When dogs get older

Viva is 10 1/2 now. She has arthritis in her feet. She has spondylosis (arthritis in her spine) which she's had for several years now. Some days she's a bit lame, even with glucosamine.

But she's also a tough old bird. She still chases Cala and plays growly-games with Zipper. She still gets steaming mad at me if I bring her to the training building then don't actually work her, because she thinks she should work. Most people who meet her have no idea she's over 10, though just this year she's starting to get a very few flecks of grey in her muzzle.

It's a sad fact that dogs age far more quickly than we do, and larger breed dogs faster still. Any Doberman who lives over 10 is considered to be older than the norm, and I do have a lot of hope that Viva will live several more years yet. But I'm also seeing some other old-age changes. One of them is that she doesn't always make it all night any more. No, she doesn't go in the house. Instead, she goes to the kitchen door and barks. Until I wake up. Now mind you, there's a dog door in the basement she could use. But she also now refuses to go down the basement stairs at night. She'll go during the day. She'll come back in the basement door and up the stairs when I let her out the kitchen door. But she's decided she's not going down those steps at night, I need to let her out. Her eyes are fine, she just doesn't want to do it.

And I've noticed something else this spring. She's starting to be more reactive to storms. It's an odd thing I've heard happening in older dogs, especially older Dobermans. Throughout her life Viva has always been bomb proof about storms. Doesn't even notice them. Sleeps through them. The only time she ever reacted was when we were about to get an extremely severe or tornadic storm. She'd be a bit restless until the wall cloud passed and the pressure dropped, then she'd be fine. I can't tell you how many times it's been hailing with 50+ mph winds and both of my dogs have been sacked out, dead to the world. But now Viva seems to be getting more sensitive to the storm's approach. This morning she was anxious and panting. I do think it's tied to pressure, and perhaps to the beginning of diminshed hearing.

You know what? I'm just thrilled that I have an older dog who is doing those old-dog things. My most long-lived Doberman prior to Viva died just a couple of months past his 10th birthday, and I've had Dobermans since 1982. I've owned, loved, and buried seven others during that time. None of them made it to 10. It's a fabulous breed that's unfortunately riddled with health issues.

I bless each and every day I have with my old dog. I'm sure that in coming days I'll have to make more adjustments for her. She'll become less flexible, both mentally and physically. It's a small price to pay for the things she has given me since she entered my life those years ago.