Routines!

Dogs are very routine driven. Learning that, with Ray as the example, came as a bit of a surprise to me … but why? We humans are also highly routine driven!

Ray’s early morning routine is very simple, and has two variations depending whether Carol or I see him first thing.

With Carol it is – outside > breakfast > rutabaga > biscuit in den > my toast.

With me it is – breakfast > rutabaga > biscuit in den > my toast > outside.

Ray adapts really well to both sequences however, this morning (Mar 17) was interesting.

Carol was outside with him when I went into the kitchen, and so I started to make my coffee and toast and also started to get his breakfast ready. As soon as Ray came back inside, I gave him his breakfast but now my toast was ready. I gave him his rutabaga and then sat down to have my toast. Ray, not surprisingly, was not going to miss out so he finished his rutabaga and then sat in front of me waiting for the usual two small pieces of my toast.I gave him his small pieces and, having finished, I took my coffee to the front of our house and booted up my laptop in order to catch up on various things.

Carol and I both knew that he had not had his biscuit in his den, but he was showing no signs that anything was different this morning.

I had been on my laptop for probably almost 5 minutes when Ray appeared in the doorway. He just stood there, not making any sound, and stared at me. I find it impossible to ignore him when he does that, so I offered the standard “What’s up buddy? Show me!” He turned around and then looked back, presumably to see if I was going to follow him. Once it was clear that I was, he behaved like a spring lamb and leaped around in circles and generally cavorted his way through to the kitchen where he promptly went into his den! Seeing a close to 80lbs Shepherd/Rottweiler leap off the ground in excitement is quite the sight!

I got his biscuit bag down from his cupboard and gave him one. I knew that all was now well with his world, because he promptly jumped up onto his usual chair and went to sleep!

15 thoughts on “Routines!”

  2. LOL! You could not get away with not giving him his biscuit! 🙂 Our Sheltie is like that with her treats at bedtime, she will just come and look at you like, “Aren’t you forgetting something!”

    Liked by 1 person

    • G’morning Lexi. Yes, considering my first 2 years in this world were a bit of a disaster, I think that I’ve got this living with humans thing down pretty good! (Of course it takes the right humans doesn’t it) Woof! Ray

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Dogs do love routine. Maggie is a good alarm clock. Usually Hubby gets up first and she stays in bed with me. As soon as she knows I’m awake though, she sits up, looks at me and then the helm door. Time to go out.
    That always takes priority as we have to walk her up to the grass, or around the Avenue to do her business. It works well, as if we don’t go out together, the other of us airs the bed, does the housework and starts breakfast.
    Nothing very exciting, and Maggie doesn’t have breakfast as such, just titbits from us, but her food is down all day and she will eat when she’s ready, which is usually before going out for our second time of the day as if she’s stocking up on energy!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.