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Thank you Hartz Home Protection Odor Eliminating Mountain Fresh Dog Pads for sponsoring this post. Hartz Home Protection Odor Eliminating Dog Pads provide superior leak proof and odor protection to help keep your home clean.
Kona (my black and white Pitbull) turned 12 years old this year and she’s as active as ever. How she is active has changed a bit over the years as has the ways we help keep her happy and thriving. Dogs’ senior years sneak up quickly, but acknowledging them and adjusting for them can help keep them happy and thriving. Here are some changes we’ve made to do just that.
5 Ways I Keep My Senior Dog Happy
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- Reduce the Chances of Stressful Situations – Kona has never really been easily stressed but as she gets older and her hearing/vision is slightly declining as well as arthritis kicking in, she’s had a few moments that have made me slightly adjust some of our routines. Fireworks for example, have never really been an issue for her until her hearing started declining a bit so during the months when they might be let off more in our neighborhood we turn on music and a white noise machine back in my bedroom where her favorite bed is.
Over the holidays she “threw out her back,” making going to the bathroom painful so she’d hold it forever until she really had to go. She hates to wake us in the middle of the night (they don’t have access to the yard without one of us for safety reasons) so she’d stress about it. To ease her stress I got some new Hartz Home Protection Odor Eliminating Mountain Fresh Dog Pads. They are similar to what we bought when she was a puppy but are made with 6 layers and feature an embossed LeakShield top sheet that quickly traps liquid in the pad and Flash-Dry technology, which instantly turns liquid into gel for powerful floor protection. They also have a special odor eliminating capability that traps and neutralizes odor with a subtle and airy Mountain Fresh scent, leaving my home smelling clean. These are perfect for giving her a safe space to go if she hurts herself again and could also reduce some stress from her (and me) if we’re traveling and the dog sitter can’t keep to the same schedule we keep at home. The XL size of Hartz Home Protection Odor Eliminating Mountain Fresh Dog Pads allows for multiple uses per pad, if needed. - Mental & Physical Stimulation – Kona is a high-energy dog so she needs lots of stimulation to be happy. When she was younger we could go on LONG walks or hikes and to the dog park to quickly get out a ton of energy. Now that she’s older we do “sniffs” around our street (walking slowly for a short distance so she can sniff all the things). We’ve also been trying lots of new types of toys and mental stimulations at home and she’s been loving trying new things. Mental stimulation can help wear her out as much as our long hikes used to!
- Vitamins and/or Supplements – This girl is picky about her treats so we’ve tried a ton of different vitamins and supplements to find one that she enjoys eating. Her vet encouraged a few different things and when taken consistently they really make a difference to her overall wellbeing and happiness. For her, it just took some time to find the right ones!
- Increase Comfort at Home – Kona never really cared what kind of bed she laid on, even the rug or hard floor was fine, but as she got older we noticed her starting to go lay on one of the beds in the other room more often that had a different foam than the others in the house. Once we noticed, we actually bought a couple of different types of beds for her to try and she seemed to really enjoy checking out the new places to rest. It definitely helped us to see what she liked best and get more of those for around the house since her preferred spot is right next to me whatever room I happen to be in.
- Time – The one thing that always obviously increases Kona’s happiness is whenever we spend time with her. Lots of cuddles, including her in tasks around the house (as a Pitbull she really loves having a job to do), and just any amount of attention we can give her. I’ve found that taking her for a car ride in the evening can be the same amount of stimulation for her as a walk used to be. We just go through the drive-through, pick up groceries or even just drive around to a friend’s house so they can say hi and pet her through the window. Anytime we go for a ride, she comes home happy and ready for a nap or to go to bed for the evening.
- Reduce the Chances of Stressful Situations – Kona has never really been easily stressed but as she gets older and her hearing/vision is slightly declining as well as arthritis kicking in, she’s had a few moments that have made me slightly adjust some of our routines. Fireworks for example, have never really been an issue for her until her hearing started declining a bit so during the months when they might be let off more in our neighborhood we turn on music and a white noise machine back in my bedroom where her favorite bed is.
All of these are trial and error for any specific dog but should definitely help get you thinking of ways to increase your senior dog’s happiness! If you want to keep your home clean and smelling fresh while giving your senior a spot to relieve themselves *just in case* check out Hartz Home Protection Odor Eliminating Mountain Fresh Dog Pads. Even if your dog is younger, these dog pads are convenient and great to have on hand. They are available nationwide at Walmart, Chewy.com and Amazon.
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