Any dog experts out there?

[dennis thompson]

My dog is very old, he will be 17 on Jan 5,& seems to have forgotten his training. He is having "accidents" inside several times a day, despite my taking him for very frequent walks, most of which are fruitless....he waits to go inside. Any thoughts on how to retrain him?
Thanks
Dennis

[Mark Bolton]

My dog is very old, he will be 17 on Jan 5,& seems to have forgotten his training. He is having "accidents" inside several times a day, despite my taking him for very frequent walks, most of which are fruitless....he waits to go inside. Any thoughts on how to retrain him?
Thanks
Dennis

Dennis,
I would say the possibility of retraining him is not really an option. Just like people dogs can become incontinent which can range from accidental leaks to simply not being able to hold it like they use to. While no one would ever have a way of knowing for sure I highly doubt your dog has forgotten anything and if he has forgotten due to old age memory loss then the likelihood of him learning something in that same old age may be tough.

We have known people to put pads around the house where the dog can go if it can make it to the mat and then known people to use doggie diapers as well.

Aside from the possibility of allowing him to spend as much of his time outside I personally don't know of a solution.

A long loved pet getting old is a part of having pets I absolutely dread.

Mark

[Connie Gill]

Dennis,

I would suggest you take your friend into a veterinarian and have some blood work done. Chances are at his age the possibility of renal failure is what is causing the problems he is having. Although it isn't curable it is treatable for a time. There are unique obstacles when a beloved pet grows old and it requires all the love and patience your pet deserves.

[Charlie Reals]

I would go with Mark 100%, I have 0ne 15 and he has accidents. I did though see advertised a mat made specifically for this purpose.diapers wouldn't last ten minutes with my pup.
I also dread this time as I am getting old with him, funny how the males of the species have the same old man probs.

[Peter Elliott]

Hey Mark,

My 13yr old lab is hitting this level.. Yes, it's very frustrating!

I mention this to my Vet. She said there was medication that can aid in this.. Not sure what it was called.
I hate to jump the "pill" wagon and asked what else.

The vet also mentioned to control his water. So we did that and it has been much better.

Dogs need lots of water but we now give it to him at certain times, rather leaving a full bowl all day/night.

For my dog's day:
AM - before feeding, maybe 1/2 hour before 1st feeding
1st feed - give after eating
daytime - only 1x if I am home and a few potty breaks. (i usually skip this, dogs sleep during the day mostly)
afternoon - when we are home
pm - before feeding, wait a bit like am
2nd feed - after eating
prob around 7pm - nothing after this.

When I put water in a bowl, it's never more than 1/2 way.
I would see if a 1/4 to a 1/2 bowl does at each time.

You may also need to slowly introduce this to him.
I'd be pretty pissed off (no pund intended) if someone took my bowl of water away!

So you are kinda re-training in a way thru a controlled way of giving water.

I can tell the other night, he got a late night drink and guess what I found in the morning..
Yep - stupid human!

Talk to your vet and maybe try a controlled water giving schedule.
It worked for me.

Keep in mind that dry winters, he might need a bit more than say spring and so on for say, hot summers, etc.

Hope this helps.
Peter

[Dan Hintz]

Ours is a 15-yo lab/beagle/dachsund mix and started similar issues when she was 13. She now gets Proin pills twice a day (wakeup and bedtime), and her waterbowl is removed during the night. We initially had her in diapers 24/7, but after a while we got into a good routine with the pills and water... I was glad to get rid of the diapers <blech>.

[Dave Ogren]

The problem is that unfortunately your dog is getting old. It is probably too late to do much about that now. The long life of a dog depends solely on what it is fed. The best is all natural, organic is good but not important. The quality is much more important. Just for example. a Great Dane in this country lives to an average of 9 years. In Germany it is over 20 years. It is all about the food. Europe is decades ahead of us.
A great dog food has about 24 to 28 % protein and 10% less that that number for fat content. The protein should not come from corn, wheat or soy. The fat should be soulable at the dog's body temperature. And they of course need all of the vegatables for vitamins and minerals.
Start them out with a great food and you both will be happier.

Good Luck,

Dave

[Mike Cruz]

Hey, you can't teach an old dog new tricks...no, that doesn't apply. Um, you can't teach an old dog old tricks...no, that's not it either. Honestly, he's old. He's comfortable inside. It is safe. What to do? Toughy. I know it sounds silly, but they do make doggie diapers. While he's inside, strap 'em on. He might not like the feeling of "going" with them on. And consequently go on walks when you take the diapers off. Word of warning...take the diaper off AFTER you get outside...otherwise, well... The other side is that he is still with you. 17... he has something to live for, and likely it is you.

[Lex Boegen]

It's not training. He hasn't forgotten, he just can't help it. Take him to a vet--he could have problems with his kidneys. I hope that he'll be OK, but given his advanced years, you should prepare to hear bad news. Sorry, but I've been down that road before. It's hard.

[Jim King]

Check for diabetes also. We have had the problem with two diabetic German Shepards and one cat.