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#1
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What makes a dog "old"
It seems that I've been hearing more and more about peoples' slowing
down "old" dogs, to find out that the dog is 7 or 8. What's with that? I know we all age at slightly different rates, but none of my dogs have been the least bit "old" at those ages. I tell these folks that I have a 10.5 yo dog who races after balls, wrestles with the almost 2 yo dog (can you believe Rudy will be 2 on 7/10?!?!?) and is very lively and playful. They look at me like I must be imagining things. I almost wonder that people seem to enjoy having an "old" dog. I guess I don't get that. I want to keep them as youthful for as long as possible, and keeping them active helps achieve that. I think for some folks, it's just an excuse to stop doing much with the dog. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
#2
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What makes a dog "old"
Janet Boss wrote:
I tell these folks that I have a 10.5 yo dog who races after balls, wrestles with the almost 2 yo dog (can you believe Rudy will be 2 on 7/10?!?!?) and is very lively and playful. They look at me like I must be imagining things. I dunno. I can see that Harriet, at 8yo, has slowed down. She is still active, however. I almost wonder that people seem to enjoy having an "old" dog. I would hope that I'd enjoy my dog, even after she started to show some age! The alternative is too grim to contemplate. I'm sick of seeing old animals on Freecycle. I guess I don't get that. I want to keep them as youthful for as long as possible, and keeping them active helps achieve that. I think for some folks, it's just an excuse to stop doing much with the dog. I don't know where this is coming from, but my take on what you are presenting is obviously different than yours. -- Shelly http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship) http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther) |
#3
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What makes a dog "old"
In article ,
Janet Boss wrote: I almost wonder that people seem to enjoy having an "old" dog. I think there's a tendency to pathologize stuff, whether it's behavior or health. Maybe it's easier to think in terms of labels and diagnoses than it is to think in terms of description - I don't know. I do think that in a lot of cases you're right - that age is being used as an excuse to do less with the dog. There are 12-year-old dogs who've completed the Iditarod. Use it or lose it! (People, too). -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community |
#4
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What makes a dog "old"
Janet Boss wrote:
It seems that I've been hearing more and more about peoples' slowing down "old" dogs, to find out that the dog is 7 or 8. What's with that? I know we all age at slightly different rates, but none of my dogs have been the least bit "old" at those ages. I tell these folks that I have a 10.5 yo dog who races after balls, wrestles with the almost 2 yo dog (can you believe Rudy will be 2 on 7/10?!?!?) and is very lively and playful. They look at me like I must be imagining things. I almost wonder that people seem to enjoy having an "old" dog. I guess I don't get that. I want to keep them as youthful for as long as possible, and keeping them active helps achieve that. I think for some folks, it's just an excuse to stop doing much with the dog. I think folks whose dogs are old at 7 or 8 probably never did much with them to begin with. Scully and Zane (BCs) are 7 and 6 respectively; Cooper (JRT) is 4. People meeting them consistently underestimate their ages*. They're thin and fit and shiny and very, very busy. They chose the right parents and won the DNA lottery, eat a well balanced diet, get their shots and meds on time, and get tons of exercise. They are also accustomed to a high level of human interaction and aren't shy about soliciting if they think we're slacking off. Kathleen *Not that I think John Q. Public is any great judge of dogs. I've been asked many times if the JRT is the BCs' puppy. |
#5
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What makes a dog "old"
In article ,
Shelly wrote: I would hope that I'd enjoy my dog, even after she started to show some age! The alternative is too grim to contemplate. I'm sick of seeing old animals on Freecycle. Wow - did I phrase that wrong? Of course I enjoy my dogs when they are seniors, and appreciate them no matter what. I just love that they can stay active and youthful for as long as possible, I guess I don't get that. I want to keep them as youthful for as long as possible, and keeping them active helps achieve that. I think for some folks, it's just an excuse to stop doing much with the dog. I don't know where this is coming from, but my take on what you are presenting is obviously different than yours. I must not be saying it well. Some of the people I've talked to seem RELIEVED that they don't have to bother playing ball or such. -- Janet Boss www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com |
#6
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What makes a dog "old"
In article ,
Janet Boss wrote: Wow - did I phrase that wrong? Of course I enjoy my dogs when they are seniors, and appreciate them no matter what. I just love that they can stay active and youthful for as long as possible, I understand what you're saying. As I'm getting older (I'm 51) I'm definitely finding that I'm getting creakier and my speeds are going down but my endurance is better, my health is excellent, and I feel great. Locally we've got 80-somethings who are still participating in Nordic ski races and in road races. There's no reason that our dogs can't do it, too. It's not a question of how old we get but how we get old. So, I think maybe where you went astray is by describing an active, healthy lifestyle as "youthful." -- Melinda Shore - Software longa, hardware brevis - Prouder than ever to be a member of the reality-based community |
#7
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What makes a dog "old"
Janet Boss wrote:
Wow - did I phrase that wrong? Beats me, but for whatever reason, I didn't interpret in the manner in which it was intended. Of course I enjoy my dogs when they are seniors, and appreciate them no matter what. I just love that they can stay active and youthful for as long as possible, Yep. I love my "old" dog. She changes all the time, and I learn new things about her every day. And she can still bounce effortlessly over the couch. Ahem. I must not be saying it well. Some of the people I've talked to seem RELIEVED that they don't have to bother playing ball or such. Ah! Yes, I've encountered the "How long until my dog is grown up and magically well behaved?" mindset. And, of course, they also want the dog to require no training or exercise. I have to wonder why those sorts of folks get dogs in the first place, because they don't seem to really *enjoy* them, at least, not in a way that makes sense to me. -- Shelly http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship) http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther) |
#8
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What makes a dog "old"
"Janet Boss" wrote in message: It seems that I've been hearing more and more about peoples' slowing down "old" dogs, to find out that the dog is 7 or 8. What's with that? There is a semi-regular dog park visitor, 6 year old Lab, who barely moves. The owners say they give him a break because he's an old dog. OTOH, the mother of the guy who owns the dog thinks it's utterly shameful that the young dog has turned into a slug, and he's spending the summer vacationing with her, where she promises he'll get lots of running about, swimming in the ocean, schmoozing with lots of people, canoeing with her, etc. It'll be interesting to see whether he changes by the time he returns. I know we all age at slightly different rates, but none of my dogs have been the least bit "old" at those ages. Well, Pan is supposedly getting into her older years, since she's a 6 year old Dane, and their average lifespan is about 8. People still ask me if she's a puppy, and she sure doesn't act like an old dog when we're out and about. Khan has slowed down considerably (age unknown, but he's 8 or 9), but we only noticed it in comparison to a young dog like Satchmo, who was bouncing off the walls. Both dogs still do day hikes, so they are plenty active enough for us. I tell these folks that I have a 10.5 yo dog who races after balls, wrestles with the almost 2 yo dog (can you believe Rudy will be 2 on 7/10?!?!?) and is very lively and playful. They look at me like I must be imagining things. We have a 10 year old GSD at the dog park (big for a Shepherd too), that doesn't look or act like it's anywhere close to being an old dog. The 13 and 14 year old dogs (Heinz 57) that live with her with her are very creaky and arthritic, and both look and act their age. The owners say that she must have extra special genes, because all the dogs have been getting the same kind of mind-body workout through their lives. I almost wonder that people seem to enjoy having an "old" dog. Some people do like having a lower octane dog, especially if they had a balls to the walls dog in its youth. It's a wonder that Isabelle survived her youth, given her exercise requirements. Now that she's 6, she's mellowed into a dog that is okay with a walk in the morning, a couple of frisbee sessions during the day, a five mile run at night and play sessions thrown in throughout the day. They even have the option of skipping some of this stuff once or twice a week, and still having a mostly sane dog to come home to. She'll do just about anything you want to do with her, but it isn't mandatory anymore. Suja |
#9
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What makes a dog "old"
Shelly wrote in news:f6dir2$sq5$1
@registered.motzarella.org: ...I have to wonder why those sorts of folks get dogs in the first place, because they don't seem to really *enjoy* them, at least, not in a way that makes sense to me. Well, it doesn't make sense to me to waste the present by longing for the future. "When he grows up" "when he gets a little older" -- or "when my dog is trained". |
#10
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What makes a dog "old"
M Healey wrote:
Well, it doesn't make sense to me to waste the present by longing for the future. "When he grows up" "when he gets a little older" -- or Amen. And, for those who truly feel that way, why not adopt an older dog to begin with? That way, you can start enjoying the golden years immediately. "when my dog is trained". I think "when my dog is trained" is not entirely unlike the Easter bunny. -- Shelly http://www.cat-sidh.net (the Mother Ship) http://esther.cat-sidh.net (Letters to Esther) |
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