Older Dogs - Stress

“I’m not as sharp as I was…I get confused a little now, I have forgotten some of the house rules and I feel more anxious.” 

Senior dogs often have a harder time handling stress. Simple things that were not issues before may become issues. Such as separation anxiety, interacting with other dogs, visitors coming into the house, new noise phobia’s, or just more agitated or irritated than usual. Your doggo may have become more clingy or may want to be left alone more often. 

A loss of cognitive ability is common in older dogs. He may forget simple things like how to navigate around an obstacle and not recognize people that he knows. He may even have bathroom accidents or simply start to bark at nothing in particular. 

These symptoms can have many causes including pain, so it’s important to have your Dog checked out for medical issues no matter what. If your dog starts to act strangely or has behaviour changes, he should be checked by a vet to be sure of the cause and that the right treatment plan is put in place. 

You can help reduce anxiety and stress in your older dog by keeping floors free of clutter, ensuring you have no slippery surfaces in the environment or where you walk your dog, taking your dog for more frequent short walks or playing games or food puzzles to increase his mental stimulation. Ensure that you dog has extra space away from strangers and kids, keep a constant routine such as breaky and dinner time, walk time etc. Be more patient your dog – he’ll always be able to pick up on your mood or energy no matter how old he is, so aim to keep your energy calm, patient and loving.