Tag Archives: routine

After a recent adventure with Sadie that involved her plowing through piles of leaves at a park, I’ve realized that it would be helpful to establish a routine for coming home after being outdoors. I noticed in the car on our way home that Sadie had some kind of burr stuck in her front paw, a twig stuck to one back paw, and the other back paw was covered with tree sap. Clearly I needed to get Sadie cleaned up, stat. But she was still keyed up from the adventure and so excited to be home that she was running around like crazy and playing keep away. I was glad that she was happy and had fun on our adventure, but now that we were home it was time to clean up and relax. So I’ve decided to institute a routine for coming home from an adventure so that Sadie knows it’s time to calm down and relax and I can make sure we’re both healthy and happy.

Step one – Potty break:

As soon as we get home I take Sadie to her favorite bathroom spot. She gets shy in public places, so even though we may have spent the day outside, Sadie still may want to go once we’re home.

Step two – water:

Sadie absolutely refuses to drink water outdoors in unfamiliar places. It’s just another of her strange quirks that I have to deal with. Typically I can get her to drink some water once we’re back in the car, but usually it’s not enough. Therefore, as soon as we get home, I get her fresh new water and make sure she rehydrates.

Step three – dog check:

Since I have to lift Sadie in and out of the car, I happened to notice the burr, twigs, and sap stuck to her the other day. If she was a larger dog that just jumps into the car, who knows how long it would have taken me to find out. Sadie did not complain at all about anything stuck to her, which amazed me since it hurt my fingers just getting the burr out of her fur. So when you go out with your dog, it’s a good idea to give them a once-over after you get back home. You never know if they might have stepped in/on something or might have something caught in their fur.

Step four – treat and relax:

There is no better end to an exciting, exhausting adventure than to sit down and relax at home with a nice treat. That goes for both the humans and the dogs in my opinion.

It’s exciting to get out there with your dog and explore new places. But it’s always nice to come home again. Once you’re home you want to rest, relax and get comfy. With a routine similar to this, you can help to keep your dog healthy and happy after an exciting adventure and show him or her when it’s time to settle down.

This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany’s Diamond Dogs.