Senior Dog

One of my spring break projects was to update my dog's "room" to make it easier for her to get around. I took down the crate that's been taking up space for almost fourteen years; she loved it when she was younger and used it as her hideout. But it's been used more as a shelf for my stuff during the past few years, so it was time to pack it up.  Here's a photo of her "remodeled" room - designed to make things easier for her.

Notice the new rug on the floor - so she won't slip and slide with her unsteady legs.

Take a look at the brand new orthopedic bed - purchased to alleviate the arthritic legs. See the towel on top of the bed? That's to entice her to actually use the bed (it's her special towel). Hasn't worked yet, though. She prefers to sleep on the living room floor when she's not sleeping on the futon. 

Finally, can you see the raised dog dishes - yes, newly purchased, so she won't have to lean down to eat; again trying to help with the arthritis.  Do you notice that the bowls aren't actually on the raised shelf? That's because she totally ignored them for the first two days when they were higher. The goal is to gradually get her used to the new dishes and then try putting them on the shelf again to see if she'll use it correctly.  

I'm trying, but finding it hard to teach an old dog new tricks a new way of life.