Dalmatian Senior Dog Celebrates Birthday

I was really moved yesterday to find out that it was our beloved Olivia's birthday. Olivia is a brown dalmatian. You may remember her from her entry in the "Show Us Your Tongue" Pet Photo Contest.

Olivia

Olivia is always smiling. She's one of the happiest dogs I have ever met, and there is good reason for it. She has a great life. I have often mentioned her owner, the dog obedience trainer Cyndy Wood, who also does public appearances sharing precious information for all dog lovers. She recently did a seminar on "How To Be A Better Senior Dog Parent," which I attended, since we too own a senior dalmatian mix. 

Olivia turned 14 years old yesterday!!! Quite an achievement for her breed, but what's even more impressive is this brown dalmatian's health. Olivia can't see well, something rather common for any dog her age. Cyndy has and still is taking measures inside her home to make it easier for Olivia to adopt to her reduced vision. Olivia is also a little stiff in the joints, also common, but overall, she's in superb health. There is no question in my mind, that this dalmatian is still enjoying every minute of her life. 

Cyndy has always kept her dalmatians on a great  diet. Her rule of thumb is: checking out the first five ingredients in the dog food and it it's fit for a human to eat, then buy it. Sometimes the "simple rules" are the ones that make the most sense and are easier to follow. Olivia's current health is a testament to that. Cyndy also put her girl on a good dog joint supplement with glucosamine and chondroitin. She's the one who stressed the importance of glucosamine for dogs and recommended the dog supplements that we use on our eleven year old dalmatian mix, and I'm grateful for that too. The positive effects on our dog were visible within days. 

Sure, Olivia does suffer some from dog arthritis, but what dog wouldn't at that age? Overall, this senior dog is healthier than most dogs are at age ten. She is friendly, happy, social and full of energy. Her only problem is that on her birthday "somebody" had the great idea to give her a grooming session. I think she would have preferred extra dog treats or her favorite peanut butter, and I'll be sure to remind Cyndy next year on Olivia's birthday.

The birthday girl

Happy birthday Olivia, 

Twinkie and family

Hiking With A Senior Dog Sometimes Is Not An Option

Our Linguini may be a senior citizen suffering from dog arthritis and some nasty dog tumors, but with proper care, she's still able to enjoy her life and go dog hiking. Our friend Olivia though, is not so fortunate. Olivia is 13.5 years old, exactly three years older than our Linguini. She's mostly blind, her joints are stiff and she has difficulty walking. A dog in her condition, should not go hiking. Do not feel sorry for her. She's one happy senior dog and she has a wonderfully attentive family. We welcomed a break from the newborn kittens* and we invited Olivia over for a fun day in our yard, a supposedly controlled environment. 

Double the pleasure

Linguini (front) is a dalmatian and german shorthaired pointer mix. She's on K-9 Liquid Health, a dog joint supplement that has visibly helped her with her dog arthritis issues. 

Olivia (back) is a pure bred Dalmatian. She's on Petco's Senior Stage Joint Support and her mom says she saw a big improvement too. 

Olivia's mommy, Ms. Cyndy Wood, is Frankie's trainer, and she's the one we have to thank for Frankie's passing the AKC Canine Good Citizen test. Without Cyndy, I'm not so sure the  oversensitive chiweenie would have made it. Cyndy is focused on positive training only!

"I know you're not my sissy, you impostor!"

Frankie and I were not easily fooled. Not only did this dalmatian have fewer spots than ours, she's also brown. She may be beautiful, but first I had to make sure she was nice. She sure was. We spent hours exploring our own yard through her eyes and nose. 

Happy senior dog escapes drowning

Poor Ms. Olivia, is partially blind and is lacking depth perception. Olivia went to the side of the pool and put her paw hesitantly down. Splash! In she went, the camera went flying somewhere off to the side of the pool, as her mom and my mom were trying to help her out. Olivia came out of the pool, totally unaware of the panic she had caused, wagging her tail happily and then she immediately enjoyed rolling on the lawn. She seemed invigorated, excited and not at all traumatized. Can't say the same about the poor bipeds. They were shaking as well. 

Senior dog reflections

The rest of the day went on smoothly as my pack did not feel at all threatened by Olivia's sweet disposition. We got tons of dog treats, one of the perks of being friends with a dog trainer, and we can't wait to have Olivia and her mommy back. 

Happy senior dog

At the end of her visit, Olivia, happy and spent, got in the car where she was secured in her dog car seat with her harness and the seat belt. In her case, the seat belt not only keeps her safe in case of an accident, it also keeps her more secure and comfortable because otherwise she can't balance very well in a moving vehicle. We waived bye bye from our driveway. 

Twinkie

* If you don't want a break from the kittens today, Here's the latest kitten video