need to create an EmberPaws account?
No — there are no accounts in EmberPaws. Your sitter taps the iMessage link, the native iOS CKShare acceptance prompt handles authentication via their Apple ID, and they're in. If they don't have the app installed, the App Store opens, they download (free), and the share is waiting for them when they launch.
Does Sitter Mode include my dog's medications?
Only if you opt in. The Include medications toggle on the Schedule a Sit form is off by default. Flip it on if your sitter needs to give meds — they'll see the schedule and can log doses given. The toggle is per sit, not a global setting, so each sitter handoff is a separate decision.
What happens to my data when the sit ends?
EmberPaws deletes the shared CloudKit zone for that sit. Your sitter's local copy of your dog's records is removed on their next app foreground. No manual cleanup, no lingering access. If you end the sit early via End sit now, the same cleanup runs immediately.
Can I have multiple sits running at the same time?
Yes. Each sit lives in its own dedicated CloudKit zone, so two simultaneous sits never share a database boundary. Useful if you have a different sitter for the dog and the cat, or for back-to-back trips with a one-day overlap.
What if my sitter is on Android?
Sitter Mode is iPhone-to-iPhone (it uses Apple's private CKShare). For non-iPhone sitters, use the Sitter Info Sheet instead — a static PDF you can send to any platform via Mail, Messages, or AirDrop. The Sitter Info Sheet also has an opt-in Include medications toggle.
Can my sitter see my other dogs or my walk history?
No. The Sitter Mode share is scoped to the one dog and the one sit. Your other dogs, weight history, stool scores, skin records, vaccination history, trail pins, and Walking Club RSVPs are not in the shared zone.
Where does the data actually live?
Apple's CloudKit, in a dedicated shared zone per sit. Encrypted by Apple. EmberPaws has no servers; we cannot read what's in the zone. See our Privacy Policy for the full architecture.

Ready to hand off the leash?

Free to download. No account. No subscription. Available on iPhone, iOS 17+.

Download on the App Store

Sitter Mode is built on Apple's private CKShare. Your dog's records never touch EmberPaws servers.