My Old Dog

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My oldest dog is going senile.

I am a very devoted dog owner.  My dogs are special to me and have been spoiled, perhaps even more than my children.  My husband tells me both dogs have very strange personalities and I try not to take that too personal.  They are his step dogs having come to him as a package deal with me.  Now keep in mind he doesn’t treat them like step dogs, in fact I think they both like him better than me.  So now you know who does all the spoiling.  But I digress.

Back to the subject, my oldest dog is going on thirteen and I believe she is now senile.  She still has a spring in her step, runs like a puppy, and plays with the younger dog.  She shows some signs of aging, sleeping more often and more soundly, has “gray” in her coat, and a blur in her eyes.  But it’s her behavior that concerns me.  She stares at the door for long periods of time in anticipation of someone arriving, even when the family is home and accounted for.  Today I discovered her very intently staring out the window.  Only problem was the blinds were drawn completely.  What did she see?  At night when it’s time to go to bed, she wanders from room to room trying to remember where she sleeps even though she has always slept with my son.  She goes to the door asking to go outside, then when you open it, she turns around and walks away.  She does this repeatedly over and over.  At first I thought she was intentionally trying to drive us crazy (she can be like that), but now I am convinced the issue is within her mind.

We joke about her behavior, but truly my heart is breaking.  It’s devastating to lose anyone close whether it’s family, friend or pet, but watching the deterioration of a loved one adds an additional dimension to the inevitable.  This dog chewed up more than her share of my belongings when she was a puppy.  I have spent endless hours with this crazy dog unsuccessfully trying to get her over an irrational fear of thunder, the wind and strangers.  This dog has embarrassed me dozens of times with her futile attempts at mating with all the neighbor kids legs.  This dog who has been my devoted and loyal companion, who I have loved unconditionally, even though I have told her otherwise many times, will at some point in the not too distant future be joining the other family, friends and pets who have passed on from this life.

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Tags: aging, dog lover, dogs, Family, life, Pets