Though you might still remember your dog as a bouncing happy puppy, the years have a way of passing and when you are in a place where your dog is older, you need to expect some changes. Dogs age much like humans do and as they get older they are going to be showing it. How can you tell when the years are catching up with your dog and what do you need to be on the look out for? If you are watching your dog closely, you are already taking the most important step. Simply making sure that you know what to expect can make a huge difference in your ability to cope with your dog’s health needs.
The first thing that you might notice is that your dog’s energy is going to decrease and along with that, their metabolism is going to drop. Have you noticed that your dog is simply beginning to prefer sleeping to roaming the house? One issue that you need to keep in mind is that if you feed your dog the same amount of food that he was getting when he was younger and more energetic, you might notice that he starts to gain weight. Weight gain can be a real problem for dogs as they get older, so consider what kind of food you want to feed them. A diet that is higher in fiber and lower in fat is something that can be very beneficial to your dog. If your dog is not eating quite as well as you would like him to, supplements an also be recommended.
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Whether you have raised your dog from a tiny puppy or you have recently adopted an older animal, you will find that as dogs get older, their needs change. Just like people, their bodies are going to grow frailer and unless care is taken, their health can deteriorate a great deal and very quickly as well. Take some time and consider what you need to do to maintain your dog’s health and what steps need to be taken.
First and foremost, when you want to make sure that your older dog stays healthy, make sure that you take some time and observe him, i.e. how he acts (both mentally and physically), does he move around comfortably, etc. Does he look as if he is moving more stiffly or is he hesitating when he first gets up? Some dogs will show their age through generally being less eager to play, while there are certainly dogs that don’t want to slow down at all and will end up hurting themselves in their enthusiasm. As your dog gets older, take some time and make sure that you keep an eye on how he looks. Regular visits to the veterinarian are going to be essential as your dog ages, and you will discover that these visits can keep you appraised of issues that might not have occurred to you.
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Your dog has been your faithful companion for years, more than a decade now. And your loving friend has started to become more and more erratic; things that used to not upset them are now causing problems around the house; you may even have problems with them not waiting to go outside, or being more aggressive than you’d seen them in ages.
What’s happening is that as your dog ages, a number of age related issues are giving them difficulties in following the rules. Common effects are things like separation anxiety - he’ll become anxious when he knows you’re about to leave, and when you’re gone, he may act out - making noise, making a mess, destroying things. When you come back, he’ll be overly excited to see you.
Dealing with separation anxiety starts with being casual about it. Pointing out that you’re leaving or coming back only rewards the behavior. Work on teaching your dog good obedience techniques, like having him do an extended ’stay’ command and relax while he’s in it. What’s happening is that your dog associates you with his pack; and dogs are conditioned to be most comfortable in a pack. When you want to break this behavior, take short separations, coming back before the dog has gotten anxious, and gives him a treat. For longer departures, give them a treat they have to work to get.
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