This is Bo, our senior rescue dog, and as of this writing, he’s been a member of our family for one whole year! Woo! (Throws confetti). Bo came to us from the Midwest Boston Terrier Rescue and he was a much wanted dog. My partner had come from a family who always had Bostons growing up, and finally felt he had room in his life to get his own dog.
While most people typically consider going to a breeder and getting a puppy, I am an advocate for older and rescued dogs. For one, many rescue dogs are already potty trained, have their shots and have a solid temperament that your volunteer at the rescue can let you in on (so you can avoid many of the pitfalls of a puppy who is learning their nervous habits and favorite things). Also, older dogs from rescue tend to be a bit more mellow…. or so we thought.
While Bo loves snuggling with his sister, he’s also a crazy ball of thunder in our house.
Bo is not my first rescue dog that was over 7 years old. Ralph, my first rescue pug, was a little doughball of loveable snuggles who occasionally would get wild with a stuffed toy, but generally was pretty tame.
Let it be known, I’ve never had a Boston Terrier, especially one like this.
Bo is 8 years old and he’s every bit the gentleman the breed would have you believe. He’s sleek, spry and sharp- his favorite toy is the tennis ball, and he could chase it for HOURS. He’s clearly the smartest dog I’ve ever had in the family, and after a visit to the veterinarian to discuss how we can help him age gracefully, we started thinking about nutrition and ways to keep him just spunky and sharp.
I got the chance to review Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ with Bo, which is formulated to help keep older dogs mentally astute and active.
Around age 7, dogs are considered “senior” and the glucose metabolism in a dog’s brain begins to change, which can affect memory, learning, awareness or decision making. Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ formulas contain enhanced botanical oils shown to promote alertness and mental sharpness in dogs seven and older with visible results within 30 days to promote memory, attention and trainability (learn more about that here.)
We introduced Bo to the new formula gradually and started to monitor his progress with a journal to keep an eye on the changes we noticed in his behavior, curiosity and energy levels.
Previously, while Bo was active, he typically didn’t play with other toys that weren’t his favorite stuffed shark or his beloved tennis balls. Fetch and tug were his favorite things, but sometimes it can be a challenge to get dinner ready when your dog is shoving a soggy tennis ball on your calf because he wants to be entertained.
We picked out some new puzzle type toys to see if he would give them a try. We also reintroduced some of his previously snubbed toys, including deer antlers some stuffed toys. Our goal was that while we wanted play time, we also wanted to see if he could be entertained on his own with some of the toys that didn’t require us constantly throwing it.
Over the weeks, we noticed he began to smile a bit more (yes, dogs smile!) and was animated more during play. He also began baiting his pug sister to get her to play with him. We still play tug with him, but it was adorable to see him bring a toy over to Matilda and get her to engage with him without us needing to facilitate.
During our test of Bo’s new kibble, we also got to try a Dognition assessment to get to know a bit more about our Bo. Through a series of interactive games (like seeing how much your dog yawns or will hold eye contact with you), you get an insight on how your dog works and what gets his/her gears turning.
You can find more info and try it out for yourself at BRIGHTMINDEFFECT.com and you’ll get access to the tools (a $19 value) when you purchase a bag of Purina BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+.
Want to win your own free trial of Dognition to learn more about your dog?
Get a chance to win access to Dognition by leaving a comment below with your dog’s name, their age and something you love about them. One lucky reader will win a free Dognition Assessment ($19 value) so that you can try the same interactive games and learn more about your dog. Winners will be announced in about a week directly via email and in the comments.
To get more information about Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+, follow them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Purina Pro Plan BRIGHT MIND. The opinions and text are all mine.
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