Ritual, Routine and Cues

Dogs Bask in Ritual and Routine

Knowing what to expect, when, where, how much!

Dogs do best with keeping stress levels down when they know what to expect when, how much of it to expect, and in general, how daily routines go for them.

We do our dogs a wonderful service if we mark out the day with our own cues to the dogs.

Dogs figure out plenty just by watching us; we would not have to use words, chants, or songs. But dogs love to talk to us in their own way - often, in body language, sometimes, vocally too. And they thrive on us talking to them, if we do so with a kind of soft or melodious voice.

We do not have to be good singers!

We can even croak our way, frog-like perhaps, through a day's routines, marking each with a ritual chant.

Dogs really thrive on the routine marked by ritual chant.

Trying it out!

To have a lot of fun for yourself, invent some silly chants, croons and giggles, and try them out on your dogs.

For Kwali and Kumbi, the day starts with breakfast. Of course, they have already been aware it's coming, because I've just spent a half-hour in the kitchen, getting everything in order for my own breakfast as well as theirs.

My first chant of the day is: "Who wants breakfast? Breakfast for doggies!"

With that, the dogs come out from wherever they have been resting - and watching - and they begin to dance, because they are hungry! Thank goodness!

We go through the rest of the day similarly, with chants for walks, chants for cuddles, chants for supper, and even chants for insulin shots!

Your dogs will tell you what they like in the way of chants. Just watch them, and you will discover that!

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