A Doggy Routine

It's now eight days we've had Jade, and I have given her a good walk every day.  Because  she's  still  a baby and wakes us up very early, at first I felt very tired, but now I'm beginning to feel the benefits. I'm going to have to put another hole in my belt so I can pull it in further pretty soon. The routine is that in the mornings I bring her down from her bed  next to ours and take her into the garden while she does the necessary. After cleaning that up, I give her some breakfast and have my morning cuppa while I check emails etc. before doing some toning exercises and getting myself  ready for the day.

I work in the house or my office through the morning while she alternates playing with toys or sleeping, mostly supervised by my hubby. I stop for lunch about one, and then we go for our walk.  Jade loves to play on the beach when we go this way.

I'm usually back in the office by three to work until about 5ish when I give Jade her tea. Then I might get a bit more work in until it's time to cook supper. At that point I always used to feel exhausted, but these days I seem to have a bit more energy.

After supper it's time for the cuddles we've both been waiting for all day.  She waits for me on the couch and as soon as I get there she moves over and settles close to me with her head in my lap. She'd stay there all night if I let her, but  once we've checked the news headlines at 10 pm, I click on the lead again and take her around the block for her  final toiletries.  I have to be a bit  careful because our neighbour's cat has taken to following us around, looking as though she is ready to attack Jade at any moment. Jade is not concerned. She's lived with cats in her foster home. It's just me who does the worrying.

When we get back it's bed time, and she waits patiently for me to make sure all is shipshape and collect her bed, then follows me up the stairs and lies down on it. And there she stays until some time between 5 and 6.30 am when she thinks it's time to get up and start all over again.

There are going to be some variations to this. I've just called a dog trainer about taking her to a class, but we won't get that started for a few weeks.  I want to have a day off to go out with a girlfriend now and then, and hubby will take over.  But he can follow the same routine.  Just like with human babies, I believe it's good for dogs to get used to a routine.