After their deaths, I really wanted to have a dog who lived into the double digits. It became my dream. I remember telling our vet, I would adopt a 10 year old dog if that is what it took to get one to that age! Now I have 1 and maybe 2 who are in their digits (as we aren't 100% sure of Phod's exact age).
At 10, Lee is still her exuberant self. Yes, she has more white fur, especially around her mouth, and yes the vet says you can see her eyes getting old, but behaviour wise, she has hardly slowed down. We are not really seeing her age yet. She just seems finally 'manageable!' I recently told her she is now the dog we always wanted, it just took 9 years.
The same can't be said for my Phod. He is at least 9. He doesn't like going on as long walks. He knows not to play as much ball (he has matured and will actually stop now and won't keep playing until he nearly kills himself!). He is often stiff when he has had a long walk or too much ball or after a long sleep. In general, he is just slowing down. It makes my heart hurt. It is hard to imagine a house without my boy in it. But to be clear, while he is slowing down, he is still happy and not suffering.
While having older dogs makes me sad, it also makes me appreciate the time I have with them. The past 12 weeks with them have been wonderful. I have so enjoyed it and I look forward to every moment we have left and the adventures we are going to face as we enter senior dog life!
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteOh yes, those seniour years are something precious - Jade didn't really slow down till she was about 13 and three quarters... but then there was only another three quarters remaining. They were still precious, just different... YAM xx
I have really been enjoying your more frequent blog posts these past couple of months. Yes it it sad to see dogs age but, as they say, so much better than the alternative. Bertie, also age ten, has slowed down too. He still enjoys longish walks, but sleeps most of the rest of the time. My biggest concern is his eyesight, which seems to be deteriorating, and I think he is developing cataracts. An appointment with the dog opthamologist will be scheduled when our lockdown conditions ease. Hamish the Westie lived to 14, but was very slow for the last couple of years.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Gail.
Though never with us as long as we hope for, I believe it was a child who once said, "they do not need to be on earth as long as we do, for they arrive with far more wisdom and love and goodness so it doesn't take them so long to learn how to live the way we should live." (paraphrased) Thus we can only share the time we our given, each moment feeling blessed to have them with us.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to jinx it but I could see a change in Bailey as he reached the double digits. Katy has been slower to age and I find myself checking because she seems to be more active than Bailey was at this age. I confirm with DH and she is as senior as I think she is but she is stubborn about showing it.
ReplyDeleteThis is very sweet and sad at the same time! Big boy is dog number five. We adopted him at age 6 and a half we think. We had and one that live to 13 years old and Jake made it to 15. Max made it to 16 and he's exactly like your father and makes me think of him every time I see him. Prayers he makes it to 16 also. All four of the ones we lost in the double digits did slow down for the last day or years of their lives but they were still the loves of Our Lives and able to walk and do all the things they always did just not as fast just like me and Bob
ReplyDeleteAll our dogs lived until their teens, except for Ramsey the pit bull, who really belonged to our younger daughter. He came to live with us when he could no longer climb the stairs at her house. We think he was about 10 when he died of cancer. Our current dog (#6) just turned 6. I just realized that, thinking she was only 5. I guess I want her to be 5 forever. She acts both young and middle-aged.
ReplyDeleteMomma says there's nothing like the love of a senior pet. Cinderella and Casey were both happy, active pups into their double digits. Casey slowed down a little bit because of arthritis, but otherwise they both were pretty normal until just a few months before the end.
ReplyDeleteAll of our cocker spaniels lived until age 14. (Chester is now 11.) But the older they get, the dearer they get.
ReplyDeleteOh yes indeed I hear you completely. Lee and Phod are lucky to be loved by you and you and Man are lucky to have them love you unconditionally. Phod is a big boy and I suspect very wise to know his limitations. Give both big hugs
ReplyDeleteCecilia
There is nothing sweeter and more wonderful than living with a senior♥
ReplyDeletewe see there is such a big and special love in your house... and that's the bestestest thing ever
ReplyDeleteThere is always some good and some bad as our pets age to senior status. Ours are just a couple years younger than yours and we can already see the difference (in Millie more than Walter though). We just make sure to enjoy every minute we have with them and ares so thankful that we are retired now so we can spend all our time with them.
ReplyDeleteWe adopted Lilly from the county shelter animal control at 8 weeks (estimated). She and her sister and mother were found living under someone's porch. She never became really socialized. When Keith became sick, we had moved into a large house from the farm. I took the dogs to walk every single day. After two years... I noticed Lil could not longer do the half mile walk (let alone the mile). She would walk down to the creek on a sidewalk... make her way down to her beloved water.... and then could not make it back up to the car without stopping many, many times. I would be afraid she would just stop one day, and we quit going there. Likewise, my neighbor's pond, that she adored, (by then we had moved back to the farm). She could get there, but not get back. It's hard seeing them get old.
ReplyDeleteSenior pets provide something very special to a peep's heart.
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