Perspective Piece
The Beauty of Loving Older Dogs
The aging process weighs on our minds, not theirs.
Even the most stoic of us city dwellers would be hard pressed not to crack a smile at the sight of puppies with their bumbling gait and oversized paws.
A puppy! How old is he? Nine months? He’s still a puppy alright!
For some of us, puppies are a reminder of our first pet, and for others, they symbolize the carefree days of youth. We revel in their playful exuberance, blissfully unaware of the years that lie ahead for these rapidly aging canines.
Depending on the breed, most dogs are still considered puppies until they are 18 months old. Then some five or six years later, dogs are quickly moved up to the status of senior. Signs of aging become apparent from greying fur to appreciable declines in their mobility and energy level. Personality changes can also occur as dogs become more anxious or irritable with age.
The Business of Urban Animals Survey estimates that pets live with their human guardians for a period of five years, and one third of these pets are over the age of eight. This hasty ascent between puppyhood and senior status is really a descent, at least in the eyes of onlookers who gaze upon elderly dogs with a pained smile as if to say “the…
