Routine matters to dogs a great deal as you pet parents well know, and perhaps that is why we, humans, have made our dogs part of our family. We both are creatures of habit.

It’s interesting living with dogs because there are things that your dog will remind you about even though they do not wear a watch. In our case, this is what Abby and Zoe do to remind me about our routine:

• Walking – when it’s too cold, raining or the one day a week we do not walk at all, both of them are extra hyper and they attempt, operative word is attempt, to play and run around inside the house.
• Feeding – Abby, Zoe is also learning this trick, looks at us so intently that it feels like she is trying to hypnotize us. Kind of, “Mom, where is our food?”
• Water – only Abby does this, by the way. When Abby wants more water or food, our girl puts her little paw in her dish scratching it. Kind of when dogs are outside digging for things in the dirt. Could you believe that? When does she stop? When we comply or pick up her dish.
• Bathroom calls – Abby, Zoe doesn’t know how to do this, but she also hasn’t had an accident at home, goes to the door, and depending on how bad she needs to go she either moves a lot or just stays by the door with a look of desperation on her little face.

These are just a few of the things our girls do to remind us that routine is important to them, and that having structure in their days helps to prevent anxiety, and behavioral problems such as chewing, barking, nipping, etc. What are some of the things you do with your dogs? What happens when you fail to follow that routine? Take care a have a great week!