The Importance of Creating a Regular Schedule For Your Dog

Like most people, dogs live their healthiest and happiest lives when a regular schedule is in place. An ideal day in your pup's life should include physical exercise, feedings on a regular schedule, downtime to rest and relax, and other fun social interactions. These healthy and routine habits assist with your dog’s overall wellness. And we’re all-in when it comes to giving our pets the best quality of life they can have!

Reasons Dogs Need Routines 

• Reduce Anxiety - Dogs need to know that their basic needs will be met. This includes safety and survival factors. When a routine drastically changes every day, a dog won’t know if they can depend on their basic needs being met. This includes consistent access to shelter, food, water, and a safe place to rest. This can help reduce their overall stress and anxiety levels.
  
  
• Improve House Training - A regular schedule allows your dog to understand when they will go out to potty. This allows them to eat and drink water on their own schedule and not have to worry about being able to get out to use the bathroom. A regular schedule can also help reduce accidents and overall household stress that indoor accidents can create.
  
  
• Maximize Training Time - When your dog clearly understands when, where, and how training will occur, it allows them to have a clear set of expectations for their training.
  
  
• Stay at a Healthy Weight - Having a normal routine with consistent feeding and exercise allows your dog to stay healthy. Feeding times should be kept at about the same time every day to avoid overeating and prevent begging behaviors. 

Maintaining a Regular Feeding Schedule

On average, every dog should be fed twice a day. This may change due to the age or breed of the dog. Puppies and young dogs usually need more than two meals a day to ensure they are growing big and strong! Certain breeds of dogs may need to be fed more than twice a day to maintain appropriate blood sugar levels. If you have any specific questions about how often you should be feeding your dog, your local vet will be your best resource.

Related Read: Tips for Choosing a Vet

It’s also important to feed them at similar times between feedings day after day. Most dogs won’t let you forget! But try to set a schedule that works for both of you that’s the same on most days.

A typical feeding schedule for most dogs is once in the morning and once in the evening. When feeding your dog in the morning, allow them enough time to digest and go outside or go for a short walk to relieve themselves. For supper, feed your dog with enough time to allow them to digest and relieve themselves before bed. This helps them get a comfortable and full night’s rest all night long!

One of the most important things you can do is to take the time to figure out what you're feeding your dog. Read the label. Talk to our knowledgeable staff about the dog foods we sell at Central Pet Tucson. They can help with any of your questions. You can also check out this blog: Picking the Right Dog Food For Your Dog.

Because we believe that high-quality dog food is important, we offer several brands of dog food that meet our standards – and your dog’s! We have an incredible array of quality wet and dry food options for your animals. 

Don't forget your 11th bag is always FREE at Central Pet!

Planning for Routine Exercise for Your Dog

Aside from the consistent meal schedule, regular exercise is just as important to a dog’s health and well-being. Whether it’s playing fetch in the backyard, a walk around the block, some treadmill time, or a day at Central Pet daycare, your dog will enjoy moving and stimulating their muscles and mind.

Read Our Blog: How Much Exercise Does a Dog Need Every Day? 

Struggling With Providing Your Dog With A Consistent Routine?

Starting a routine can be overwhelming, leaving you needing help figuring out where to start. At Central Pet, we know that structure is important for your dog’s development and health. Our Pet 101 Blog offers many resources for potty training, crate training, separation anxiety training, leaving your dog home alone, and so much more – all the things you need to create a successful routine with your pup.

For pet parents who bring their dogs to daycare, we help keep this routine in place. A day at Central Pet will look like this:

• Opening: 6 AM - 12 PM — Open-play time that is safe and supervised and includes lots of playtime, brain games, and fun with their furry friends.
  
  
• 12 PM - 2 PM — Well-deserved naptime. Each dog is given some much-needed “me” time so they don’t get over-stimulated in exciting environments like a playroom. During this time, we also provide lunches and/or administer medications when applicable. 
  • Dogs who eat are given a break before returning to the playroom to ensure they don’t bloat from heavy exercise or activity right after they eat.
    
    
• Closing: 5 PM - 7 PM — Open play again before pet parents pick up a tired, happy, and calm dog.

Dog Training Can Help!

Establishing a regular routine for your furbaby is an important step in easing the concern about meeting their needs. Dogs that have clear expectations are less likely to have destructive or anxious behaviors. In addition to helping provide a regular schedule through daycare, Central Pet provides dog training services, including beginner and intermediate training that can be done in a group setting or private one-on-one dog training.

Obedience training helps dogs establish their relationship with their families. This means that they clearly understand how they should behave and how they will be treated in response. 

Questions About Dog Training? Read our FAQs.

Trustworthy Pet Care at Central Pet in Tucson

Although it can be a lot of work, especially if you are bringing home a new dog or a puppy, establishing a routine is one of the best things you can do for your dog.

The dog experts at Central Pet are ready to help you commit to your dog’s overall health and wellness and build a healthy routine. Contact Central Pet’s Doggy Daycare to request a daycare pass or to get help with creating a routine for your furball. Your pup will love playing with their furry friends. You’ll love how happy and content they are when they return home.