A husky ran away to daycare after their owner changed the usual routine for one day. The story clearly shows just how important consistency is for dogs.

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The story of the husky in question, Missy, became a real internet sensation – although it must be admitted that disrupting the daily routine does not lead to such drastic consequences for every dog, the case highlights just how much predictability and consistency mean to our four-legged friends.

Routine Is Sacred and Untouchable for a Dog

Missy is a five-year-old husky who spends her weekdays at doggy daycare every week from Monday to Friday. Her owner, Heath Hrappstead, takes the dog there by bicycle every morning, so she is fully familiar with the route and the usual routine. On that fateful Monday morning, Hrappstead decided to change this, because they already had a veterinary appointment scheduled for the afternoon. According to the owner, Missy seemed slightly disappointed when he left without her in the morning, but nobody would have thought that the dog was so attached to their daily routine that she would dig herself out under the fence and purposefully head to daycare.

It was just before eleven, I looked up and I saw this dog running around the parking lot. (…) Honestly, I was very surprised to see her there. We were told she wasn’t coming today so the fact that she just happened to show up on her own was very shocking

– recalls one of the daycare employees. A colleague added that they are very happy that Missy feels so safe in their care that they still went to them even when “she had the whole world at her feet”.

According to the daycare employees, routine is not the only culprit: Missy also has a best friend who attends daycare every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Shaggy is a shaggy mixed-breed dog with whom the husky has maintained a close relationship for a long time – you could say they are deeply in love.

Why Is a Daily Routine So Important for Dogs?

Dogs like a familiar daily schedule because, on the one hand, it gives them a sense of security, and on the other hand, it can provide structure for their everyday lives. During puppyhood, a schedule is essential for house training, developing eating habits, and easy social adjustment as well. In adulthood, the lack of routine can even cause anxiety in some dogs, which often manifests in behavioural problems. Examples include excessive barking, destruction, and similar undesirable forms of behaviour.

As difficult as it is to establish a predictable, consistent daily routine, it is just as easy to “sink into it” and rely on it exclusively. As we have already emphasised several times, our four-legged friends benefit from following a predictable schedule; nevertheless, it is also worth introducing a little flexibility into everyday life. If you occasionally change the schedule, it can help your furry companion become more adaptable, making them less rigidly attached to the daily routine – and, strictly speaking, this attachment is exactly what we saw in Missy’s case, which could even have put her in danger. Fortunately, the husky escaped the adventure without a scratch, so everyone now looks back on her escape with laughter.

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