At 12 years-old Murphy is my senior dog. He's travelled thousands of miles in the back of my truck, slept in hotel rooms, barns, kennels and sheds without a whimper. He's led a busy life, training, competing and helping me deal with difficult and often aggressive dogs.
On 'rest days' he walks six miles with the pack and often has a swim before taking breakfast and chilling-out. That's his routine. He understands the rhythm of each day and knows precisely what to expect.
I've been away for a couple of weeks and Murphy's routine has been severely disrupted and he lost his equilibrium. The end result was he stripped the wallpaper off my office wall.
Murphy, a dog that has travelled the country without ever damaging or chewing anything he shouldn't, trashed my newly decorated office. Is that incredible? Absolutely not.
Dogs are creatures of habit. They love a balanced routine. It gives security and a certainty to their day. Dogs have a fantastic body clock and can set it to their daily rhythm knowing precisely how long they must wait to be exercised or fed.
It's the way dogs learn house training. They know precisely when they will have an outside toilet break. Change the routine and all bets are off.
A dog without routine is a rudderless ship and it takes only a small change to knock them off balance.
A new baby, puppy or cat will do it as will a house move or a family break up. So before you blame your dog for chewing the sofa or pooing on the new carpet consider your routine.
If you have a new job or a family member to take care of the chances are your routine has changed and your dog is likely to be a victim.
For more training tips go to my website or join one of my classes by texting 07590 560012.
