Tell me about your senior dogs

Do you find that your dogs develop odd little quircks as they get older?

Jake is getting more "bossy" as he gets older. He doesn't think people should sleep in the daytime, for example. So when I work nights and sleep days, he's constantly opening my bedroom door and barking at me.

He stays right beside me on walks - never strays off the path even when he's off leash. He's a dream on the leash now.

He's snappier. Although he was always a gentle dog, he's prone to snapping unexpectedly now.

He's much more affectionate - laying at my feet a lot, which he never did before.

He enjoys being brushed now, and he actually lets me cut his toenails.

I can't wait to hear about your senior dogs.

We have one "senior", who is having some pretty tough health issues right now. I've described them in Dog Health.

Murphy is not snappy at all, thank goodness, unless someone (one of our other dogs) tries to steal her bone!!! :) She gets quite grumpy, then. She is not one to want to be brushed, touched a lot or examined the way I want to do it. But she loves a good head scratch and will sit there for a long, long time, as long as I'm scratching her precious cheeks.

She barks a lot, at nothing, mostly when a human is not in the room with her, and sometimes when they are! Usually, we interpret the barking when we are in the room as a "I'm Hungry" plea and we're usually right!! Ha Ha!!!! :) The barking and getting lost has increased over the last few months, and has been especially bad the last week or so. She had me up until midnight last night, barking at nothing. She and the others stay in the kitchen/den area, gated off. That's probably part of the problem. If she were in our room, she wouldn't do that. But we have had some wetting problems (which seem to be getting better with the addition of a new medication), so we decided to keep all of them isolated into two rooms in the house. It is much easier on the carpet, but I do miss them.

Murphy was 14 in February, so she is quite a senior girl. She is a Yellow Labrador Retriever.

Logan

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Originally posted by stacwase

He's snappier. Although he was always a gentle dog, he's prone to snapping unexpectedly now.

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Yeah, Miksy (my sheltie - 12yrs) is also a lot more grumpy than he used to be. :( I'm glad Jake likes it when you brush him now. Miksy's gotten a lot more sensitive to being brushed so he's been a lot more snappy when brushing him.. I'm thinking about just shaving him for the summer..

Jake's only 7 1/2 - maybe by the time he's 12 he will not want me to brush him.

He really seems to be aging quickly, to me. I mean - he's supposed to live to be 16, and he's already got arthritis and maybe a cataract. Isn't it too early for all that?

He is definitely a lot more likeable now than he ever has been. Everybody notices it - he's become so sweet (except when he's snappy hehe).

Digger is around 11 or 12 years old; he's getting up there.

I have noticed that he has nipped a few times, especially when he is excited. I don't remember him ever doing that kind of thing. I do know that he is getting older though.

Of course, he runs slower, and at an angle. Since he had a stroke last year, his face is "crooked."

Lacie will be fifteen on her next birthday.

She doesn't want to go for walks anymore. In fact, she won't even go outside at all, except to potty. No car rides, no sitting on the back porch. She wants to sleep in her bed all the time.

She is completely deaf, and going blind, and she has a talent for finding the most inconvenient spot in the house to sleep - where, of course, she won't move, not being able to hear. She especially like to sleep right in the middle of the narrow hallway, so no one can get around her.

She isn't grumpy or snappy at all, but she screams and cries and carries on like I'm murdering her when I groom her. :rolleyes:

She was a rescued pup that I chased down on a street 15 years ago. She was scared to death of men for a year+ (hubby included), and I dubbed her "my Tasmanian Terrier".:rolleyes: She is actually most likely a high percentage of Tibetan terrier, and she's been one tough girly the whole time we've had her. In her senoir years she started peeing all over the living room (UTI ruled out) laziness set in. Then we got a foster pup that I rescued (he was SUPPOSED to have left like his siblings...but that's another story)! Spencer is very smart, and will be a year old on the 28th of May. Once he was housebroken, Maggie seemed to have a memory 'click' and she now once again barks to go out! YAYYY!! Even though sometimes I don't want to indulge her 4 A.M barkathon...I can't not now right?:rolleyes: :) :D Most of the time the barking doesn't start till 7 or so, so I have to admit things are going well with the old deaf gal! :) :) :)

Before Jasmine passed away, she started acting "wierd". We figured she was starting to go senile. She couldn't see or hear very well. She seemed to either ignore what we were saying or just not comprehending what we wanted her to do. She wasn't too thrilled with the puppies, but she didn't like Sandy either and they turned out to be great pals. However, when Sandy was a little puppy, she was 3 years younger. Jasmine was 11 when she died. My vet told me that 12 is the average age for a collie. I have had several, and that seems to be acurate, in my experience anyways. It is sad to watch these dogs you love change before your eyes.
If only they could stay the way they are at about 5-6 years old. wouldn't that be great!

We have 2 senior dogs Mizzy and Beth
Mizzy is 15 yrs old he's always been snappy with strangers (never with us) he's slightly deaf/blind arthritus all round, flea alergies etc but he still soulders on.
Beth is 10 nearly 11 and she still act's like a puppy, only after very very long walks she will get lame but hardly ever, she really good for her age considering never been walked past the age of 2 till now crap food/water never had vaccines/vet check ups was very over wieght etc i think she will live to a very good age
Ky

hi there stacwase!

Murph is going to be 14 in Oct and I find that he is quite a bit more clingy now. He does not like to be left behind, if I take Oz somewhere. So he goes to agility with us. He's gotta stay in the car, but that seems to be okay. Just as long as he knows where we are.

The last hiking trip, he wouldn't leave the trail either. Idgie was jumping into the brush, but Murph had no interest. I even let go of the leash, something I never would have done when he was younger, and he stayed right with me.

He's a lil' bit crankier to Oz and Gully. In that he wants to decide when he's ready to play and otherwise he wants them to leave him alone. But towards me, he's his same happy go lucky self.

Maddie got quite a bit crankier to Oz and Murph towards the end too. Didn't seem to be much rhyme or reason for her though. She'd attack for no reason that I could see. I was a lil' worried, since she slept next to my head, that she might snap one night and go after me, but she never did. She was always her same loving self to me. Before I'd pet her, I'd always say "Maddie, It's me", just to make sure she didn't mistake me for Murph or Oz and she was fine. But boy if they bumped her, look out.

She also got very clingy the last couple of years of her life too. I'd try to leave her in the house in the a/c, while I was doing yard work, but it didn't matter how hot it was outside, she'd whine to be out there with me. She'd stay in the shade on the patio. So it was similar to Murph in that she just wanted to be near and know where I was.

Par...

Reggie is 11. He's not good about being brushed...he never was, but he seems worse now. He's really grumpy sometimes...I swear if Nebo even walks by he growls at him. He does follow me around all the time but he's always done that. He still has energy to run around the yard and go for walks.

Is Reggie the little grey one?

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Originally posted by stacwase
Is Reggie the little grey one?

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Yes

Sheba is going to be 11.
She has such a hard time laying down and getting back up.
She also walks with a stiff gait.
(once she is up, she does just fine)

She is much more affectionate, but is less patient when it
comes to being brushed and having her nails done.

She is also more grumpy towards little Pepper when
she comes over to visit.

But she is as purdy as ever. :D

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Originally posted by KYS
Sheba is going to be 11.
She has such a hard time laying down and getting back up.
She also walks with a stiff gait.
(once she is up, she does just fine)

She is much more affectionate, but is less patient when it
comes to being brushed and having her nails done.

She is also more grumpy towards little Pepper when
she comes over to visit.

But she is as purdy as ever. :D

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I think they're even prettier when they're old - they develop such character!

Is Sheba on Rimadyl? Right ow Jake just takes it before a hike and the next day if he's sore, and on rainy days when he wakes up stiff.

posted by stacwase [/i]
Is Sheba on Rimadyl? Right ow Jake just takes it before a hike and the next day if he's sore, and on rainy days when he wakes up stiff. >>>>>>>>>>

Sheba tried Rimadyl twice for a short period.
Each time I found blood in her stool. Per Sheba's Vet and one of the drug Co. vet, we took Sheba off.
To bad because the Rimadyl worked like a miracle drug.
Most dogs do wonderful on Rimadyl.

2 weeks ago we switched her on Etodilac.
So far no side effects, but it does not work as good
as the Rimadyl, but it does help her. :)

Oreo is sorta my senior dog, even though she still lives with my mom. She will be 15 in October.

She has never been a very cuddly dog. in fact before they got Dazzi you could loose a finger if you touched her when or where she did want to be touched.

She is maybe one dog that has "mellowed" with age. Now that there are 4 other dogs to compete with she is much, much better about being brished, petted, etc. She is more active then she was a few years ago, has lost weight, and seems a much happier dog.

Well I sure hope Max mellows with age! After the way he behaved at the vet yesterday, I'm praying that in a few years he will make up for it with mellowness!

Speaking of 14-yo dogs. It was soooo sad at the vet yesterday. A family was there having their 14-yo PTS. They were crying so hard. The dad had to leave the room - I think because he was going to cry. The mom and daughter were just sobbing. They couldn't catch their breath they were crying so hard. They brought her home to bury her.

Did you all know that we have a pet casket company in the town where I live?

When my dogs eventually pass, I think I'll have them cremated and keep the urns on my mantle.

wow...i'm surprised at how sad this thread has made me...My dog, Buddy, is 9 now and still pretty spry. In fact, he still looks like a puppy to most people. However, the other night, really late, someone saw us, and commented that my dog looked like an "old man." That made me sad. I've had him since he was a puppy, and I DREAD him getting older. I am scared of the days when he won't want to go for long walks, and won't jump up and put his paws on my shoulders when I get home from work.

Boiled down, I'm just scared of the days to come...

Rich

Nanook is my almost 14 year old shep mix.
He has some major health probblems. I rescued him from the shelter 13 years ago, he was 8 months.
Something happened to him before I got him that I did not find out until a few years ago, he was shot by bird shot & the whole left side of him is covered with them. He has bad arthritis due to that.
He is starting to become hard of hearing & has very very slight cataracts. He also has a very large tumor growing under & over his rib cage making nearly impossible to operate on especially at his age.
He has always been scared of loud noises but it is getting worse.
He seems to be more clingy, especially on days where his arthritis is not too bad.
He is more spoiled so between that & the hard of hearing he does not listen as good as he used to but he is still pretty darn obedient. But he has always been very obedient so it really isn't that different as before I would ask him things instead fo telling him, just I have been giving him more slack lately.
He can not manuver as good as he used to therefore he trips a bit more & also can not groom himself as well as he used to.

On his good days though he acts like a puppy, he still looks very young. His teeth are in better shape than my other dogs.

He did snap & actually broke my skin a few weeks ago. I posted here about it. We have no idea what caused it, none what so ever. Maybe he was snapping at a bug & got me, maybe he was scared, maybe it was medical, like he was in a trance or something not sure but even then he did not act viscious nor did he growl or bark or anything. Other than that one occasion he has never ever been snappy or anything. I doubt he would even hurt a flea.

Other than that, mainly medical issues he has not changed too awful much. And it has been very gradual too.

He is my buddy!

Max is my senior. He's 9 and he's gotten better about a lot of things and worse on a few things.

Sounds wierd, but he's so much better with Muffin than he ever was with Molly. He's tolerant with Molly now, but he just really didn't like her when we brought her home. But since the day we brought her home he'll lay down with Muffin, let her drape all over him, walks side-by-side with her, and he'll eat at the same time as her.

He is less tolerant about things he doesn't like - being moved when he's asleep. And being taken to have a bath - he's not bad once you get him in the tub, but on the way he growls.

He's our sweet, crabby old boy but we both love him dearly.

I dread the time when he's not with us. When his time comes, we're going to have him cremated, like we did with Peach, and he'll go in the same urn with her. They were best buddies while she was alive and it's only right they be together when his time comes.

Mooch is 18 now and besides her going blind, she picked up a few changes.

For some reason now, she wont eat in her bowl. She has to take the food out of the bowl and put it on the floor and then eat it. :confused: This is really fun to clean up when it's wet food on the rug. :eek:

She nows growls when she eats, even when there is no one around, to gaurd her food from.

She doesn't want to be handle as much any more, loving comes on her trems, not ours any more.

She started barking at nothing, alot now. She'll just be sitting there and then out of no were she starts her barking, after a min or so, she lays back down as if nothing is wrong.

And she also become more of a begger. It use to be if we where eating she just sit and watch, now she starts jumping around and pawing at us for table scraps She seem to want to eat a lot more now and dog food is not good enough any more.

bizdevguy writes:

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I've had him since he was a puppy, and I DREAD him getting older.

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hi biz! Hope we're not worrying you too much. Murph at 14 is still a happy go-lucky character, with quite a bit of energy for the right occasion. When he realizes we're going walking, he gets as nutty as he ever did. Running to the front door and spinning, then running back to me to try to get me to hurry up. He doesn't last as long on the walk, but that's mainly because he's still recovering from knee surgery he had back in Feb. All things considered, he toodles around pretty dang good for a old chap.

Par...

Angus is going to be 13 in September.

Ok, now maybe you make think this morbid but last month I ordered a urn for him. Not that I expect him to go soon but I just want to be prepared for when it does happen.
It seems like ever since I've gotten it he's been a much happier dog. He's even been trying to play with the girls more! Guess he's just telling me he's not ready to go yet;)

Needless to say he doesn't get around nearly as well as he used to due to arthritis and his hind end is much smaller than it used to be (loss of muscle). We do give him liquid health & it's helped so very much (expecially this past winter). He sleeps quite alot but if your going somewhere he'll gladly go too!
Every once in a while he'll stand at the door to go out and be on the wrong side. I don't know if he just forgets or what.

Over all for his age, I'd say he's doing pretty darn good. I had always heard their life span was 8-10....I think they just made that up;)