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Tiny dogs have a longer life expectancy while giant and large breeds are on the other end of the spectrum biologically, aging faster. When you are caring for an aging dog, there are some things you can do to improve or even extend her life

As dogs age, their nutritional needs and dietary preferences may change. Dog food recommended for senior dogs is usually soft, wet, or canned. The wide variety of soft foods on the market makes it easy to find one to fit your senior’s specific needs, as you will see here.

A quietly shocking truth sneaks up on the luckiest dog people, and it’s this: Nothing compares to the companionship of a senior dog.

I had the opportunity to read a pre-publication proof of WDJ contributor Kathy Callahan’s newest book, co-authored with Helen St. Pierre, and I can’t recommend the book strongly enough. Old Dog, New Dog helps dog owners anticipate the potential pitfalls of bringing a new young dog into a home already inhabited by a senior dog—and adroitly steer around them in order to seamlessly create a joyful, trauma-free blended canine family.

Sundowners syndrome in dogs is officially called canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome, abbreviated CCD or CDS. It is a degenerative disease that it will steadily get worse over time. Activities, supplements, and medications can help to slow the progression of the disease.

It can be challenging to tell how old a rescue dog is, especially if not much is known about her history. However, there are some strategies that help narrow down a dog’s approximate age.

A perfect storm has hit the animal rescue world, and many shelters nationwide are bursting at the seams. Fostering is one way to help during the current animal shelter crisis. By taking a dog out of a shelter and fostering, you may even save another dog's life by freeing up kennel space in a facility.

If your dog’s eyes are rapidly moving, seeming uncontrolled, your dog may be suffering from nystagmus. It’s usually part of vestibular disease, which is common in older dogs.

Just as snack foods for humans range from nutritious to unhealthy, dog treats vary wildly in quality and nutritional status.

For 2025, we’ve named the dry dog foods we like best in a number of categories, such as best adult maintenance food, best puppy food, best budget food, best lower-fat food, and more. But keep in mind that the most important selection criteria is not whether a food is one of our favorites, but whether a food works for your dog.

Your dog’s paw pads act like the soles of our shoes, cushioning your dog’s stride and protecting her paws from damage. Weather conditions, strenuous...

All dogs can benefit from dog exercise of some sort, but especially canine conditioning, as it’s appropriate for canine athletes as well as senior couch potatoes and everything in between and beyond, including puppies.