There are many features of aging that guardians of an older dogs expect and find unsurprising. But there a few aspects of aging that are cause for pause, that guardians are often not expecting…
(Wallis et al, 2023)
Age-related cognitive decline is normal as we, and dogs, age, and because it affects executive functioning, impulsivity increases (Szabo et al, 2016).
Increases in impulsivity is associated with aging in humans too (Morales-Vives & Vigil-Colet, 2011) (Sakurai et al, 2020).
In dogs, impulsivity may be pretty consistent over life (Riemer et al, 2014), but the individual’s abilities to inhibit their responses and tolerate delay of reward can be context specific.
Dog trainers often refer to teaching impulse or “self” control, which is not quite accurate and is more “training lingo” that we could probably lose. Rather, we are teaching dogs that doing some behaviour, e.g., sitting or standing waiting, under certain conditions, leads to access to reinforcement.
These abilities may decline over time due to age, but also because we might stop practicing (reinforcing those contingencies) as diligently with our aging dogs as we do with our puppies and teenage dogs.
Aging dogs might do unexpected things, behaviours they haven’t done since they were a puppy. To keep everyone safe we might have to re-introduce some management, re-jig their world & get back to teaching!
You might need to better manage countersurfing and searching for forbidden foods. More here about helping with countersurfing.
And we certainly need to get back to practicing carefully building or rebuilding tolerance for reward delay, without frustration. Another effect of aging is decline in learning so that means we have to become better and clearer teachers.
Decker has consistently scored high for impulsivity. When he was about nine and a half, he developed cachexia, secondary to gut impaction & intussusception, and that marks a significant increase in his impulsivity, to my mind.
It makes sense that his enthusiasm for food would increase after his body was experiencing starvation; he was very enthusiastic for food before and an increase wasn’t thought possible!
I try to build waiting and patience into lots of contexts, particularly relating to eating and toy-biting. And we still practice. A lot. He’s just about 12 years old so this will likely continue.
Age-related cognitive changes & sensory decline lead to behaviour changes. Being aware of these changes allows us to better support our aging dogs.
Aging dogs need more, not less!
Cognitive aging leads to sensory decline & declines in learning, memory & executive control and changes in social responsiveness, to comfort with novelty, to attentiveness & to sleeping patterns.
We often assume that these changes are part of aging and tend to presume that aging dogs need less activity.
First, it’s important that we don’t normalise aging related effects that can and should be treated and supported.
For example, we presume that older dogs will be stiffer and slower, and many are. But, these are signs of pain and pain must be treated. Older dogs must be comfortable, even if we presume their pain, stiffness, slowing down, lameness and so on, are associated with normal aging effects.
We thought that Decker had slowed down a little, walking more than trotting, but no clear or distinct deterioration. He had a little bit of arthritic change in the TTA knee, but less than his surgeon expects. However, we started him on Librela in October 2023 and the difference has been…insane…
The level of his deterioration didn’t appear as great, but the improvement in activity, strength and other mild effects has been significant. While no medication can be considered a cure-all or miracle, this monthly injection has truly provided a new lease on life…as if he needed to be more gung-ho…but it’s so awesome to see him so full of beans. And I do mean, FULL.
Aging dogs need guardians who:
- bring their dogs for regular vet checks
- keep a log of their dog’s day to day
- recognise and monitor for signs of chronic pain
- make adjustments for now and the future
- make those changes gradually and carefully
- monitor their dog’s worlds to maintain their safety and comfort
- implement appropriate and evolving environmental and behaviour supports and adaptations
What’s more, aging dogs don’t need a less interesting life! Just because we think aging dogs are less active, less social and less fun…perhaps it’s our inhibiting their entertainment that’s contributing.
Aging dogs need us to:
- be better teachers
- provide more and appropriately enriched worlds and lives
- modify their world so it’s safer and more comfortable for them
And all this according to their current and future needs.
Extending healthspan is lifelong
Extending healthspan means meeting canine physical & behavioural needs throughout life.
- appropriate activity
- enriched life & world
- weight management
- life long learning
- healthy social relationships
It’s never too late, or too early, to start!
Age is just a number…
but, behaviour is information to guide us.
Let’s not pathologise aging in our dogs, aging them through our views. At the same time, we are aware of the changes that come with aging and how to recognise when those changes require extra support.
Although aging is a normal process that leads to declines in functioning around the body, we don’t have to think of our aging dogs as ill or fragile.
Behaviour is information…for all ages. Future proofing through awareness of behaviour markers is important for puppies, but what about our aging dogs?
We can prepare our dogs, and their worlds, for what’s to come to maximise healthy aging and extend healthspan.
I have often had a hard time coming to terms with Decker’s aging, he is old. But, it’s important to accept so that we can keep on living. He is the absolute best model for this; he never wastes a second of whatever time he might have. Not. One. Second. Lessons from Dog.
I like to remind guardians, any myself (!), that dogs are here for a good time, not for a long time. Make it a good time for as long as possible.
AniEd Ireland 