5 reasons to create a daily routine for your dog

Have you ever put some thought into your dog’s schedule? If not, it’s time for you to give it a go, and even if you’ve already established a daily routine for you and your dog, it might be about time for you to revisit it and to make sure that it’s working both for you and for your furry friend.

The good news is that help is at hand, and there’s plenty of information on the best routines to establish if you know where to look. On top of that, every animal is different, and what works for one dog won’t necessarily work for another.

Still, you’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for somewhere to start because we’ve done the hard work and pulled together the best tips that the experts have to share. Let’s jump on in and get started.

Why it’s essential to create a daily routine for dogs

1.   They mimic their owners

A study from Michigan State University recently found that dogs do start to take after their owners and to mimic their traits. That means we need to lead by example, creating a daily dog routine that they can anticipate and expect to follow on any given day.

2.   They need to pee

Most dogs need to go to the toilet as soon as they wake up, so you’ll have to be ready to let them out whenever they’re available. You don’t need to take them for a walk, but you should at least let them out into the garden. 

3.   They’re not as flexible as you are

Flexibility isn’t too much of a problem for me because I work from home, but the same isn’t true of my dogs. They wake up and fall asleep at the same time, they eat at the same time, and they play at the same time. A dog routine should be designed with the dog in mind first and foremost and with your convenience second.

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4.   It helps you to take care of them

If you feed and exercise your dogs by following the same routine, you make sure that you never over or underfeed them and that they’re getting enough activity and play time. This, in turn, can help to keep them in the best possible shape and make sure they’re a part of your family for longer.

5.   They don’t know what a routine is

Your dog can’t Google “what is a routine?” and learn these tips by themselves. You have a responsibility to your dog to understand why they need a routine and to make sure that they follow one. If you’re struggling, you can get started by reading WikiHow articles or other articles about dog routines.

Conclusion

Remember that it’s just as important to consider your dog’s needs as it is to consider your own, and so if they’re not comfortable in the cold, then you might need to take them out for a walk in the daytime, even if it means changing your routines.

Routines are flexible, and you can break them now and then or even change them slightly to establish new ones, for example, re-establishing your schedule after summer vacation to help your dog get ready for the time when his favorite small companions go back to school.

The problems usually start to occur when we have no routine at all. The good news is that it’s never too late to get started, and all you have to do is put a little thought in and make sure that you’re not just coasting along on autopilot. Good luck.

Elizabeth Skinner is a freelance online essay editor and essay writer. A lifelong dog owner, she believes that any household can benefit from a four-legged friend. She lives with her husband, two children, and three dogs.

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