Wow! What's with Jake?

[stacwase]

Jake is getting soooo playful! This is wierd. A few weeks ago he started acting affectionate, and now he's unbelievably playful! He played ball with me for a good half hour today, and he's been hopping up and putting his feet on my lap, wanting me to play the "hand game" (wagging my hand around his face while he pretends to try to bite it).

It's like he was in a deep depression and just suddenly woke up out of it! I don't even know how long it's been since he's been this happy - since we got Max, I guess. That's been over a year.

I don't know if you remember me talking about it, but he's been decidedly UNaffectionate.

Usually while I brush him he just lays there, only moving to snap at me when I get too close to his bottom. Today he was sitting up and smiling at me and holding his paw up to "shake" and everything while I was brushing him.

Just while I've been typing this message, he's hopped up on my lap twice. Now he's actually chasing Max!

???? No change in diet.

We've been going for walks more since it's summer, but last summer he wasn't this happy and we were walking just as much.

Hmmmmm. Any thoughts? Whatever the cause, this is AWESOME! Even my husband has noticed. Just today he said "Boy - Jake sure is getting to be a nice dog. I really like having him around."

[Kfamr]

I'm not sure what's caused it... sometimes older doggies just have their good days and bad days. Maybe a change in weather?

Simba's never snapped at me, but sometimes he doesn't like company and othertimes he does. He's just like me.:p

[stacwase]

:( Well he's back to his old self this morning. Just laying around looking bored. Kfamr I guess he is just as moody as I am! hehe.

Just for the heck of it I gave him a rimadyl. I want to see if his moodiness has anything to do with pain.

Today's walk day. We go out to the nature trail every other day. It's so darn rainy here that I gave up on waiting for a sunny day to do it. So far we've had to walk in the rain twice, and we'll be getting wet again today.

This morning I called him to me and he just picked up his head and glared at me like usual. Yesterday when I called him he came running so happily!

[Canis Amicus]

Jake's preference to be on his own is quite the same as Rex' (German Shepherd, 3y), who is very quite inside our home, and would rather stay in his "solitude".

I noticed that just before becoming sick he does not leave my side and acts very playful and demanding of attention, like you described Jake's acting.

Also for the duration of the time he is in pain or ill he will not be anywhere, but by my side.

Rosana
and
Rex

[stacwase]

Just before becoming sick? I sure hope that's not it!

My husband says he didn't eat his breakfast this morning. That's unusual for Jake, though not unheard of.

[stacwase]

This dog is surprising me more and more every day!

GUESS what he did today???

OK. You might not find this unusual for your dogs, but Jake has NEVER done it.

One of the contractors working on our house accidentally let him out, and I went out to find him. I called him and he actually CAME INSIDE WITHOUT A BRIBE! He came bounding down the sidewalk and just ran right in!!!

Now he's laying at my feet again, and he's been jumping up and putting his paws on my lap and smiling at me.

I think maybe somebody exchanged my dog for an exact lookalike.

[stacwase]

I know you guys are getting bored about this - but I'm still in shock. It's like Jake has been gone forever and now he's back!

This morning, he somehow opened the front door and got out. I have no clue how he did it.

I went outside and called him and he came bounding down the alley, just grinning his head off. He was actually running!

Wow. Here I was thinking "he's getting old so fast" and "How is he going to live another 8+ years like this" and boom he's young again!

[Canis Amicus]

Jake, behave yourself, be a good boy. Don't let your mommy worried about you!

Be good, sweet boy.

Rosana
and
Rex

ps: a big kiss on Max.

[dukedogsmom]

The only time Duke kind of snaps at me is when I try to do his nails. It makes both of us miserable. I think Jake's got lots of good years left in him. Duke is 11 and just ask Kay, he acts like a kid a lot of the time, like when getting ready to go for a ride and such. Makes me happy because I hate to see him getting old.

[stacwase]

I didn't realize Duke was that old! It's very encouraging that he's doing so well since he's a large breed.

I think I just get overly worried about aging.

If you'll remember, we never got to keep our dogs very long when I was growing up. The longest we ever had a dog was 3 years, so I have never been able to watch the family dog grow old.

Shelties are supposed to live around 16 years, but Jake was so slow and everything, I thought he was prematurely aging. Now I think he was in chronic pain. It seems like giving him rimadyl just about every 3 days has been keeping him in a good mood.