My dog is a cattle dog mix, perfect in every way – love at first sight at the shelter, even though we had wanted a younger dog. She's about 8 years old, they guessed, but very healthy and young-acting.
The only problem: We can't give her enough exercise. She'll play fetch forever, but it's not enough. We took her through obedience class (she rocked!), and the instructors suggested we take an agility class. Looks like fun, but at 8, is Tandy too old? I'd hate for her to get hurt.
– B.W., via e-mail
I have never considered acting young to be a fault in an 8-year-old dog! Count your blessings.
I'd take a slightly cautious approach to agility work for Tandy. Ask your veterinarian how he or she would assess the dog's fitness, and make sure she's not overweight so she doesn't stress her joints.
When you start agility training, don't push too hard. Pay close attention and stop when you see your dog tiring. Work on emphasizing fun over competition. That's because in training sessions you can keep the jumps at levels lower than are required at trials and spare the wear and tear on your dog's joints.
If you both do really well, though, you might try limited competition. Top agility dogs compete well into their senior years, and you and your dog may well catch the agility bug. The bottom line: Proceed with caution, but give it a chance. Agility work is a joy for both dogs and humans, and it will go a long way toward keeping you both feeling young.
I recently installed a pet door in a sliding-glass door. My cat will not use it. Only once was I successful in tenderly pushing him through it so he could see how it works. Last night, I tried to coach him through it, but his mind was made up that he wasn't going anywhere near the door. I even placed some treats on the other side of the flap, and he still wouldn't budge.
I read that I should first try taping the flap up so he can see that it's an outlet to the patio and then, over time, let the flap down. Do you have any ideas?
– L.H., via e-mail
The easiest way for an animal to learn to use a pet door is to have another pet who's already using it. But since that's not an option for you, you'll have to start over with the training.
Start by taping the flap securely out of the way or removing it completely for the time being. If you are going to tape it up, be sure you use enough tape to keep the flap from falling down. If your cat gets hit in the nose, the training will take even longer.
Next, every time your cat wants to go out, let yourself out the sliding-glass door and close it behind you. Then call your cat while kneeling on the other side of the flapless cat door and coaxing him with praise and treats. Chances are your cat will look through the wide-open door and come right on through. Never open the sliding-glass door to let your cat out. From now on, go out without him and make the cat door the only way out.
After he's going in and out with confidence, set the flap halfway up so he can still see through opening. Once that's working, you can put the flap all the way down.
– Gina Spadafori
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