Dogs are creatures of habit. It is very easy for them to fall into routines. For my dogs the two big routines are eating, and walks.
Meals (breakfast and dinner) are twice per day, and approximately 12 hours apart. There is one snack, and that is given at night around 9:00 pm.
Other tidbits of food are doled out randomly. When I’m fixing their Kongs at dinnertime, they each get a small piece of pineapple. If I’m cutting up watermelon, they get a few pieces. After Delilah gets her eye ointment applied she gets a goodie. When they plop down for us to eat, they get a treat. After we finish eating they get a few treats. If SOMEONE has been very good, sitting while I’m in the kitchen, she gets a treat. (By default, Sampson does too, because he’s NOT in the kitchen.)
My point is, my dogs know when food will be doled out by the Mama, and when it’s a hopeless cause.
Of course, Labrador Retrievers being notorious for eating just about anything and everything, know how to keep track of the foods. Delilah is textbook Labrador when it comes to this particular trait.
During the week, I get up, fix their food, walk the dogs, get ready for work, feed the dogs, and wash the dishes. Lately I’ve been giving them each a banana chip before I leave. That’s the last bit of food that is handed out in the morning.
Until that list bit of food is doled out, I’ve got a shadow. Mary thought she had a problem with that frickin’ lamb, but that bit of fluff only followed her to school.
My ‘lamb’ follows me into the bathroom.
Why are you sitting down? Pull up your pants, there’s food to dispense.
I’m laughing about it now, but trust me, there’s no laughing when you’re trying to get some sirius business done and you can’t breathe.
You make me laugh, or smile, the sweet, funny, loving things my dogs do, that bring a smile to my face, or a laugh to my lips.
What did your pet do that made you smile or laugh this week?
We do have a routine, but it gets changed up a lot, so we are not real dependent on it since it changes often. As for meals, none of us much care when we eat. Food is not out thing…we are definitely not labs!
Merlin knows his meal times and is known to wake up from his afternoon nap to come and tell me what time it was.
I can’t say anything food related around these times or it will trigger endless whining and staring at me into submission.
The other day he woke me up when my alarm failed to do so which is good. On the other hand he has come to know my alarm as his breakfast tune and if he hears it when he’s already had his breakfast, he will try to get a second breakfast. Typical lab lol.
My dogs are sure there is a secret backdoor in the bathroom.
Well done, D. It is VERY important to keep track of where and when it’s time for foods or treats. It’s my life’s work, actually.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
We put a water dish in our bathroom, because when we were having work done in the house, we often segregated the dogs in our bedroom and bathroom. Sheba always drank out of it so I left it there. Luke sometimes gets a huge drink and then “shares” it with me on my lap when I’m sitting on the throne! 🙂
Shadow and Ducky make me laugh when they follow me into the bathroom. All Shadow wants is some loving and to give me a kiss. All the drama princess wants is to push Shadow out of the way so she can get some loving first. Most times, I move her out of Shadow’s way and make her wait her turn; but sometimes Shadow gives up and lies down on the carpet right outside the door. I keep hoping that some day Shadow will tell Ducky off and surprise the s**t out of her.
There is no off limit place in my house either. And I always snort sillily when I see a certain black nose peeking in a doorway crack as if to say, “you need help there?” Umm, no, I prefer wiping on my own. 🤣