Out With the Old, In With the New? Not in This House!

Old dogs, that is. Yes, I have old dogs. Well, older at least. There, I have said it. It’s a hard thing to admit. It forces one to confront mortality. We convince ourselves that ten is the new seven. In a way, it’s true. Dogs are living much longer these days than in the past. Part of that is because, in most cases, dogs don’t freely roam the streets like they did in our Grandmother’s day, facing dangers such as cars, angry neighbors, defensive wildlife and a host of other life shortening occurrences. Other reasons include better veterinary care, better nutrition and all around better care. Thank doG for this!

But older is still older and older is scary when you love someone. It’s especially frightening when one already has a recent loss of an older dog, such as with my Merlin. Yes, here I go, mentioning my dearly beloved boy again. Thanks, dear readers, for your patience with me on this subject. Merlin will forever be sorely missed, though I do try very hard to not mention him as often as I think of him. In any case, Merlin was about to turn thirteen years old when he left this world for the next one in late September.

So it was with some terror that I watched (and rejoiced) as Kera turned thirteen in late November. And then again when Siri turned ten a couple of weeks ago. Trent turned seven in August. That event solidly placed him in the senior category. Technically, all of my dogs qualify for the dog equivalent of Social Security. I am running an assisted living center for senior dogs!

But you know what? Other than Kera’s kidney failure, which is successfully being managed for the moment, my crew act years younger than their chronological years. They hike or walk daily for forty to sixty minutes most days, they eat healthy foods, they play (well, Trent and Siri do) and they are engaged in this world. Kera’s engagement is aided by the wonderful medicine for senior dogs called Anipryl. I cannot thank the universe enough for this drug. It has given me Kera back. Without it, she is in a fog of confusion. Too bad this stuff doesn’t work for Alzheimer’s patients.

The three ‘old’ dogs love the snow.

Older dogs are underrated. They are usually “done cooking”. In most cases, they get mellower. Take Siri, for example. She has delighted in scaring shier visitors for most of her life with her fearsome Rottie bark. New people in her life had to be bold. She caves to bold. She is a big baby at heart. But these days, she welcomes anyone I welcome. I like it.

Trent? Well Trent still has some opinions about some other dogs he may see while on leash, but he has definitely mellowed with the years. And what is more important, he has learned to trust that I will keep him safe.

Kera views walks as one of the most important things in her world. Pre-Anipryl, a walk was the only time I got to see her smile. With Anipryl, she still thinks she can chase squirrels and deer. And thinking she can is half the battle.

So while puppies may get most of the attention at this time of year, I think I will keep my “old dogs”. They make me happy. They make me smile. They teach me patience and one can never have enough patience.

So in honor of all the “old dogs” in your life, take a moment to tell me about them in the spaces below.

May your 2012 be filled with happiness, peace, prosperity and love, especially love of the furriest and purest kind.