Don't Be a Slave to Doggy Mealtimes: Why Flexible Routines Can Work

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my five funny dogs, Poppy, Bailey, Kodah, Ned, and Fred.

I’m sure you’re all aware that it’s important to give our dogs a routine. Having a predictable schedule of meals and exercise allows them to relax, safe in the knowledge that at a certain time of day, the leash comes out, the bowls come down, and fun or food are on the way. But what if I told you that there’s another way of doing things?

Molly the Clock-Watcher

Many years ago, I had a patient named Molly. She was a gorgeous black Labrador, much like my Poppy, and she was always cheerful, gentle, and well-behaved. One day, she was in the hospital having a dental, and was due to go home at around 3 pm. However, there was an accident on the motorway and her owners were stuck in traffic, unable to collect her til almost 6 pm. This wasn’t a problem, except that we couldn’t give her a snack as she had severe food allergies and was on a specific prescription diet, but Molly didn’t seem to mind.

Molly had been quiet and calm all day. We’d taken her for a walk, and she had spent most of the afternoon snoozing in her kennel. A few minutes after 5 pm, the whining started. We took her out, assuming she needed the toilet, but evidently, that wasn’t the problem. Back in her kennel, she started pacing and whining, pulling at the door, and giving the occasional yip. It was completely out of character for this mild-mannered retriever. When her owners finally arrived, I mentioned her unusual behavior, and they smiled knowingly.

“Ah yes, she gets fed at 5 pm on the dot every day.”

Well, I knew that dogs were able to keep a rough track of the time of day, but I’d never met one who was quite so precise. Kudos to Molly’s owners for being so strict about meal times, but I realized that it wasn’t something I wanted to do.

What I’d seen with Molly was a dog who had come to rely on the predictability of her schedule so much that it caused her stress and anxiety when that schedule wasn’t strictly followed. Sure, one could argue that it might be why she was so chilled out the rest of the time, but I wondered if her owners also felt anxiety if, like on that day, they weren’t going to be home in time for her 5 pm meal.

Casual Routine

Things in our home are decidedly less regimented; it’s organized chaos, you might say. Our house is always kept neat and tidy, but our schedules are decidedly less so. If we were to get our dogs accustomed to being fed at a set time each day, we would inevitably be letting them down on a regular basis, which isn’t fair to them or us. So we use a slightly different scheduling method we like to call ‘casual routine.’

Rather than feeding the dogs (and cats) at 7 am every morning and 7 pm every night, we have a 2-3 hour window where they will be fed. In a similar way, they don’t get walked at a specific time every day, and to be completely honest, they don’t get walked every day. Some days we just play in the garden, and on miserable, wet, and windy days, we’ll play games and hide things around the house to keep everyone busy.

I often see neighbors walking their dogs in the driving rain, sleet, or hail, slaves to their routine, knowing their dog will go stir crazy without their 4 pm walk. I admire their dedication, but I can’t help chuckling to myself as well. Obviously, for those who aren’t as fortunate as we are to have a garden, taking your dog for a walk rain, hail, or shine is a necessity, but I know plenty of people whose dogs won’t go to the toilet at home; they’ll only go when they’re out on a walk.

Don’t get me wrong, if the cats haven’t been fed by 8 pm, or the dog’s breakfast hasn’t been served by 10 am, things start to get a bit rowdy; there’s no chance of anyone missing out on a meal! But they’re not pacing the floor, scratching at doors, or filing complaints if it’s ten past six and they haven’t eaten; they know they’ll be fed. They’re just as happy to pee or poop in the garden as they are on a walk, and if it’s cold and miserable outside, they seem more than happy to spend the day indoors, darting out briefly to relieve themselves before returning to the comfort and warmth of blankets and laps.

Do What Works For You

If a strict routine is what works for you, then that’s great. But if, like me, you want the occasional sleep-in, to have one more drink before heading home, or prefer to open the door a crack to let the dogs out to the toilet instead of braving the cold, then perhaps a casual routine will work for you. At the end of the day, your dogs will feel stressed if you are stressed, and they are far more adaptable than we might think. As long as they can count on being fed, exercised, played with, and loved, they’re not going to pay too much attention to the clock unless you do.