Do you own a senior Frenchie who barks always at the same time during the day? If your batpig desperately barks like he’s trying something to ‘tell you’, then he’s probably dealing with a symptom of senile barking. Such barking is often stress-induced and it can be a result of separation anxiety, loss of hearing, or loss of vision. Even though senile barking occurs naturally, we can make it less painful and heartbreaking with the following tips.
Why does senile barking occur in French bulldogs?
Health limitations
Increased barking is one of the most common occurrences in senior Frenchies. Since they’re companion dogs, they need greater emotional support during their old age. Senior dogs are prone to loss of vision, hearing, and mobility ability. Due to these facts, they feel insecure and tend to bark more. To help your furry friend feel safe and more relaxed, we recommend you create a ‘dog-friendly’ environment. For example, you can separate a specific place in your house and set up a baby gate. He should feel safe in that area and become able to spend time surrounded with toys he loves to play with. Besides, you can also place in your French bulldog’s bed your worn t-shirt that carries your scent. In that way, he will have a feeling that
Getting your attention
On the other hand, senior Frenchies also want to get their owners’ attention when barking excessively. Behavior specialists also claim that aging dogs are sometimes capable to bark for hours. In most cases, constant barking occurs early in the morning and late in the evening.
Congnitive disfunction
Dogs are just like us! They experience cognitive dissonance and it can be difficult to deal with. In fact, many senior Frenchies show signs similar to Alzheimer’s disease in humans such as soiling inside the house. They can also start barking when you come home after work in order to get your attention.
Separation anxiety
Dog separation anxiety can also be one of the reasons for your Frenchie’s constant barking. Dogs can bark, howl, and whine for hours to ‘summon’ their owners and show dissatisfaction because they’re left alone. Since this condition can progress into a severe one, it’s advisable to treat it early.
How to solve senile barking in French bulldogs?
There are many reasons why an elderly dog might be barking more than usual, but it’s difficult without knowing the specific cause. If you notice that your aging pet seems anxious or in pain – even if she doesn’t have any physical symptoms yet- then consult your vet right away because this could indicate something important is going on with their health!
Owners often have a difficult time figuring out the cause of their dog’s increased barking. Luckily, there are many tips that can be taken to help dampen down this behavior in addition to medical reasons when it comes from an elderly pet with age being one factor affecting them more so than others beforehand. However, some trial-and-error might need to happen before you find what works best! One way is through using pheromone collars which release calming scent into your pup’s environment that lasts up to 30 days.
Add omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids
The best way to keep your senior French bulldog safe and healthy is by providing him with the right diet. As dogs age, we must increase essential fatty acids in their diets so they don’t get constipated or have diarrhea from too much fish oil supplements like omega-3s. When adding new foods be sure not to overdo things at first because this could cause problems as well!
Place your Frenchie in a confined place
A thing to remember about your aging dog is that they need our love and care just as much, if not more than us! It can be hard when you’re looking after an animal who has needs unlike humans. A good way of making sure he doesn’t get too isolated from the rest of family members or roam around free all day long would involve confining him in one specific place using something like a crate – which will give both parties what they want: familiar surroundings while still providing safety at any point.
Use a dog anxiety jacket
Dog anxiety jacket is made of a special fabric that gently wraps around your dog’s body and provides emotional support. A Frenchie who wears this jacket will have a feeling like someone is hugging him. This piece of French bulldog clothing can be great to use on pooches who suffer from separation anxiety.
Wrapping up
A sudden change in the household can be stressful for senior French bulldogs. Therefore, don’t make big plans! Old dogs love ‘boring’ routines. To help your Frenchie easier deal with any type of stress, you could help by touching and speaking with your pet, or using hand signals when you need to communicate more clearly; these nuances will make him feel at ease while he’s adjusting!