Dogs and routine
Dogs love routine. At least my dogs love routine. I think it gives them security sort of to know what to expect. With that premise in mind, do you think wild dogs set a routine for themselves? This question struck me while Lizzie and I were walking the other night, and I noticed she always turns at the same corners, and I tried to get her to turn the other way...which she did, reluctantly. So...what do you think? |
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| i think all mammals have routines....i do!
Panda has definate routines..time of dinner, time of walk, direction of walk, time for bed, baby time, etc....when we go to san diego, she is all discombobulated for about a week...getting used to new routines..... i would say yes, even wild dogs have routines.... |
| If my guys consistent getting up earlier and earlier (consistent with earlier sun rises) is any indication - I assume wild dogs have at least some routines. |
| I have what I believe is the closest thing to a wild OES.
My normal OES (Charlie) definitely follows routines. The only thing predictable about Toby is constant pandemonium. |
| Mine definitely have routines and personal preferences. Our first OES joined our family when our children were young.
It was Merlin's job to take my hubby on an early am walk for a newspaper and/or coffee, then come home and wake the children for school. In the days when I was home, his routine was to let me have my breakfast --remind me to eat if I hadn't (the tiny bit of my morning bagel was essential to Merlin's diet) and then, after he judged I had spent enough time lingering over the paper, he would remind me to go outside to do some gardening. When he judged I had worked long enough, or if it was getting a little too warm, he'd come, nudge me (or knock me over) to go inside so he could nap in the quiet of the house. He made sure to greet our mail as it was shoved through the slot in the door each day with appropriate growls and barks, protecting us all from the evils of the letter carrier whom he loved face to face--through the door was something else. And at 3 pm each day, M-F, he'd find me and we'd have to go outside to wait for the kids to come home from school. If days were too dreary or wet to be outside, he'd wait inside, but as they came in, he'd bark in greeting, and wait for me to give each child a hug, at which point, his after school duty was done. This was especially important when my oldest was in middle school (remember middle school? groan). My son would come home looking totally worn down and too grown up for a hug from mom, but to satisfy Merlin, of course, he would allow me to hug him, just as he allowed Merlin to jump up and to thoroughly wash his face. You could see the day's worries just melt from his face. Merlin dutifully walked the appropriate child after school, no matter the weather, and came home, told me when it was time for (his) dinner. He reminded the appropriate child that an after dinner walk was good for the digestion and for morale. When friends came over, he always reminded them of the joys of playing soccer. He never forgot to water the plants in the evening. And then, of course, he took us out for a short evening stroll around the block as soon as the tv was turned off for the night. He never liked dog beds, but had a nightly round of sleeping spots where he protected us every night. You could absolutely set a clock by that dog. |
| tgir well said!! great story |
| Of course they do! They have to if they want to survive. They probably won't have the same routines as our dogs in (such as knowing when they get their biscuits, dinner, etc.) but they have to know when they are going for a hunt, when it's time to relax and/or play with their puppies, etc.
They have their territory where they have to re-mark it, which is also a routine thing. |
| I agree with Prof. Boni. Their routine is one of survival.
Our pets routines are more like one of repetition. They learn our routine, add a little of their own and that gives them the security they need. BUT, their knowing exactly what to expect and when to expect it can also be a bad thing too. I had a female that knew when the alarm went off in the morning that she was the first one I came to to let out. She had a litter of pups and when the alarm went off one day I heard this terrible scream from one of my pups. She had jumped up in excitement and stepped on one of the pups. She was a wonderful momma and you could see a look of desperation in her eyes when I opened the door. I took the pup to the vet immediately, but it was bleeding in the heart sac and had to be put down. I swore then that I would NEVER again allow my dogs to KNOW what to expect from me at ALL times. I made sure I mixed up our routine a little bit on occassion after that by feeding them in different order, letting them out in different order, etc.... I had 7 OES at the time and they would all look at me like I was crazy, as if to say, "Mom, it's not my turn!"  |
| Obe has a routine for sure. He knows 4:30 -5:00 is dinner time. Breakfast is served at 6:00-6:30. If I wake up before the alarm goes off he does not get up. Then alarm sounds he is awake and at my side with licks and paws saying forget the snooze button. He knows when I go to work, come home for lunch, and get home at the end of the day. He knows lunch is a quick bite to eat for me, some time with him outside then back in. When I come home at the end of the day he knows that is play time until dinner.
I would have to agree that wild dogs do more of a survival/instinctive routine than a learned routine such as the one Obe has grown accustomed too. |
My dogs know when its time for my husband to come home. They gather in the living room by the front door usually right at 5ish. I am usually in a different part of the house at that time and I notice them leave me at the same time everyday. I don't know maybe they can tell time.  |
| They must know something about time my dogs know when the kids are due home from school. |
| I don't know how he knows, but Barney always knows when it's dinner time. If I'm not paying attention he'll come up and start staring at my and licking his lips. I'll look at the clock and realize it's dinner time. What I don't get is how he figured out how to factor daylight savings into it! |
| Oh, they sure do! Some are comical, some maddening. But then we have routines too and the dogs have integrated their's to ours and vice versa. |
| Our pup has learnt that I have a 3 week shift pattern and gives us an extra hour in the morning at the weekends!
When walking from early on we alternated between around 8 or 9 walk patterns (also to fit in with my time available due to shifts), Archie chooses "left or right pup?"  , he knows some favorite turnings such as to open fields, where he can stretch his legs, but when it is very wet he seems to understand "not today"
I suppose it all depends on what each individual dog is exposed to, we were quite worried about my shifts effect on him (although my wife pops home lunch time to take him out) especially when I am on earlies and he is left alone for a good deal of time, but on lates and night shift he is spoilt by my presence at home and extra long walks, on earlies he seems more than happy at being woke up at 5 AM yet when on other shifts happy to lie in until 8 AM. Maybe we have been exceptionally lucky, but I do believe these dogs learn very quickly and adapt. |
barney1 wrote: I don't know how he knows, but Barney always knows when it's dinner time. If I'm not paying attention he'll come up and start staring at my and licking his lips. I'll look at the clock and realize it's dinner time. What I don't get is how he figured out how to factor daylight savings into it!
Do you have a wall clock he can see? maybe he can tell the time? |
Archies Slave wrote: barney1 wrote: I don't know how he knows, but Barney always knows when it's dinner time. If I'm not paying attention he'll come up and start staring at my and licking his lips. I'll look at the clock and realize it's dinner time. What I don't get is how he figured out how to factor daylight savings into it! Do you have a wall clock he can see? maybe he can tell the time? He walks into parked cars during our walks--I can hardly imagine him being able to see a clock to tell time! |
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