Does your dog/dogs like routine ?

[Jacqui-S]

Lilly only really has a "clock" routine for her tea. We get the sit and stare from around 6pm.
Otherwise she works on unintentional cues. The first awakening stretch in the morning, the morning alarm, the changing out of work clothes and putting on of socks....this latter in particular.
If I'm having a cleaning day she gets restless about 11am for a walk. No clear cue here.
All I can say is dogs are clever beasties.

 

[Pepper]

Pepper has his wake up routine - jump on me, licks and then it’s time for a pee, after which he wants his breakfast. After brekkie he wants to play for a bit, then he’ll snooze till OH gets up. And also an evening routine which means he won’t really settle irrespective of the time until we’re all in the snug together. During the day it’s varied, sometimes early and late walks, other times it’s middle of the day. He’s happy to chill or snooze around his walks most of the time. If not he let’s us know by trying to chew something he shouldn’t!

 

[SteffiS]

Otherwise she works on unintentional cues.

I've always found this really interesting with dogs. Sometimes I have no idea what I've done to create various 'routines' until I examine exactly what it is I do .

 

[Jacqui-S]

Yup, sometimes it takes a while for us before the penny drops.
A bit like filming your training to work out where you might be going wrong.

 

[Oberon]

Obi demands that we adhere strictly to his meal routines and many food rituals (eg. he’s trained me to give him some milk every time I have a cup of tea). In general I’d say he’s a dog who likes predictably and consistency.

 

[edzbird]

Coco loves his routines....but they are flexible. He (and Belle before him) add their own touches to the daily routines. Morning routine, for instance - Monday to Friday, the alarm goes off at 7AM, Coco gets a good scratchy from OH on the bed. OH gets up, Coco moves next to me on the bed, we snooze for 5 mins. When OH turns the tap on to clean his teeth Coco jumps off our bed and has a mini-zoomie on the spare bed in the other room. OH sits on the floor in the hall to get dressed (!?) whilst scratching Coco's legs. Every single week day this happens. At the weekend I get up first. Coco pesters me to get up then jumps onto the bed in my place &lies on his back for a scratch from OH until I get dressed. Then he herds me into the kitchen.

He's now staring at me, OH has gone to work and the next stage is a walk. If I don't get up in the next 5 minutes I'm sure he will sit up and bark. This is the routine.

This morning routine completely changes when we're both off work. Coco accepts it happily.

 

[Atemas]

I'm terrible at routine.

I am the opposite. I like routine and order (but I’m not obsessional) - there’s always a lot going on here so it’s good to have a clear routine - makes for a more relaxed ? life. The dogs seem to like the routine but adapt when we go out or other things are happening. The stare treatment from both when it’s kong times and meal times are weird ?. DH and I find it funny the way both dogs get when it’s bed time - they try to round us up to go to bed - probably cos they get fish cubes at bedtime. Sky picks the post up for us and brings it to us - she used to fetch the phone ? when we asked her to but has become lazy in her old age ?.

 

[Cath]

Both mine like a routine. I think Annie's tummy has a clock in it, because if I have not feed her at lunch or dinnertime on the dot, she sits on the mat in the kitchen looking at me like to say, come on you're late. It may only be about 5 mins late

 

[Joy]

We have a sort of 'order of events' most days, but not set times. Molly has a morning walk, a lunchtime kong, an afternoon walk, her dinner. The main thing she is insistent on is that I play with her in the early evening, when we've finished clearing up after our meal. I suppose I could train her not to pester, but I haven't! Mostly it's just 10 -15 minutes in the garden playing tug or living room doing tricks, though sometimes I pop her down to the recreation ground or beach. Then her late evening routine is to lie down in the garden alone for half an hour - my OH calls it her 'communing with nature time'!

 

[Emily_Babbelhund]

Otherwise she works on unintentional cues.

I can really identify with this, too. Brogan always knew when was beach day or adoption fair day and I think it was from my shoes...or maybe I was in a better mood those days because I liked doing those things? But however he knew, he knew.

 

[Xena Dog Princess]

We have a routine but it's probably more mine than Ripple's

I'd say it's the same for me. I have the breakfast routine, and the dinner routine, but everything that happens in between is flexible. I've only really relaxed my routine stance over the past 8 months and I was surprised at how easily Xena has adapted.

 

[VanillaBean]

Vanilla likes routine Mon-Fri. She knows to wake me up around 5am with licks to say toilet time and then walk. Come back breakfast time and then watch us get ready. Once ready to go to work, after toilet she will go to her bed downstairs and wait for a treat. Kind of a "go now, I want ,my treat and SLEEP". When I come home, she will stand at the gate looking at the door and if it is me she will get her toy and be ready to go out back door for a good play. If she does not get this she will bug me like anything. Plus if I decide to take her for a walk instead without a paly she just plays up, but have a play first then she is fine.
Dinner time she knows when that is, starts to get restless. Then time for a small snooze whilst we make our dinner. Once we are finished, 5min later she then looks at me to say my walk time. Once back final toilet and a bed time biscuit. And oh boy does she remind us of if we have forgotten the biscuit
Weekend, similar wake up, but she knows we don't go out until later. Saturday is out then way home is pet shop. And if we don't go we have a sulky girl on our hand. She also knows what she gets for dinner 2 nights a week, as she will stand in front of the laundry cupboard waiting for her blanket. that then means it is beef rib time.
Holidays she is as laid back as anything which is great as it means we can get sleep ins and she just adapts.

 

[Lab_adore]

She also knows what she gets for dinner 2 nights a week, as she will stand in front of the laundry cupboard waiting for her blanket. that then means it is beef rib time.

What a clever girl!

Maxx is pretty chilled about routine; we do have one but we don't always follow it. OH knows when it is around 2.00pm as Maxx starts crying/barking or stealing stuff and taking it to him to indicate it is time for the dog park. Morning walk is structured and more about training but the arvo walk now is the new (fully fenced) dog park. I was WFH yesterday and sure enough I heard a rustle and then running paws in the next room and there was Maxx with TWO tea-towels in his mouth grinning at me. I am now a tea-towel rinsing machine. It was 1.50pm so off we went for a play with some other dogs and then he was happy.

 

[VanillaBean]

What a clever girl!

Yes well she licksher lips in anticipation and the sita ready for the blanket for her to carry it upstairs to her spot on the balcony. When we get updstairs she will sit on balcony and I say 'Dead' and she places it in my hand. I will admit, I did not train anyof this, it just happened one day so I thought I would take the opportunity...