Old Dogs, New Tricks
The age of a dog can sneak up on us and many times we start seeing behaviors we have never seen before, or we only saw when our beloved friend was a puppy. The aging dog can come on suddenly when we are in the midst of our everyday lives. We don’t often notice subtle changes until they become pretty big or inconvenient changes.
The senior dog may start losing hearing which can make off leash walking actually dangerous. Even if you have taken the time to teach your dog hand signals when this day comes, you still need to have your dog’s attention in order for your dog to see and respond to the hand signals. Hunting dogs or dogs that have always been driven by scent may find a scent that is so overwhelmingly delightful that she won’t ever look up to see where you are. Very quickly, a dog with hearing loss can become lost and in trouble very quickly. Add some loss of vision because of cataracts and a lost dog may become disoriented and not able to find their way back to you.
Most dogs lose their sense of smell last, so this ability becomes very significant to the dog to continue enjoying life.
Safety becomes paramount with the deaf dog or dog that has lost vision. I certainly don’t give up walks, but I teach my old dogs new tricks to keep them happy and engaged. I usually start putting my deaf dogs on a leash, long line or flexi, so they cannot get further than a safe distance from me. I also increase food on walks so they are motivated to stay near. Once in a while when I have time, I will leave my dog in the car, then walk ahead on the trail and toss a few treats for him to find along our journey.
I add new games at home. Lots of toys stuffed with good treats hidden out in the yard will give your senior lots of scenting pleasure, even when walks seem like too much. But, be sure to back off on your daily ration at meals or your senior can become overweight very fast. Lots of weight on a senior is not good at all.
While many people rant about how terrible electronic collars are, they can be a life saver for the deaf or vision impaired dog. If your dog is trained to look at you and come when she feels the vibration mode on some collars, it’s a wonderful tool. The vibration can become a positive thing when paired with food reward making it invaluable marker or attention getter. This can be especially helpful with the dog that has lost senses but still has a ton of energy to burn off.
Keeping your dog’s life enriched as she grows older can be challenge for both of you. Looking outside the box to find new and exciting activities to do safely can be a way to help your dog keep her zest for life. Leaving old strategies behind might be necessary, but new exercises and new training techniques can be so much fun for both of you!
Caption: Snow on the muzzle doesn’t mean there isn’t a warm fire inside! Baewulf 10 ½ years old.
