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Poop in My Pocket: Life With an Old, Old Dog

tri-color rat terrier sleeping surrounded by pillows to keep her from rolling off bed

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 […]

Euthanizing My Dog With Dementia: The Dreaded Choice

small, elderly rat terrier with her head on a pillow

Cricket was my familiar, my baby, my little soulmate. We chose each other and stuck together like glue. Adopting a Middle-Aged Dog When I got Cricket from rat terrier rescue, she was already about six to eight years old. I thought I was in for heartbreak by adopting a middle-aged dog. Well, I was, but not […]

Life Expectancy of Dogs with Dementia

older dog gazing into camera"What's the prognosis? How long does he have?" This is one of the first questions we usually ask when we start to recover from the shock that our dog has something akin to Alzheimer's. The good news is that there is some evidence that dogs with canine cognitive dysfunction live just as long, on average, [...]

Snuffle Mats: Great Enrichment for Senior Dogs

elderly dachshund in a colorful vest sniffing treats out of a snuffle mat

Snuffle mats are one of the easiest food toys for dogs to learn how to interact with. And if my dogs are typical, snuffle mats are among the most fun ways to eat as well. A snuffle mat is a mat with multiple fabric strips protruding from a base. Homemade ones are usually created by […]

Suus: The Rescued Dachshund Who Found Her True Home

Suus, a wirehaired dachshund, standing on tree roots

Guest post by Nadia Hermans from Belgium in which she tells the story of her dachshund Suus, a former mill dog who is doing great at the age of 17. When I saw Nadia’s photo of Suus in her custom stroller, I had to know more! Nadia kindly shared Suus’ story–Eileen Anderson   How Suzanne […]

Is There Such a Thing As Doggie Alzheimer’s?

elderly woman petting small tri-color rat terrier

Dog owners sometimes refer to their senior dogs as having “doggie Alzheimer’s” but it’s more accurate than most people know. Veterinarians have known about a similar condition, canine cognitive dysfunction, for several decades. A study in 1996 established a relationship between certain behavioral changes in senior dogs with physical brain changes. Some of the behavioral […]

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Book Wins Maxwell Award

Maxwell Award Medallion for 2016 book on health

My book won! I’m proud to announce that Remember Me? Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction has won a Maxwell Award for 2016. The Maxwells are awarded yearly by the  Dog Writers Association of America.  My book won best book in 2016 in the category of Behavior, Health or General Care. The winners in […]