dog with possible dementia

Question
My 14 year cocker spaniel/beagle mix, Major, has been showing definite signs of dementia. We often find him staring into space or at objects like cabinet doors. He will wander around the house like he is looking for something and just stand in an empty dark room until we find him. Some days he acts perfectly fine and he always recognizes family members. He is slowing down on our park trips. His eating and drinking habits are normal. The most recent change started occuring after evening mealtime. After eating he asks to go out which is normal, but now he comes back in and turns right back around and asks to go out again. When we let him out he barks to come back in. This will go on for about an hour. he can no longer hear so it is impossible for us to tell him "no" you can not go out again. We will keep letting him in and out until he tires of it. Should we be letting him in and out or try and put a stop to this behavior? Is this also behavior common in a dog with dementia? Thanks for your help. Melissa

Answer
Hi Melissa,

You didn't say whether or not you've had your dog examined by your vet for the dementia. There is a condition, called Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) which is like the dog version of Alzheimer's Disease that people can develop.

Signs of CDS are:

* Disorientation
* Wanders aimlessly
* Appears lost of confused in the yard or house
* Gets "stuck" in corners or behind furniture
* Stares into space or at walls
* Has difficulty find the door
* Does not recognize familiar people
* Does not respond to verbal cues or name
* Appears to forget reason for going outdoors
* Decreased or Altered Response to Family Members
* Solicits attention less
* Abnormal Sleep/Wake Patterns

A dog doesn't have to have all these symptoms to have CDS. There is medication available to help control this condition. A drug called Anipryl can help slow the process and improve the symptoms of Canine Cognitive. This is the trade name for veterinarians for the drug, selegiline hydrochloride, which is used for Alzheimer's treatment in humans.

You can read more about this condition here:
http://www.cdsindogs.com/

Regarding your problem of repeatedly letting your dog outside, it's not doing the dog any harm, it really depends on your personal threshold for letting him outside. If your dog can't hear you say "NO", you can shake your head and close your eyes (cutting off eye contact) to reinforce your disapproval. Ignore your dog when he wants to go outside, assuming you know he doesn't have to relieve himself.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,
Patti