Great Pyrenees are typically more routine-driven than other breeds, but I’m not sure exactly why. Maybe it helps when they are livestock guardians? It would be easier to be a good guard dog if you knew exactly when things were going to happen, where your livestock is supposed to be, and how the day is going to go.
Mauja and Atka both get upset if their routine is changed, but Atka just can’t seem to handle it. I have never seen a dog get so stuck in a routine!
Here are a few things that happened recently that really upset Atka:
- I had to wash his favorite blanket so it wasn’t in it’s usual spot. Atka stood by his spot and looked at the floor, looked at me, looked at the floor, looked at me, looked at the floor and then laid down staring at the blanket spot. When it was finally done in the dryer, I put it down and he immediately got up, took a step forward, turned around, and settled in for a nap.
- Normally, our SUV is parked along the sidewalk rather than in the driveway and it’s always in the same place. Someone had parked there, so I had to park up two spots. Atka ran to the car that was in our usual spot (not even close to the same size) and stood there waiting for me to open the back for him to get in. It took several minutes and luring him with treats to get him to walk to our car.
- Speaking of getting into the SUV – it used to be parked in our garage. Getting Atka to go out the front door after saying, “Do you want to go for a ride?” proved to be quite challening. He still wanted to go to the garage door.
- We also normally come in the front door when we are out. Recently, the front door was locked, but the garage was wide open. I eventually had to go inside through the garage myself, unlock the front door, and let Atka in that way.
- Atka always sleeps in the same spot every night. I thought I would move the cooling pad to that spot to keep him cool overnight. He stood there and stared at the cooling pad until I moved it out of his spot.
- We used to have Mauja and Atka’s feeding spots separated by a baby gate. Eventually, I wanted to rearrange that room so I removed it and changed the eating arrangement. Atka went from his bowl being on the door side to it being on the back wall. For several weeks, Atka sat facing away from me while I put his food down behind him. It’s been months and I only have him sitting sideways at this point! We’ll see how long until he turns the entire way around.
- We got a new water bowl – he refuses to drink out of it.
- When I get home after being gone awhile, we always greet at the same spot – on the ottoman. If I don’t immediately go sit on the ottoman, he goes there and waits for me to come there. He won’t greet me unless I’m there!
I’m sure there are many other things I can’t think of at the moment, but there’s a few things that show how Atka likes routine. Such a sweet, goofy boy 🙂
Does your dog get upset if you change the routine?
That is so funny! He really is attached to his routines, isn’t he? Blueberry likes things a certain way, but she is much more flexible and will pretty much roll with whatever changes I inflict upon her. 😉
He really is! He’s so silly 😉
Our old pry liked to sleep in my room every night and if I tries to get him to sleep with the kids it would just stress him out. Got a new pry puppy and have him sleeping in the crate to begin with. At 15 weeks felt he was trained enough to sleep with us. The puppy won’t have it started panting and wanted out of the room…usually I have to give him a treat to get him in every night to begin with so I was really surprised he wanted back in his crate.
I was hoping with a new puppy I could expose him to more and not get such a routine but I guess even at this age it’s routine compulsiveness is setting in.
I am worried because my old pry was actually so stressed if things changed or we tried to travel that he was destructive or just insane to have around. Do you have any suggestions or do you ever have to give your pry calming meds when the routine changes?
That is too funny. Pierre is our routine dog. I used to go outside to smoke after eating and I would let the boys out with me. I quit smoking (YAY) in August of 2014 but he still goes to the door anytime we eat. Old habits die hard. BOL!
Ha! You better keep going outside for him! 😉
That’s so funny. My dogs expect me to greet them in specific spots and if I don’t, they get all downtrodden.
–Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats
That is so cute!
The girls are sort of stuck in their ways, too! When you have a fearful or anxious dog, they thrive on routine so if it’s changed it definitely causes some stress. We try to keep our schedule the same when we can.
I completely get that. Mauja is anxious a lot so changes in her routine stress her out too. It just isn’t as dramatic as Atka. Mauja gets upset whereas Atka refuses to change 😉
oh that is all so true!! We tiled the bathroom floor last week and Jasmine keeps eyeballing it suspiciously and jumps into the tub to avoid standing on the offending new floor!!
They are all lovable big babies! Their nature is sweet but also stubborn. Bella, the light of my life is 6. She is my companion dog and the best thing that has come along for me being disabled. I picked her out when she was 4 days and 1-1/2lbs. Picked her up at 7 weeks and we have been together ever since. We go everywhere together. I even bought my SUV so she would have her own back window that goes down and space to lounge. She does not do well when I take trips though. She sulks for days refusing to eat when I am gone. She has always stayed with my sons and their families when I travel but does not matter. The minute I get back she come over, puts her head between my legs and sits. Then the gentle nudges when I put my head down to kiss her… she does not lick. Then there is the bold to the food dish! She too has her special bed in my room but has favorites around the house and several outside…all better be in their place too. When my other dog passed who had raised her, she stopped drinking out of their shared water dish and sleeping in the bed they chose shared. She was devastated. She is my best friend, confidant, protector, makes me laugh, and soothes me when I am hurting and sad. She sense everything going on with me. When having really bad Fibro days, she knows and does not leave my side. The devotion is forever for us both. She is known thru out the neighborhood to all the kids whom she sits and lets them love on her…babies have crawled all over her and kittens cuddled. She is the most amazing dog…as you can see I can go on and on about my girl. Sheer love and gratitude is what I have for her.