The Dog Behavior Answer Book - Arden Moore [86]
KEEP YOUR DOG MENTALLY STIMULATED by playing a game of hide-and-seek with food treats stashed in different rooms of the house. Or serve up interesting food puzzles, such as a peanut butter–filled, hard rubber hollow toy.
MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE SYMPTOMS you have noticed before visiting your veterinarian, including, for example, if your dog seems to forget her name, fails to greet you when you come home, or wanders away from you in the middle of receiving affection. Also report any changes in appetite, elimination habits, and physical condition.
REINFORCE BASIC COMMANDS and add some new ones. You can teach an old dog new tricks, and doing so helps keep her mind alert and functioning. Teach her to sit before you head out the door for a walk or to shake paws before you set down her food bowl. (If her hearing is fading, you can teach her to look to you for hand signals.)
TAKE SHORTER BUT MORE FREQUENT WALKS, if possible. Regular exercise increases oxygen delivery to the brain, which can help your dog’s mental abilities and keep her aging muscles working more smoothly. Stick to smooth surfaces that won’t jar her joints. Vary the routes to stimulate her senses by exposing her to new sights, sounds, and smells.
ENCOURAGE YOUR DOG TO STRETCH. Prior to playtime or walks, have your dog get into a play bow position — head down, front legs low and stretched forward, and back end up. Lure your dog into this fun posture by lowering a treat under her nose. This natural full-body stretch helps improve circulation and warm the muscles. After a walk or activity, gently stretch your dog’s legs and massage her torso.
PROVIDE PLENTY OF WATER. As dogs age, they tend to drink less and run the risk of dehydration. Add a few more water bowls around your home and measure the water in the morning and at night to make sure your dog drinks enough water. Wipe up spills so that she doesn’t slip and injure herself.
Unfortunately, our dogs don’t live forever, but these measures can make Zeke’s senior days better ones for the both of you.
Time to Retire?
Q About three times a week, I take Nugget, my certified therapy dog, on visits to a nursing home and a children’s cancer hospital. We spend an hour or two greeting the residents. Nugget has been a therapy dog for about eight years and at age ten, she’s a senior herself! Lately, I’ve noticed that she isn’t as excited as she used to be when I put on her therapy vest, and she takes forever to get into the car. When she comes home from a therapy visit, she seems to be sad and a bit down. Why is she acting this way?
A I regard therapy dogs as the canine versions of Bob Hope when he did his USO tours to troops. Nugget also has brought smiles and happiness to many nursing home residents and sick children who are lonely and away from home. Although Labrador retrievers rank at the top in terms of the number of certified therapy dogs, dogs of any breed can do this work if they have the right temperament and enjoy being around all types of people. Therapy dogs need a thorough grounding in obedience training; they must be able to sit patiently by a wheelchair or hospital bed, to withstand a lot of noise and distractions without fear, and to tolerate having their ears pulled and their tails yanked by people without reacting aggressively. Many learn to gently place a paw on a lap or to nudge a patient’s hand to encourage interaction.
Animal-assisted programs can change and even save lives. It is just as important, however, that the therapy dogs’ needs are met, too. Owners need to be on the lookout for signs of stress or burnout in their four-legged ambassadors of love. Therapy dogs are emotionally affected by sadness and pain in those they visit. They can get stressed and exhausted. It takes two to make a good therapy team, and both must be committed to performing the task. It sounds as though you and Nugget