diff --git a/tests/system_health/test_watchdog.py b/tests/system_health/test_watchdog.py
index 976bda6076..a96a98945d 100644
--- a/tests/system_health/test_watchdog.py
+++ b/tests/system_health/test_watchdog.py
@@ -16,14 +16,46 @@
 
 @pytest.fixture
 def pause_orchagent(duthost):
-    # find orchagent pid
-    pid = duthost.shell(
-                    r"pgrep orchagent",
-                    module_ignore_errors=True)['stdout']
-    logger.info('Get orchagent pid: {}'.format(pid))
-
-    # pause orchagent and clear syslog
-    duthost.shell(r"sudo kill -STOP {}".format(pid), module_ignore_errors=True)
+    pid = None
+    retry = 3
+    while True:
+        retry -= 1
+        # find orchagent pid: https://www.man7.org/linux/man-pages/man1/pidof.1.html
+        pid_result = duthost.shell(
+                        r"pidof orchagent",
+                        module_ignore_errors=True)
+
+        rc = pid_result['rc']
+        if rc == 1:
+            logger.info('Get orchagent pid failed: {}'.format(pid_result))
+
+            if retry <= 0:
+                # break UT because orchagent pause failed
+                pytest.fail("Can't pause Orchagent by pid.")
+            else:
+                continue
+
+        pid = pid_result['stdout']
+        logger.info('Get orchagent pid: {}'.format(pid))
+
+        # pause orchagent
+        duthost.shell(r"sudo kill -STOP {}".format(pid), module_ignore_errors=True)
+
+        # validate orchagent paused, the stat colum should be Tl:
+        # root         124  0.3  1.6 596616 63600 pts/0    Tl   02:33   0:06 /usr/bin/orchagent
+        result = check_process_status(duthost, "'Tl.*/usr/bin/orchagent''")
+        if result:
+            # continue UT when Orchagent paused
+            break
+        else:
+            # collect log for investigation not paused reason
+            duthost.shell(r"sudo ps -auxww", module_ignore_errors=True)
+            duthost.shell(r"sudo cat /var/log/syslog | grep orchagent", module_ignore_errors=True)
+
+            if retry <= 0:
+                # break UT because orchagent pause failed
+                pytest.fail("Can't pause Orchagent by pid.")
+
     duthost.shell(r"sudo truncate -s 0 /var/log/syslog", module_ignore_errors=True)
 
     yield