Mobility Aids for the Senior Dog

One of my akitas is about 15 years old which is extremely old for a large breed dog. I have noticed that he is more stiff than he used to be and has a harder time getting around.  So many articles are dedicated to puppies and younger dogs that I decided to devote this month's blog to addressing some of the needs of our senior pets.  With old age comes achy joints and other issues which can make our loyal friends' lives less comfortable. The first thing to do is to consult with a veterinarian to determine whether medication or other treatments are necessary help your dog with arthritis and other joint ailments.  Fortunately, there are also a number of products to assist your dog in getting around.

Lifts, Slings and Harnesses

Many large breed dogs have a harder time with mobility as they age.  Often the rear legs become weak and they have a harder time getting up from a seated or lying down position. Here are examples of a few products that give your dog a helping hand:

Help 'Em Up Harness

This harness has both a front and back portion with handles so you can lift both ends of your dog.  So for dogs that have very weak rear legs, it allows you to lift the rear end of the dog.  he construction is lightweight and minimizes the amount of material which is nice if your dog is wearing the harness for a few hours at a time.  I really liked the design of this harness and my dog tolerated the harness fairly well. I used the rear harness attachment when I needed to lift my dog into my SUV.  Given that my dog is very large and about 85 pounds, this is no easy feat.  The rear handle came in handy for these trips.  However, most of the time, I used just the front portion of the harness to just assist my dog with a little lift to help him get up from a lying down position.

Front section of the Help 'Em Up which is the portion
I used most of the time except for when I needed to lift my dog into the car. 

Ruffwear Web Master Harness

The company produces harnesses and foot gear mainly for outdoor activities but these harnesses can also be used for lifting the geriatric dog.  I tested out the Webmaster harness pictured above.  The harness provided enough support to allow me to lift my dog with little effort to get him back on his feet.  Although it has a little more material than the Help 'Em Up, this harness is still lightweight and my dog tolerating wearing it well. Ruffwear also makes a harness with a rear end support but I did not test this particular design. 

The Ruffwear Webmaster Harness - My dog tolerated this harness and it was
just enough support for light lifting to help him get off the ground.

Walkabout Harnesses

This is another company that designs harnesses and lifts for dogs.  I received a sample but it did not fit my dog so I am unable to provide any information on how well my dog tolerated this support harness.  It is more heavy duty in terms of the amount of neoprene used and there would be less ventilation compared to the other two harnesses above.

 K9 Caddy (Sling)

For those dogs that do not tolerate wearing harnesses or other contraptions, a sling is a short-term option to assist your dog with a quick lift.  There are many companies that make sling such as the Walkabout company above.  I was able to revew the K9 Caddie which is a padded sling that you can slip under your dog to lift a front or rear portion of the body or simply to support the body on a walk.


Minimizing Slip and Slides

Often older dogs have a hard time getting up or walking on slippery tile or wood floors.  There are a few ways to address the slip and slides.

Carpet Grips

I have wood floors and area rugs and dog beds can slide around when the dog tries to get up.  One way to keep rugs and beds in place is to use an inexpensive carpet grip underneath.

 

 

Dog Booties

Dog booties with non-skid soles are another option for dogs that can tolerate wearing boots.  Like any piece of equipment, some dogs require lots of positive reinforcement (usually treats) to acclimate to wearing them. Other older dogs may not tolerate wearing them. With my old guy, it was not an issue of whether he would let me put on a bootie but whether I could find one that would fit him.  My dog has freakishly large feet and finding shoes his size was very difficult.

My dog's freakishly large, furry feet.



Ruffwear Skyliner Boots

Ruffwear markets this boot as an everyday boot suitable for senior dogs. The construction is like a tennis shoe with a rugged sole. I was able to get the boot on my dog's feet but the fit was not quite right for his shape foot. 

Meshies by Barko Booties

Meshies is a lighter weight bootie sold by alldogboots.com. My dog fit into the XXL which normally fits Great Danes and Bernese Mtn Dogs.  The mesh material is lighter weight and the anti-slide sole is less heavy duty than Ruffwear which has treads.

Choosing the Right Equipment

Perhaps, the one piece of pet equipment that vexes most dog trainers is the retractable leash.  I do not know of any other trainer that actually encourages its use.  A few years ago, a Consumer Report warned dog owners of the dangers of retractable leashes.  The article specifically profiled an incident where a woman’s finger was severed by the retracting cable.  In addition to injuries to fingers, hands and paws, there are several other reasons why retractable leashes are not favored by most dog trainers.  Retractable leashes are not really well-suited for walking on busy, urban streets.  An open park or field is one thing but a narrow city sidewalk is not the ideal situation to allow your dog 10-20 feet of unrestricted distance from you.  Your dog may run into the street before you can stop it from happening or your dog may confront a not so friendly oncoming dog before you have a chance to intervene.  I have also witnessed many dogs on retractable leashes aggressively charge after another dog with the 15 feet of  freedom afforded by this type of leash before the owner can apply the "brake".

I have also witnessed owners accidentally let go of the handle only to have a very frightened dog being “chased” by the retracting cartridge.  In addition, many trainers teach dogs to walk with a slack or loose leash which is the antithesis of a retractable leash that works by remaining taut due to the dog’s pulling.

So what equipment should the average dog owner use?

Leashes

I prefer a  traditional 5-6 foot canvas or leather leash.  One inch width for  medium and large dogs over 20 pounds and 3/4 inch width for small and toy dogs under 20 pounds. I feel the length gives me a lot of flexibility compared to a 3-4 foot leash.  It is not so short that the dog does not have room to meander, yet the length is not so great to be cumbersome.


         

Harnesses and collars.

I have previously written a detailed article reviewing the different body harnesses and collars out there but here is a brief summary of the equipment I most often use.  I do not use prong, choke or slip collars as its use and application is contrary to positive-reinforcement-based methods of animal training. I prefer to use no-pull body harnesses as my first go-to piece of eqiupment .  I feel that most dogs do well with a body harness and are more comfortable wearing them which is why I rarely use a head harness like the Gentle Leader or Halti except in special circumstances which are summarized in the article above. Examples of no pull harnesses include the Freedom Harness made by Wiggles, Wags and Whiskers, Premier's Easy Walk Harness or the Sense-ation harness.  These harnesses are removed after the walk and should not be worn all-day.  My personal favorite is the Freedom Harness as I find it fits the majority of dogs very well.

             

Kiku modeling a Freedom Harness

Martingale Collars - For those dogs that do not tolerate harnesses or are escape artists (like my Shiba Inu), I use Martingale collars.  These collars are limited slip collars that prevent the head from slipping out.  If you are going to use this type of collar, care must be taken not to jerk your dog's leash and collar to avoid neck injuries. 

   

Buckle Collars – I also use a plain buckle or snap-type collar to hold my dogs’ i.d. and for short excursions. Even though my dogs are microchipped, they always wear a buckle collar with I.D. because if your dog gets lost, the average person will look for a tag and it may not occur to them that your dog is micro-chipped.

 

Long lines

For training dogs from a distance or working in parks and fields, I like using a long-line.  These extra long leashes allow one to teach a dog to come or stay from a long distance and lessens the risk of having your dog run into the street or other unsafe situation. 

Using equipment that reduces the risk of injury to you and your dog and is comfortable and painless for your dog is the first step to starting an effective training program.

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