An older dog, particularly with health issues, is a special case. Frankly, when my last Guide Dog was dying, I didn't care where he went to the bathroom as long as he was comfortable. One of his last pleasures was laying down on the concrete back patio after it had been well warmed by the sun. In October (2004) his back legs were pretty much shot and we had one of our last truly warm days. I sat out on the porch with his head in my lap for hours, stroking his body, and letting him feel the sun. Several weeks later his balance was completely gone again and this time the vet recommended we put him down. Again, with his head in my lap, we said "Good-bye." Dogs are psychological and emotional beings and they do "feel" shame. Old dogs can learn new tricks, but learning new potty behaviors is the trickiest trick of all. It is difficult because where to go potty is something that is best learned as a pup or young dog. So, you can teach an older dog to do something new in terms of their work, play or service, but just as with humans, the potty thing is something the "pack" teaches at a very early age. It can throw dogs for a loop to try and reinforce a new behavior. ButÂif an old dog's health is reasonably good, and if an owner can work with the dog and wait out his bladder, then a well-affirmed production of output on the new surface will put even an old dog well on the way to a new potty behavior. I am very sorry to hear about what happened to your dog, Kelly, but it is still true that in most situations training a dog to go on a hard surface is best for the dog. Teaching an old dog what to do in unusual circumstances, for a short term situation, is a special case. Dogs, like people, have geriatric problems that go far beyond potty surfaces--dementia, depression, anxiety about being away from familiar surroundings, not to mention specific physiological conditions. The OP is the only one who can truly assess all the factors with his dogs in mind. My offering was simply to assert that dogs can and do differentiate surfaces with a high degree of sophistication and inteligence. Wellspring, whose current Guide Dog sometimes has her own ideas about where to goÂ

I agree, I think we need more pictures of Ricky, he's adorable and I love that "mask" he wears. Super Ricky, in disguise, LOL. I'd play the hokey pokey with him any time and let him win. Wait. Does anyone actually WIN at hokey pokey? Annie

Sounds like you're doing great with him. As Cesar would say: "Dogs live in the moment." So what matters is now, not a slip when you were surprised and spoke louder than you meant to. "Dogs respond to a confident leader." When you walk him, stand tall, shoulders back, loose lead, in charge, ready to conquer anything that comes your way. "Don't encourage fearful behavior - ignore it." Go about your business as if there is nothing scary going on, just like balanced dogs would. If a dog acts scared and you scoop it up and comfort it, the message the dog gets is that there is a reason to be afraid and it is rewarded. So the next time that stimulus comes, she reacts the same way because you taught her she was right to be afraid of it. A rescue dog I got reacted slightly when there was thunder. I ignored it and then thought of a game that would make her happy. We played her favorite game, a game of her own I called growly bump. There it was thundering and I'm on my hands and knees, doing the let's play position and jumping around with her, bumping her hip, immitating her play growl. We made much happy noise and drowned out the storm. I did this a few other times with particularly bad storms, and she quickly forgot that storms were once scary to her. Hope that helps you.

I just found your blog while doing my initial research on pool builder (found it in your Yelp review). I loved reading about your experience and seeing the pics along the way! Thank you so much for the wonderful insight. I have to say that your pool installation has made me so excited to pull the trigger on our own, and now when I need a break at work, I go to your blog -- my new "Happy Place".