Fights in a multi-dog household

You enjoy having one dog so much, that you decided to get two.

And that’s where your troubles may have begun.

Carefully introduced, the dogs will get on famously and become firm friends.

In the image above, Lacy is chewing a bone while Cricket enjoys her body-heat. Both dogs content.

But sometimes things go wrong, and you find that either

🐾 the older dog resents the newcomer

OR

🐾 the newcomer rocks the boat and starts bossing the old guy around.

Either way, it was your choice to get a second dog, not the present incumbent’s choice. So you have to make sure to disrupt the dogs’ lives as little as possible while they learn that neither of them has anything to fear, and that they can trust you.

Have a look at this post which gives you guidelines to follow. Do follow them rigidly! Don’t rush ahead, or cut corners. This system works, whether your first dog is reactive or not, and whether you’re introducing a puppy or an adult dog into the mix.

Resource Guarding

Often, fights are a form of resource guarding. One dog has something and doesn’t want to share it, or lose it. This could be a sleeping place, a food bowl, or you and your attention.

So it’s essential to show your worried dog that he has nothing to fear over losing valued resources. Teaching turn-taking is an important part of the smooth running of a multi-dog household, and the easiest way to teach this is

1. Teach Impulse Control around food

2. Line the dogs up and say “Name, here,” as you hand a treat to one, and “Other name, here you go,” as you feed the other. Do this randomly, at odd times, and in a different order, and reward their patience warmly.

Along with spending a lot of time with each dog individually, and using a force-free training program to build an unbreakable bond with each dog, you can remove daily friction from their lives so that these tiffs become a thing of the past.

Here’s where you can start to develop a new way of interacting with your dogs! 

Odd dog

If one dog is ill or injured, the change in appearance or smell could upset the status quo. Similarly if one of them is undergoing a lot of hormonal change, this can stir things up. Before you do anything about this possibility, check out this post. (The changes are not what you may think!)

Fight!

If you’ve got fights going on already, you need to act immediately to change your systems. What may appear simply a spat can result in horrible (and expensive) physical damage, not to mention poisoning the atmosphere afterwards.

So turn your home into a village. Baby gates, crates, and playpens are your friends! It’s important to give each dog space to relax without fear. If the dogs are on edge all the time, this is no fun for anyone. Operate an airlock system if necessary, to move dogs around.

This is a lot easier than it sounds, but you have to make sure the whole family is on board with the new plan.

I never want to take the chance of coming home and finding bits of dog splattered about the place - just because someone knocked on the door at the same time as a gunshot sounded, or a dog barked. So my dogs each have their own place where they are secluded and safe. When I arrive home I am greeted by happy, cool, snoozy dogs. Once you establish a system it’s very easy to do, and the dogs are all happy.

Serious fights

If you’re suffering from fights that cause serious damage - especially if both are bitches, and/or terriers - then you may have no option but to rehome the new dog. I’d see this as a last resort. But if the quality of life for the household is suffering, and you have tried everything above without success, you may have to accept that this is the best course of action.

And before you consider another new dog, study the article linked at the top of this post, on how to introduce your dogs successfully!

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Got a Pandemic Puppy?

There are loads of new dog-owners this unusual year. Being stuck at home means they at last are able to get a pet. So loads more people are discovering the joy of having a canine companion. Hooray!

But the flip side of this is that there are loads of people who were unprepared for dog-ownership, who perhaps purchased their dog on a whim, and are now finding out that it’s not quite as easy as they thought!

Not only that, but I’m afraid the nasties have crawled out of the woodwork to capitalise on people’s needs, and there has been a booming trade in puppy farmed dogs (aka puppy mills in the US). Not only have the poor bitches been worked even more relentlessly than usual so their selfish owners can cash in, but the prices have gone through the roof!

People are paying thousands of pounds for a crossbreed from a puppy farm, with no health checks, no parental pedigree, reared in a bare shed. Often they’re told the puppy is eight weeks old when it’s actually anything between five and twenty weeks or more.

These folk have no idea that dog-breeding can be such a dangerous place to wander into without research.

The real breeders, of course - those who work tirelessly to improve their breed, spend a fortune on genetic testing, and are ultra-fussy about who they hand their puppies over to - are still charging normal prices.

Add to this that because puppies are such a valuable commodity at the moment that many people are getting older dogs - thinking they’ll be easier to manage! And many more are buying imported dogs from Eastern Europe. They think they are doing a good thing by “rescuing” these unfortunate dogs.

What they’re actually doing is sentencing themselves to a lifetime of expensive and time-consuming remedial work, to try and get their foreign street-dog to fit into their comfy suburban lifestyle. 

Classes closed

As if this weren’t enough, many classes have been closed for at least part of the year, though my dedicated colleagues at the APDT have done valiant work to continue, according to the ever-changing edicts. They know how important it is for new dog people to find out how their dog ticks - they don’t arrive with an owner’s manual!

Another thing we’re seeing is problems with under-socialised dogs. Because there is such a poor understanding, generally speaking, of what “puppy socialisation” entails, people have been keeping their dogs at home, also teaching them that they will never be left alone. As the restrictions begin to lift, and people return to work, they’re finding that this is not working in their favour, and their dogs are naturally upset at their sudden abandonment.

All gloom and doom? Not at all!

But we can do a lot to help these new dog-owners enjoy their charge, and ensure a happy life for both owner and pup.

As I said, quality dog trainers are working in difficult conditions to keep their classes going. And those of us who have online programs are accommodating as many as we can. Most reputable online trainers have a large person-to-person component in their training programs, so it isn’t just a case of “pack ‘em in”!

So if you took your chance and rushed out and got a dog, and you’re now finding things beginning to fall apart - make your way to one of these high-quality, qualified, force-free, trainers. It’s a minefield, trying to wade through the trainerspeak jargon that many people use (usually those you don’t want to use!) so I list some organisations below.

And right now you can enjoy our free Workshop to teach your dog to LISTEN!

Register here and you’ll be learning new ways to interact with your dog within minutes. You owe it to your dog

Recommended force-free dog training organisations

APDT(UK)

ABTC

APBC

KPA

VS Academy

IMDT

CBATI

PPG

THE FRUSTRATION OF THE GROWLY DOG OWNER: IT’S NOT OTHER FOLKS’ FAULT THAT THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND

First published on positively.com and reprinted here with permission

“Could he not SEE that my dog was upset?”

“My dog was on lead and under control - it was his dog that was out of control!”

“Why, oh why, do people let their ‘friendly’ dogs invade the space of my fearful, reactive dog, and then blame me for being a useless dog-owner with a nasty dog?”

Anyone who works with Growly Dog owners - owners of shy, anxious, reactive, or aggressive, dogs - is familiar with these cries! 

Yes - it’s so frustrating when you’re doing everything right for your dog: keeping him calm; keeping your distance from things he fears; keeping out of the way of other dogs, or bikes, or people … and another person lets their dog rampage up to your on-lead dog!

At first, you may not be sure whether this is an exuberant, over-friendly, approach - or something more sinister. Is this dog going to attack mine? How can I get away? Oh no!

Your heart is now racing, your dog is now lunging and barking - the whole thing is a sorry mess! And what does the other person do?

Well, usually, nothing. (They have no recall, so they’re not going to follow your plea to “Call your dog please!” and demonstrate how useless they are!)

If you’re lucky you won’t get abused or reviled. But sometimes they can’t stop themselves!

“You ought to control that dog.”

“That dog is nasty - you should muzzle him before he attacks someone.”

“My dog is friendly - it’s your dog that’s the problem.”

And so on, they go.

It’s enough to make you cry. And often that’s exactly what happens. No-one likes their dog to “show them up”, and no-one likes being sneered at, talked down to, or threatened. I absolutely sympathise if this has brought you to tears.

Is there a danger of dog owners dividing into camps of “them” and “us”?

But let’s have a look at what’s going on here.

Many people, and that includes many dog-owners, have no conception that dogs have feelings too. They seem to think that all dogs will get along with each other, and that their dog barging in to play with another dog is totally ok.

Supposing they were having a family picnic. How would they feel if some strange children landed in the middle of it, kicking over the food and drinks, and snatching the bats and balls and playing with them themselves? I don’t think they’d be best pleased, and may well express their feelings to the other children’s parents.

So why do these same people think it’s absolutely ok for their dog to rampage about and approach other dogs uninvited?

I think they simply don’t realise. But some education needs to happen. These same people whose dogs are flying about annoying others could well be pillars of society once they leave the dog park. They could be considerate, allowing diversity of thoughts and opinions, concerned to let children fit in and express themselves as they are. But sadly they don’t afford the same consideration to dogs.

I guess they think that all dogs are the same.

Or that all dogs should be the same.

They don’t understand that gentle, loving, affectionate dogs can be forced to show aggression and panic when confronted by their tearaway.

It’s up to the Growly Dog owner to do his best to protect his dog from unwelcome advances, and it’s up to the “friendly” dog owner to teach his dog some manners and restraint.

So for the Growly Dog owner

1. Keep your distance.

2. Seek out quiet places and times to walk your dog where you’re unlikely to meet other dogs.

3. Give your dog a break from stressful walks - only walk her when you’re confident of a calm time.

4. Understand that it’s not the fault of the other owner if they don’t understand what you’re going through. We often don’t understand something until we go through it ourselves. Maybe they will never understand until they get a shy, anxious, reactive dog themselves - then the light will dawn!

5. Be patient with them when they don’t respond to your cries of “Please put your dog on a lead, my dog is afraid!” You need all your presence of mind to help your dog.

And for the “My dog is friendly” owner

1. Respect the space of other dogs and their owners.

2. If another owner is struggling to restrain his leashed dog while your unleashed dog dances around them - please race in to collect your dog!

3. In fact, when you are approaching a dog on lead, put yours on lead too.

4. Put your phone away and focus on what your dog is doing.

5. Always keep your dog within a few yards of you so that you can practice your recalls.

6. Notice how other dogs behave, and rejoice in the individuality and diversity of our best friends.

Meanwhile, both the boisterous dog and the shy dog could do with a bit of help!

Get your free email course which gives you information and strategies about how to improve walks with your dog - whatever his personality.

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Dogs and cats - why not have both?

Dogs and cats are traditionally seen as arch-enemies: think of all those cartoons featuring frenetic cat-chases! But I've found that once introduced with care, my dogs and cats get along really well together. You can see Cricket and Squeak sharing a bed here, a common sight as they enjoy each other’s company - and body-heat. And Cricket is a sighthound - bred to chase and kill small fluffies.

It all depends on how you introduce the dogs and cats in the first place. If you're starting with a puppy, and using the methods in this post, the dog and cat situation will always be under your control as the pup will be in his crate, out of harm's way, whenever you're not there.

So you can let the cat discover the puppy in a casual way - very often simply appearing to ignore what's going on is the best policy. Let both dog and cat know that they don't need to be jealous of one another. Feeding and fussing over the older animal first is a good way to reassure him. In any case, an early scratch on the puppy's nose from the cat will probably ensure that she lives a peaceful life from then on!

Here baby Tip has a game with Christmas the cat, who is delighted with this new arrival! Dogs and cats are usually fascinated by any newcomer to the household, and they're ready to play as soon as they get the chance. Of course you have to supervise any play between dogs and cats while either is tiny.

Kalamazoo’s owner was worried that when puppy Bobbi arrived, fur would fly. But just using what I suggest here worked wonders. You can see them both enjoying a little winter sun together in the garden

A new kitten, an older dog

Then to introduce a kitten to an adult dog - just reverse the process! Put the kitten, with her bed and litter-tray, in your dog's old crate. The kitten is now protected from any unwanted attention when you're not around. Once the novelty of the new arrival has worn off, you'll be able to let both dogs and cats mosey along together.

If you have taught your dog that you decide the House Rules, he'll be happy to go along with your wishes - and your wishes will clearly state that Cat is not on the menu.

The last kitten to arrive here (don't they just drift in, shortly after you've decided on NO MORE cats?) was the one to initiate most of the rough-and-tumbles with the dog she selected as her special friend. Indeed she still does.

The play between dogs and cats can get quite rough at times, and we have regular chases through the house, but it's all well-meant, and no-one ever gets damaged. If this kind of dogs and cats rough-and-tumble happens often, you may just want to move the more delicate family heirlooms to a higher shelf . . .

I've had several cats that like to come on walks with us, and one who will intercept me on the road, ambushing the dogs from behind a tree or wall. Then she'll stand in the middle of the pavement, barring our way and sniffing the dogs' noses. This always astonishes passers-by, who don't realise it's our cat!

One of the terrific advantages of bringing up dogs and cats together is that I never have to fear for my dogs' behaviour if we visit a friend who has cats, and there's less chance of my cats getting chased under a car by a neighbour's dog.

Older dog, older cat

What about introducing an older dog into a household with a resident cat? This happens a lot when people rescue a dog. The shelter may say the dog is ok with cats, but it’s honestly very hard for them to judge any dog’s behaviour in the artificial shelter set-up.

The first thing to do is ensure safety for the cat, while you assess the level of risk from the dog. Keeping them safely apart most of the time to begin with, you can gradually countercondition your dog to the existence of the cat.

The key to making this all work is to change your dog’s emotional response to the cat, rather than trying to reason with him and tell him off. We go into detail on these methods of counter-conditioning in our online courses.

Here’s an explanation of how and why counter-conditioning works

It isn’t limited to fearful responses, it works on any emotion.

Baby gates and playpens are terrific for containing your new dog in an area. And always ensure your cat not only has access to higher ground and can get out of trouble fast, but also have a separate cat-entry for the house. A cat flap or window will do nicely.

Up till she was 17 Squeak the cat would do some serious mountaineering to clamber over the shed and garage, hop onto the conservatory roof then scramble up 12 inches to get through my bedroom window, and if it was raining, drop in a soggy heap onto my bed. Now we’ve moved we have a fully-operational cat flap, so the 19-year-old can get in and out rather more easily.

I have seen wonderful cat cities “in the sky” which people have built in their homes - a series of ladders, platforms, tunnels and walkways that only the cat can reach. They don’t take up a lot of space as they use the upper area of an otherwise blank wall. It certainly makes a change from generic wall-art!

When he was very young, my son made “Cat Flats” - a series of interlinking cardboard boxes with small doors and tunnels. His cat Rosemary loved it!

The More Dogs and Cats, the Merrier

Lacy is the Cat Monitor here. I never have to worry about where the old - now deaf - cat is, as Lacy Always Knows. Here she’s checking the cat out first thing in the morning. A quick sniff and on her way again.

All in all, having dogs and cats in the household makes life more fun. Having at one stage had four dogs and six cats, I know that to be so. The same can be said for chickens, goats, budgerigars . . .

There's no reason why dogs and cats can't get on as they do with any other inmates of the house. But if you are really in fear for your cat's life when you get a new dog, then get some professional help from a qualified force-free animal trainer or behaviourist. That's so worth doing - you will find your life improves immeasurably once you have a dog you can trust, and you and your poor cat’s anxiety levels can go down.

And if you’re wondering about what to do when your dog wants to chase other cats, outside, check out this post about growly and reactive dogs, and its associated guidance.

Some dogs have a very strong prey drive. Cricket the Whippet is one, naturally. But she knows that cat is not the same as rabbit, small dog is not the same as small deer. There’s no problem.

If you re-home a dog who has been trained already to chase and kill small things, like an ex-racing greyhound, or a working farm terrier, you may or may not succeed in making the new dog safe around your cats. Read this article about the reassurance of a muzzle.

and link it

If you have cats already, an ex-racer or working ratter may not be the dog for you. Though I do know people who have decided to spend the necessary time, and are prepared to live with the restrictions, to make it work.

Want some help getting this right?

Watch our free workshop and teach your dog to listen!

Do-based training for you and your dog

I was thinking about Don’t-based training in this post a few weeks ago. And on reflection, I thought how much this applies to us as well as to those we interact with - dogs, colleagues, children, partner …

We say DON’T to ourselves every bit as much as we say it to our dogs and possibly our children - and often more!

Time to find a better way!

No blame, no shame

We turn straight to fault-finding, blame - shame! This happens with us as well as with our dogs.

“I’m no good at this,” we cry. “I can never make this work,” “Who, me??”

How often do you find yourself saying this type of thing? Doing yourself down? Why are we so intent on finding fault, beating ourselves up?

Could these feelings of unworthiness have been instilled at an early age, and we accept them as fact?

We’d never speak as harshly to another person - and I hope, our dogs! - as we speak to ourselves.

Imagine your friend saying, “I want to start this new project,” and you saying, “You? Some hope! You’re useless - it’ll never work. Why even bother?”

Of course you wouldn’t! You would be kind, supportive, encouraging. Even if you thought the venture foolhardy you’d step carefully round the subject, tease out some answers, and NOT judge your friend.

Would you say to your dog who is struggling to understand you, “You’re stupid. Why did I ever get you? You can’t learn anything.”

Of course you wouldn’t! You would be kind, thoughtful, gentle. You’d seek to find where your dog’s problem is, and how you can adjust things to make life easier for you both.

So why do you say it to yourself?

Dog training aka people training

You can use what you know from the way I show you to train your dog.

• You focus on what you want

• You start from where you are

• You take baby steps

• You celebrate small successes

• You are proud of what you achieve!

Start with the science-backed method that works:

Reward.

Not a “carrot” or a “stick”, but a reward. A word, a treat (we can have treats too!), a touch. Something that shows you understand. Something that shows you appreciate the effort being made.

It’s been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, with species as diverse as killer whales, dogs, pigeons, and dare I add - children!

If you reward what you like you’ll get more of it

And in this case the reward is in focussing on what it is you like. The more you think of what you can’t do, your insufficiencies, your perceived failures, the more of that you’ll get!

So the message is clear:

Focus on what you want and go for it.

Whether that’s the new trick you want to teach your dog, or the new course you want to chart for your life. No more beating yourself up!

Decisions, decisions

People find decision-making hard. We’re trying to break away from possible directions and choose just one. Sometimes we want to make a b-i-i-i-i-g life decision. Sometimes we can’t decide what to have for supper.

But decision-making is a habit. And you can build this up with practice. So practice making small decisions and then putting the subject out of your mind - no longer open for debate.

Don’t second guess yourself. Once it’s decided it’s DONE.

Do this with something small - like that question of what to have for supper - and enjoy the feeling of success and relief, once you’ve stopped going round in circles in your mind. Make your decision, and stick with it!

Soon you’ll be saying, “I’m going to schedule three training sessions with my dog this week, and get started on Loose Lead Walking working for me.” And you’ll STICK to it! Because you made that decision.

Looking for new things to teach your dog? Check out our free 8-lesson email course, packed full of recipes and new methods to explore

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The Old Dog: 5 secrets for keeping him young

I write with my old dog at my feet. Tired out after his hour's free running - and he still does run! Border Collies will run till they drop if you let them - he sleeps peacefully near me. He still prefers the hard floor to any of the comfy beds scattered about the house - a hard Border Collie, he! Rollo doesn't see so well now, and he doesn't hear as sharply, but as long as he jumps up - ready to go - when I move, I know he's well.

It's so easy to look after him after our long life together. It's never a chore to take extra time for my old dog, to hold the kitchen door open a bit longer, help him up the stairs, lift him into the van - it's not a task, it's a pleasure. It's a small Thank you for all the love and fun he's given me over the last thirteen years together.

We still enjoy our conversations at the end of the day, Rollo with his head on my knee, gazing at me with devotion, me twiddling his ears and smoothing his brow.

Dogs don't live as long as we do - some stiff questions will need to be answered in the afterlife! - but they pack an enormous amount into their few years.

A sheepdog runs maybe 30,000 miles in his lifetime, much of it over rough terrain and in all weathers. Gundogs also clock up huge mileage, and even the busy little terrier covers an awful lot of ground during the course of an active day. Sighthounds are professional sleepers, but can operate for short periods at phenomenal speeds, crashing through undergrowth as they race. All this activity causes a lot of wear and tear on the skeleton and soft tissues as your young tearaway becomes an old dog.

The Secret of Keeping an Old Dog Young

There are steps we can take to keep our old friend active and content for as long as possible. 

1. Physical fitness

The most important is to keep him physically fit. If you’ve always paid attention to this, this won’t be difficult. You can’t suddenly start a fitness regime with an old, portly, dog without care and possibly help from an expert.

See an old dog in action here! Jake was 14 in this photo of him catching his frisbee. 

2. The right food

"You are what you eat," as the old saw goes, and the right nutrition is so important.

How would your teeth be in old age if you only ate soggy biscuits all your life? How could your body function correctly if you had been bred for thousands of years to tear into raw meat, guts and bones, yet were only allowed to eat grain? And what would your muscle tone be like if you were served mushy food in your armchair everyday, instead of having to find and prepare fresh food for yourself?

This is how it is for millions of dogs worldwide, caught up in the fashion for fast food. Check out this post now, to see how to feed your dog healthily, appropriately, and ... very cheaply!

To keep your old dog fit and happy, it's essential to keep the weight off! It's so sad to see huge, obese dogs waddling around, and it's usually pure self-indulgence on the part of their owners. So much easier to stuff the dog with unsuitable food and then blame her for not wanting to exercise!

Did you know that giving a small dog a biscuit is the equivalent of us eating a beefburger! Please think before giving your dog - of whatever age - unsuitable food. If you must, then break off a tiny morsel of biscuit - that will carry the same message of devotion. And it’s never too late to teach your dog that begging doesn’t work! Check out Leave It! and change your life.

How can you tell if your dog is carrying too much weight? Checking your dog over regularly with your hands will tell you - and will also pick up any sores, ticks, cuts, lumps, mats, rashes, and whatnot.

The back of the neck should have soft folds of skin you can lift easily: no rolls of hard fat. You want to be able to feel all the ribs - but you don’t want to cut yourself on them! You should easily be able to locate the pin bones at the top of the pelvis, and the belly area should be soft and hollow most of the time. A tight beer-belly shape means you have work to do.

If you choose to feed a raw natural diet, this problem never seems to arise. It's hard work chomping your way through meaty bones, and this is beneficial for teeth, muscles and therefore the skeleton. The whole dog gets involved in ripping meat off a bone - see them use their legs and shoulders and really put their backs into it!

But if that’s not for you, at least make sure the diet is highly nutritious, and you provide plenty of chewing possibilities and monitor exercise.

3. Dry him off

My next tip comes from that redoubtable English Border Collie breeder and trainer, Bing Bellamy (Sealight Border Collies). "Never leave an old dog wet!" she admonished. Some of you rejoice in warm weather year-round, so this may not apply to you. But for those of us languishing in the temperate zones or worse, it's good advice. It's easy enough to ensure your house-dwelling old dog is clean and dry after a walk, but remember your kennel dogs need even more care - dry bedding, no draughts, no damp, heating where appropriate.

Rollo would like to spend his day in the garden, lying in the wet grass, getting covered in a blanket of snow, or just drenched with rain. But I won’t let him! His killjoy mother doesn’t allow it.

Despite all your efforts, your old dog may suffer from arthritis, old soft-tissue injuries, and sundry joint problems. All those miles clock up! There's lots of help you can get, from over-the-counter remedies to working with a Canine Massage Therapist (you’ll need a vet referral) - don't leave your friend suffering!

4. Give him comfort

Give your old dog a warm, comfy bed. Many dogs have made a warm, comfy bed a requirement from an early age - for Cricket the Whippet it's a priority! But even those who spend their life spurning the lovely bed you bought them in favour of a cool tiled floor will benefit from a soft bed as they get older.

Be sure that it's an easy-care bed, as one of the problems you may encounter in your old dog is urinary incontinence. This is more common in a spayed bitch, as the hormones needed to keep the tissues plump are no longer available. It's simply cured though. Your vet will have hormone tablets that you can administer in remarkably small doses that I have found fix the problem completely.

5. Eyes and Ears

Just like us, your old dog is gradually going to suffer from diminished function of eyes and ears.

Loss of hearing can be dangerous for your dog - unless you are prepared to keep him on a lead rather more. My old dog Poppy was so deaf towards the end of her sixteen years that I attached a bell to her collar. At least I knew where she was in our garden or in the fields we walked, even if she didn't know where I was.

Once I’d discovered this trick, it's now standard practice for us to add a bell to the collar of our old dogs when we go out. And the bell also keeps bears away - not a huge advantage in the Norfolk countryside, but perhaps more helpful where you live!

It's an ill wind that blows nobody any good, though, and an unexpected benefit of hearing loss was that once she got to fourteen or so, Tip, another of my collies, was no longer terrorised by fireworks for the month leading up to Guy Fawkes Night (though now they can happen any time …). So your anxious dog has this relief to look forward to!

You'll know when your old dog's eyesight is getting worse as he starts to knock into doorways, miss catching his ball or frisbee, and peer in your general direction when you speak to him, instead of straight at you.

Rollo used to be famous for catching. Nothing got past him, however cannily we tried to trick him! Sadly, he can’t catch anything at all now. But careful throwing can still give him a game of chase, with the frisbee landing in front of him so he can scoop it up. And quite often, one or two dashes is enough. So after handing the toy back to me to throw again a couple of times, he’ll keep away with his frisbee and watch the younger dogs flying about.

As time goes by your older dog will stick close to you a lot of the time. Unless there's a danger to the dog, or he is seriously injuring himself, he can usually be accommodated pretty easily.

His eyes may weep, so you'll need to clean his face for him. You'll also need to clean him the other end on occasion, especially if he has a long coat, as he finds it harder to reach that far to clean himself. A long-coated dog could also benefit from having his "trousers" and underside clipped shorter. This will ensure that there are no mats that can become smelly.

Tough Decision Time

Some dogs will slide gracefully and uneventfully into old age, like my Battersea special Poppy, and will die peacefully at home. Up to age 16, she still came for occasional walks and was content to potter about the house and garden, having no difficulty getting up. If she didn’t want to come, she would turn her head away when I got her lead: it was always her choice.

But there may come a time when your old dog is suffering pain, is unhappy, and you need to intervene to end his life.

Unlike us, a dog can't curl up with a good book. If he can't "be a dog", and run or just walk about, snuffling at things and enjoying life; if he's no longer excited at the sight of the lead and cry of "Walk!" then maybe it's time to let him go. Don't agonise for too long over this. You'll know when the time is right, so just do it. And you’ll know afterwards when you experience the flood of relief that your old friend is no longer suffering that you did the right thing.

I’m happy to pay a bit extra for the vet to come to the house to do the deed. My last dog to go was lying on his bed being handfed fish and chips while the nice visitor stroked him and he slid away.

I shall have to dodge the brickbats now, but I could never bring myself to put a dog's back end into nappies and onto a pair of wheels. My criterion in the event of an accident has always been "Can he be a dog?" Getting about on three legs will still allow him to be a dog. Two legs and two wheels will not. Though I must emphasise that this is my own personal choice. I know people who have kitted out their dog with wheels and had success. There's a lot you'd need to take into account to choose the best outcome for your family and your dog.

Old dogs are a delight

Enjoy them and give them the time they deserve. We only have one life, as do they. Let’s make it the best for both of us!

If you’re struggling to come to terms with any of this, you may find help here: www.beverleycourtney.com