How Vet Behaviorists Help Dogs with Dementia & Their People

Many people don’t know about the existence of veterinary behaviorists, much less how they can help us. I didn’t until I got deep into the dog training world. Vet behaviorists can help dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction and many other problems, and they can help the dogs’ owners a lot as well. Veterinary Behaviorists Are […]
Easy Enrichment for a Senior Dog and a Senior Person

Here’s why a lot of us dog folks collect toilet paper and paper towel rolls. These cardboard tubes are a popular choice for lots of enrichment activities. You can use them in many different ways, so long as your dog doesn’t eat cardboard. I fold them up in little packets when playing “find it” games […]
Nosework: Teach Your Senior Dog Step by Step

This is an easy nosework game that senior dogs can learn, even those who have mild dementia. Finding food is pretty hard-wired into dogs and most animals. Dogs with moderate to severe dementia can’t learn much, if anything, but some may still enjoy using their noses in a simpler version. See the last photo of […]
My Name Is Moses

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction: What You Need To Know

Six Fun Enrichment Activities for a Dog with Dementia

My rat terrier Cricket lived to be about 17 and had dementia since she was 14 or 15. As her cognitive abilities decreased, I was still able to find things she enjoyed. Enrichment activities are important at any age. Our activities just got simpler and simpler as we went along. I had taken Cricket on a […]
6 Reasons NOT to Give CBD Oil to Your Dog with Dementia

The plant cannabis, which provides both hemp and marijuana, has a complex chemical makeup. Besides providing many practical products in the hemp form, it contains more than 100 “cannabinoids.” These are psychoactive chemical compounds, i.e., they affect the brain. A major compound is cannabidiol, or CBD. Some people recommend CBD oil for senior dogs. This […]
Stages of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

Canine cognitive dysfunction is a disease that is caused by brain changes in aging dogs. It’s similar to Alzheimer’s. A recent study identified three stages in canine cognitive dysfunction. Stage 1, MILD: Changes in sleep patterns and slight changes in social interactions with owners. Stage 2, MODERATE: Hyperactivity at night, starting to lose house training, and […]
Eevon and April: Best Friends from Day One Until the Last

Guest post by April Franklin This is my own tale about my beautiful girl Eevon Rose Franklin. Eevon came to me from a pet store at two months old, my aunts bought her for me for my 16th birthday and the funny part is we were all told I was getting a small dog like […]
Poop in My Pocket: Life With an Old, Old Dog

This story is from 2012 when Cricket was still with me, previously published on eileenanddogs.com. The very first thing I do every morning when I wake up is turn over and take a careful look at my very old dog Cricket. She has a special place on the bed surrounded by pillows on three sides […]