My senior dog stopped listening. How can I get her good behavior back?

Sometimes dogs Conan's age start to test their boundaries with their owners. I recommend that you start work again with a trainer who uses positive reinforcement to help reinforce/ teach some basic commands. Conan may be running away because he associates you calling him with you trying to stop him from doing something else that he wants to do, in which case positive reinforcement training can help. See the links below for more information: https://avsab.org/resources/ clickertraining.com/node/309 drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/become-more-exciting-than-a-squirrel-teaching-a-reliable-come-when-called/ I also recommend speaking to your veterinarian about having Conan neutered, as this can help reduce unwanted behaviours associated with the instinct to mate (such as humping, urine marking, aggression and roaming away from home) and help prevent them from becoming habits.

Using a "watch me" command and a high value treat (something super delicious that Misty really enjoys, like a small amount of hot dog or cheese, that she only gets when she responds to this particular command) can be helpful in these situations See the link below for more information: https://www.embracepetinsurance.com/waterbowl/article/watch-me-command While she is learning, keep her on a training leash to help keep her safe. Don't use a retractable leash, as this could lead to injury when it retracts and does not offer you enough control.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Seeing that Harry is 9 years of age, what you are seeing could certainly be due to age. He may be suffering from canine cognitive dysfunction. I would recommend that Harry be examined by a veterinarian and having his blood tested to rule out any other possible causes. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not abnormal for there to be some hearing loss in older pets. Hearing loss can happen as an age related change much the same way it happens in people as they age. Not responding to her name when called or not responding to other auditory cues (bag of treats or can of food being opened in another room) or commands (sit, stay, come), can be signs that she has some hearing deficits. There are a few other causes of hearing loss in pets such as chronic ear infections or a perforated ear drum. I would make sure Tazo is checked out with her veterinarian as well to make sure nothing else is going on that may be causing the hearing loss. I hope this helps!

If she will follow you or if she walks on a leash, you can walk her around the house on the leash and she will get more familiar with everything and may want to eventually walk again. The eash acts like an extension of your arm and may give her security. You can also put her food a little bit away from her , so she has to walk towards it. Her nose likely still works very well. Since you did not formulate a question I am not sure what information you need, so feel free to ask again, with a specific question.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These types of behavior can improve though this does require in person training with the help of a qualified dog trainer. I would encourage you to contact a dog trainer that can work with you and her in person to really take care of this behavior. The sooner these behaviors are dealt with, the more likely it is that you can improve and resolve them. Good luck and have a great day!

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Sammy has been declining. From your description, I sounds like Sammy may have several medical issues going on. It is hard to get a good idea of what all the issues may be without examining Sammy first and I would encourage that an exam be done on Sammy with his veterinarian soon to fully discuss and evaluate Sammy's conditions. Perhaps he has osteoarthritis, other degenerative joint or neurological dysfunction of his hind limbs making walking difficult and painful for him. It also sounds like he may have some vision loss or visual deficits making navigating around challenging. Lastly, the walking around in circles and defecating in the house may be related to canine cognitive dysfunction (canine dementia). He may also be experiencing some incontinence as well. Aside from the incontinence he may have from older age, there are medications and other holistic treatments that can help with the possible dementia as well as joint pain that may help make him feel a bit better and improve his quality of life. I think a good evaluation and discuss with Sammy's veterinarian would be a very good idea at this point. I hope this helps and I wish you and Sammy the best.