Dear Dogs Today
We enjoy reading Dogs Today in our household which includes two dogs - a Lurcher and a Border Collie. They have always had quite different training needs but now have a spectrum of geriatric special needs between them, too!
How can you adapt and if necessary re-train older dog as eyesight failure, deafness, senility and arthritis and changes in attention-span set in. It's taken us a while to adapt to how the communication between us the dogs has to change as their senses decline, and I'm sure other owners could also do with pointers and advice on how to adjust our behaviour to support them in their old age.
If we'd thought about it earlier and pre-empted their decline, we probably would have had more success training hand signals before their hearing went completely, for example!
Has anyone any hints?
Kat Joyce
Hi Kat,
ReplyDeleteI found I had gradually adjusted without really thinking about it when my old Staffie reached old age.
I had slowed down her walks automatically, & just touched her gently to get her attention, & realised I had already trained her in hand signals without even realising it, as I suppose most of us do. So no problems with the hearing loss & the slowing down generally.
She kept her eyesight fairly well so I can't comment on that.
Will you need to re-train an older dog do you think?
What do others do?
I'm sure you'll get on fine because you care enough to ask.
Sadly, my older dog now has very poor eyesight. I am so glad that I trained her to KC Good Citizen Gold Level when she was younger, as this is now invaluable - I probably wouldn't be able to let her off-lead now without this level of obedience. She manages well off-lead on wide paths surfaced with tarmac or gravel (luckily there are many miles of such paths locally), where it is easy for her to tell if she has wandered off track. On-lead I say 'watch-out' as we approach kerbs, and make sure that the lead is loose so that she is free to alter her pace and balance as she wishes - this goes a long way to avoiding trips and stumbles. Incidentally, I have just discovered that a lack of vision is no hindrance to her using a Kong Wobbler!!
ReplyDeleteThe dog may find odor cues helpful to navigate around the house when sight fails and cognitive function declines. Dogs can smell much more subtle scents than we can so this doesn't necessarily mean dousing the sofa in lavender oil! (though I would rather enjoy that smell). Use different smells in different rooms, for example a pouch of catnip inside a cushion cover on the sofa, a peppermint teabag in the dogs bed, a scented carpet freshener used at the entrance to the front room.
ReplyDeleteIt is important that older dogs are mentally stimulated through training sessions, just like young dogs, however it is important to follow a few basic rules. Firstly remember not to fill up an older dog with treats as they are more prone to putting on weight and also less likely lose it through exercise as they may be less mobile/agile. Use either part of the dogs daily meal ration or some low fat treats rather than cheese or hot dog.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to go at the dogs pace when training. Older dogs may find it more difficult to concentrate for too long so keep sessions short to help the dog stay focussed.
Cues such as 'sit' and 'down' may be difficult if the dog has joint problems so be more patient or teach the dog a 'stand' cue instead where the dog has to stand still for a length of time.
Hand signals are useful with seniors as their hearing may be impaired, so try to incorporate these along with your cue words.
Above all, make the training fun and rewarding for your dog and both of you will get the best out of your sessions together.
My 15 year old dog still enjoy's doing some tricks. His hearing is very poor, distance vision not great. So now i train him as if he is deaf and use clear exaggerated hand/arm movements. Due to arthritis he is limited to what he can do, but he still enjoys training and it gives him a boost.
ReplyDeleteI have him on a mixture of conventional and alternative medicine, and have just changed the glucosamine he takes, which has made a big difference to his mobility. He is also on mixed vegetable tablets that have stopped his urine incontinence, as the vets only have treatment for bitches.
On walks i have to always be aware if he is close by, as he tends to panic and will run off in the wrong direction if he can't see me.