Dog Lover Community

Dogs mature and age at much different rates, usually according to size and breed. It is commonly held that dogs live 7 years for every year that we man does. However, this serve as only a rough guide when converting and calculating your dog’s age as dogs grow up very rapidly in their early years and then slow down.

For example, a 1 year old dog is comparable to a 15 year old kid, at age 6, he is comparable to 40 years old in human terms. By 12, it is consider a geriatric dog and is equivalent to an 80 year old man.

It is generally believed that the smaller the dog breeds, the longer they live. Small breeds such as Terrier and Poodle may not slow down until 13 or 14 and could live to 17. On the other hand, larger breeds such as Great Dane and Wolfhounds rarely live pass 9 years.

Diet

A healthy diet for the older dog should be senior food that are formulated with low in fat and salt for a healthy heart, lower calories to help combat obesity since they are less active, lower protein to help the kidneys and liver, and higher fiber for the bowels to prevent constipation.

A switch to a specially formulated commercial diet for the older dog will usually perk him up. If you have no clues about your older dog’s diet, you should consult your vet for advice.

Medical attention

You’ll probably find that your older dog needs more medical attention than before because this is the time where age-related problems start to kick in. If possible, try to make more than just an annual visit to the vet and keep vaccinations up to date. A yearly geriatric screen, including blood and x-ray would also be useful to keep a closer eye on his health.

Patience

Patience is a key factor on your part when you deal with your beloved dog as he grows older. More often than not, he will develop age related problems such as tooth decay, periodontal diseases, vision impairment, hearing loss and also less active than before.

In any case, try to give them more time and understanding because they are not in their prime anymore. With enough love and care, older dogs can still continue their enjoyment of life well into old age.

Take good care of me when I get old. Someday you will be as old as me and you will see how it feels. ~ unknown dog

Moses Chia is the webmaster of DogsObedienceTraining.com. He provides more helpful information on dog obedience training, dog training book reviews and dog illness symptoms interpretation that you can learn in the comfort of your home on his website. You are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

Tags: geriatric dog, old dog, older dog, older dog diet, older dog health care, older dog traininggeriatric dog, old dog, older dog, older dog diet, older dog health care, older dog training

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It’s cold out there! The cold air dries out the skin and burns the flesh of the most hearty winter lover. If you have a dog, you may have considered their comfort by providing a doggie coat. But what toll does the ice and snow take on their paws?

As a dog ages, he will become more susceptible to the elements. We found this out with our dog, Tikki a year or two ago. It was a bitter cold morning with a subzero temperature and unbelievable wind-chill. Tikki trotted off across our yard to do his business in private, as was his custom. A moment or two later, he sat down and raised a front paw. We were used to seeing this behavior as he does this in the summer when he has a prickle stuck in his paw. He will sit down and wait until we come and take it out. But there were no thistles on the snow pack. A moment later, when he lifted his other paw we knew his feet were hurting from the extreme cold and coaxed him toward the house. Half way to the door, Tikki stopped and sat down and lifted all four paws in the air, waiting for someone to carry him inside.

Tikki was raised in Minnesota and never exhibited this type of behavior in the cold before, but at 12 years of age, his feet couldn’t take it anymore. We now monitor the temperature before taking Tikki out. On extreme cold days, he isn’t allowed to run and romp for as long as usual. He has frequent, but very quick, trips outdoors instead.

This experience did prompt us to research how to take care of our dog’s paws in the winter weather. Most discomfort is caused by one of two problems. Ice build-up and salt.

The ice builds up in between the toes on your dog’s feet as they walk through the snow. The warm pads of your dog’s feet will warm the snow and cause it to melt. This water refreezes in the fur between the toes and builds up into uncomfortable snowballs that would feel similar to a rock in your shoe. In Tikki’s case, it probably was similar to the prickles he gets in the summer.

To avoid this, limit your dog’s exposure to cold weather, trim excess hair between the toes and consider all weather dog booties. There are many types and sizes of these boots. They are designed to be durable, comfortable and easy to put on.

The other problem that can cause trouble for a senior dog’s paws in the winter is the exposures to chemicals and salt used to melt ice. Again the wet fur between the toes will trap the salt as your dog heads up to the front door. This salt or chemicals will become irritating and dry the skin. Often the dog will try to chew or lick the paw causing further irritation as well as getting the chemicals into your dog’s system.

The best remedy for this is to avoid the use of salt and chemicals where you take your dog in and out of your home. If this is not possible, rinse your dog’s paws after they have been exposed to salt and chemicals or try dog booties.

Copyright 2006 Dave Eckholm/Old Dog Paws

Dave Eckholm is the owner and creator of http://www.olddogpaws.com, a site dedicated to the care and comfort of our old friends. As our dog Tikki began to lose his eyesight and became grey around his muzzle, we were concerned for his quality of life. As a senior dog, he started to have special needs. We searched for new ideas, resources and products to enhance his life. Old Dog Paws shares this information, including a national pet sitter directory, with all dog lovers so your friend can enjoy wonderful senior years too!

Tags: canine care, care of paws, dogs in cold, health, older dog, paw care, senior dog health, winter protectioncanine care, care of paws, dogs in cold, health, older dog, paw care, senior dog health, winter protection

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Are you considering adopting an older or rescued dog? Older dogs are great family members and need homes. Depending on the breed, senior dogs are often are more subdued than a puppy and therefore easier on your home. But what about behaviors learned or tolerated by a previous owner? Senior dogs can be still be trained using a few tried and true ideas! Just as with puppies it will take time and patience but the outcome is worth it. A trained dog will be a happier dog because he will know what is expected of him.

5 TIPS for Teaching NEW Tricks to Older Dogs

1. Use the proper tone when communicating with your dog:
High/EnthusiasticUse for Praising (i.e. “Good Dog!”)
Demanding/AuthoritativeUse for Commands (i.e. “Sit!”)
Growly/LowUse for reprimanding (i.e. “Bad Dog!”)

2. Give a command only once. This teaches your dog to listen the first time.

3. Hands Off when giving a command. Touching or petting distracts from training.

4. Recall (or “Come”) is the most pleasant of all commands for your dog. Never reprimand a dog that finally comes to youeven if you had to chase him through the neighborhood before he obeyed. He needs to know that you will lavish praise and pet him when he comes to you!

5. Training not to jump up on people and furniture is best done with a metal can or box with 10 pennies, stones or marbles taped inside. For convenience, it is a good idea to have several cans located in various areas throughout your home. Shake the can up and down once or twice whenever your dog jumps up. Remember to reprimand with the low tone at the same time. The noise will startle the dog and eventually the behavior will stop.

Copyright 2006 Dave Eckholm/www.olddogpaws.com

Dave Eckholm is the owner and creator of http://www.olddogpaws.com, a site dedicated to the care and comfort of our old friends. As our dog Tikki began to lose his eyesight and became grey around his muzzle, we were concerned for his quality of life. As a senior dog, he started to have special needs. We searched for new ideas, resources and products to enhance his life. Old Dog Paws shares this information with all dog lovers so your friend can enjoy wonderful senior years too!

Tags: adopting older dog, aging dog, dog health, dog training, old dog, older dog, senior dogadopting older dog, aging dog, dog health, dog training, old dog, older dog, senior dog

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