Older dog offdays?

[dottiesyrky]

Thank you for your post and link. I agree with all he says. When we go up a hill to the local park first thing in the morning, he runs up to see a guy up there who loves him. However he plods back home as if he is sooooo tired. We take him every day to a park by the ocean in the afternoons where lots of dogs come and leave smells. He enjoys that but can’t put up with too much sun and finds the shady route. He is walked again before bed, but he goes in whatever direction he chooses. He refuses to walk up the hill direction after his morning walk that way. I have known him not get out of the car if I try and take him to a park he finds boring. Life is pretty routine for us here and I can understand why he chooses to sleep whe nothing is happening....just like me!!!
However in the mornings he would wake me starving, but now he only wakes when I move around. But this could be as he knows it will be the same old routine!! They are so smart. Soon after breakfast however he becomes normal again. I do do his trick routine often, but he only works for treats! As I try to keep his weight under control, I do not do that every day.
But in spite of all this I do feel he is slowing down and only enjoys interesting walks. I hope he is not getting health or heart issues, but the vet says no.
I know he is a lot less tolerant of sun and heat and always seeks out shade when we walk on warmer days.
He does still love food though and I know if he eats, pees and poops normally, he is usually well. Any change in any of these and off to the vet we go.
So glad Tibbe is doing well and that you are able to keep his life so interesting.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and the helpful link. Take care both of you.

[gracielove]

I really think the best thing for all dogs is to keep exercising them as they grow older. They may not need the exercise so much to calm them down but it keeps the weight off that can lead to heart disease and other disorders. Our Gracie still loves her exercise mainly because she is so interested in smelling every scent that is out there. Our rescue dog is less active and has a heart defect so I am reluctant to exercise that one as much but I do watch the diet closely to keep the weight off. They probably all enjoy sleeping more as they get older but at the age of 8 they should still have a lot of spunk left in them. An overweight dog is going to find it more difficult to move around and will prefer sleeping to moving. Carrying that extra weight is very hard on their bones, joints, and muscles. Keeping the weight off is a kindness we should all do for our pets.

[dottiesyrky]

Thank you for your comments and experiences. Yes I agree that exercise is important for dogs as well as humans! For that reason we do keep up the activity. My boy is in good health according to the vet exam and tests and he is not overweight. Because of his past bout of Pancreatitis I feed him only prescription low fat kibble with no people food and that together with the exercise keeps him trim.
My original concern was just his quieter behavior in the mornings and his lower appetite as he wakes up. When he gets going he behaves normally. As my last beloved Yorkie died of sudden kidney failure at 11.5 years old, I worry as my current boy ages. I must say that perhaps he is echoing me as I have tended to be slower in the mornings as I age!?? We both enjoy the early morning wake up walk.

[gracielove]

Originally Posted by dottiesyrky

Thank you for your comments and experiences. Yes I agree that exercise is important for dogs as well as humans! For that reason we do keep up the activity. My boy is in good health according to the vet exam and tests and he is not overweight. Because of his past bout of Pancreatitis I feed him only prescription low fat kibble with no people food and that together with the exercise keeps him trim.
My original concern was just his quieter behavior in the mornings and his lower appetite as he wakes up. When he gets going he behaves normally. As my last beloved Yorkie died of sudden kidney failure at 11.5 years old, I worry as my current boy ages. I must say that perhaps he is echoing me as I have tended to be slower in the mornings as I age!?? We both enjoy the early morning wake up walk.

I am aging, too. I have to admit that I do not enjoy getting moving for the morning walk as much as I used to. It does wonders for the dogs though so I make myself do it. They get their bowls and bladders moving and they enjoy the explore. We live outside of town so they have a lot of wild animal scents to check out. I don't feed them until they return from the walk. Gracie could still do three walks a day but unless someone else adds a walk she usually gets two. Our newest four legged family member just goes for one long walk and gets a few yard walks a day in addition.