Tips for taking care of your OLD DOG 

I rescued a 7 year old miniature poodle. He is now 16. He has poor vision and hearing. He has lost his teeth and had arthritis. but otherwise is still a very good boy and seems with it mentally. But they sure do take more effort at this age. It is well worth it. He was so helpful in training my new pup, a mini schnauzer Thank you for the content you produce.

I don't need this content yet, but I'm glad you put it out!

Thanks, Emily. I'm so sorry to hear that both Splash and Kiko are gone. I've been following your work for at least 13 years and you're my favourite dog trainer by a wide margin. My three dogs are all gone now, too. I miss the days when I got no more than three hours of sleep at a time, but I'm glad they're not suffering anymore. They lived to be 12, 15 and 17, and never did learn to pee inside. Someone needs to figure out how to make dogs and humans live the same amount of years:) Thanks for all you do to educate dog owners. May you be spared further sorrow.

I definitely wish I had been more proactive with my old dog. I didn’t adjust things until an accident happened like her falling down the stairs in the night or falling off my bed. Both which could have led to major injuries. I felt very guilty for not recognizing her poor eyesight sooner.

Thank you for sharing your tips! Being flexible and adjusting to your pets needs is so important, it was helpful to hear about your process working with Splash to find a good solution. One more tip I'd recommend is to make sure you make time to care for yourself. Caregiving for a loved one can be very draining and it's important to carve out time to spend on ourselves, whether that's setting aside an hour to read a good book/play a game, go for a walk/for coffee/to a restaurant, or whatever you enjoy. Recharging our own battery enables us to care for our pet with more patience!

I needed this video, my dog is turning 10 I believe this December. I've made alot of mistakes when keeping my dogs I just hope that I can make it up to them by improving their lives daily.

I am sorry for your trouble. It is always difficult to help old dogs, mentally and physically. Another very interesting video. You are an angel.

Dr. Mary Gardner has several excellent resources, as she is a specialist in geriatric pet care, and is co-founder of Lap Of Love hospice and end of life practice. Her book, " It's Never Long Enough - A Practical Guide To Caring For Your Geriatric Dog" is absolutely INVALUABLE!

Thank you . I have an 11 year old and a 4 yr old which is a help.

It is so important to me to take good gentle care of my 15 year old Italian greyhound, he has filled my life with joy and laughter over the years. Love the advice you give here, thank you for this video! ❤❤❤

Very helpful, Emily! Wish I had this knowledge about 15 years ago, when my other dog turned 18. She had poo accidents all the time and then walk in them -what a mess. She was used to sleeping on my bed but we couldn't have that anymore so she started sleeping in the garage which was really sad. I missed her but she would slide so bad on the plastic in the house and I didn't think about putting an old blanket on top of the plastic- good idea! Like you I was sleep-deprived then, and not thinking creatively! That's a very good idea! She went from 50 lb down to 37 and she had doggy dementia and she would just stand out in the rain and not come in! I'd have to go out and carry her back into the house so we were both sopping wet! It was tough. Thanks for all these excellent ideas, Emily! Ruthie is 12. As a cattle dog she is still doing great, and since puppyhood, I taught her to potty on command. Except instead of "go potty" She knows. "Hurry up" haha! And she never eats out of a bowl but gets every meal hidden in Kong's all over the house- she loves it! Any other ideas to prep for a good older age, Emily? God's best blessings! Live and hugs, JJ and Ruthie-puppy🙏💕🐕‍🦺🙂✝️

Thanks for the information and tips! Take care :)

Hi, can you pls make a video about a regular day in your life with dogs from wake up to bedtime. I feel that I spend close to 9 hours entertaining/walking/training/interacting with my dog. I’m exhausted at the end of the day. It would be really helpful to see first hand what everyday should look like so I can change my ways.

Thanks for sharing a tough subject. Praying 🙏 blessings to all.

My last foster dog was very challenging.. He ended up being a hospice dog, actually. He was mostly blind, and hated being crated. So I had him in the doggy room, with the floors covered in potty pads. The last few months of his life was really hard on me, because he would poop, and then circle and circle non-stop... What was really difficult was that his paws were then covered in poop, and by the time I would get home from work, all the poop would be dry. He hated having his paws washed and as I would wash, the poop would splash all over the counter and mirrors, and I would then have to disinfect the bathroom. He was only alone for 4 hours at a time, and every day I would come home and see if he would poop outside, and each time he did, I could relax at work. But when he didn't, I would be obsessed, watching on the camera whether he had pooped or not. It was so stressful. :(

Thanks. You helped me to prepare for times to come.

Excellent information!!

The way we (veterinary behaviorists) try do diagnose cognitive dysfunction syndrome in dogs (dog Alzheimer) is by using the DISHAA questionnaire. Disorientation, changes in Interactions, changes in Sleep cycles, House soiling issues, Anxiety, and Activity changes. There is no way to stop it but it can ne slowed down with diets, as you mentioned, specific supplements, and there is a specific medication that is FDA labeled for the treatment of this condition in dogs. Although we use other medications as well if needed. That is on top of all tje behavior and environmental management you mentioned. Thanks for the video! Dr. Orion.

I have a 14.5yrs old beagle. Luckily she has no health or mental issues, I hope we have quite a few more years before this happens (if ever), but thank you! She had a minor accident a few days back (one of her nails just got torn off) and she adapts so so hard, so fed up with the whole leg bandage situation :D because of that I've just started thinking how I could manage her when she gets older :)

Great content, Thank you. 👍

I can’t imagine the pain you had first going thru the passing of Splash & Kiko, then having to relive it to do this video. Looking forward to seeing you in Dec, if you’re around.

Grear information. Thanks for sharing ❤

I literally train all my dogs to pee on command. My vets laughs at me. But it's so useful if you're going on a long journey or somewhere unfamiliar or the dog needs a urine test (and you don't want to chase it around the backyard to get the sample!). So as they got older training an incontinent dog to go on a pee pad is easy, I just give the command. The first time or 2 they look at you like, 'but we're inside and we shouldn't do this here', but once they make the connection of my removing the pee pad, they get it in 2 or 3 tries. I'm never going to chase my boxer around d the backyard for a sample..🤣 the vet nurses love how easy it is and I don't care if people laugh about it, it has worked in so many situations

Thank you so much for all the great content. Especially this topic is not so easy.. are there special things you would recommend to train an healthy adult dog in precaution of their aging? Like using an indoor toilet? Or maybe some visual cues? Or do you think its better to train what and when it becomes necessary?

Excellent and shared

Hello. I have decided to adopt a dog. Can you please recommend a small dog breed that doesn't shed much and has a calm temperament, Easy to train and good for apartments. In short for first time dog owners.

How can I train my older dog to potty just outside & to stop using the potty pad?

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