Ah yes, learning to live with an elderly dog. They are much like us as we age, things don't work as good as they used to, or there is loss of one or more functions, and they become needier and require a wealth of patience.
Well.... some days the patience part wears a bit thin. And while I know it's not his fault and I know intellectually he isn't thinking or doing as he once did, I still find myself a bit impatient with him and I have to try to catch myself and not let it out.
My little man, Lil'Shit is about 15 now, he's a chihuahua and has had some rough knocks in his life. And no, I didn't give him his name, but he felt and still feels he needs to live up to his name. He is a very loveable little guy, but very very hard headed, litterally and figuratively. In other words he is stubborn and single minded.
As he gets older, he is pretty much completely deaf now, and cataracts have robbed him of almost all of his vision. Although even the loss of vision hasn't fazed him, he actually has adapted to the house pretty well. And I know better than to move furniture right now so he'll always know where things are. His balance isn't that great and he doesn't eat with the gusto he once did. As he has been losing his sight, I know he can still see shapes and shadows, but only if there is enough light. He likes to be close to us at all times, and seems lost and disoriented if he can't find one of us. We all have to be careful when walking or turning around in the house because he is always right there and ends up underfoot. I notice too that he doesn't like to go outside to do his business hardly anymore. I think the backyard has become foreign to him now, and if it's dark he won't leave the area that is lit by the porch light. So getting him outside to do his business is hard and one has to be on the watch to catch him and put him outside, otherwise there are little bombs left on the floor.
His balance is getting worse and he seems to carry most of his weight on his forequarters. And the part about being stubborn and single minded falls in here. He still thinks he can hop from couch to couch or couch to chair, or balance on the edge of the couch before he jumps down. Of course we have to pick him up. We are constantly either just in time or helpless across the room as he slides off or simply loses balance and falls off the arm of the sofa or was sleeping too close to the edge and slides off. And you hear this "thump" as he hits the floor. And he has an obsession with the stairs. I cannot find a solution yet to keep him off of them. He mostly wants up there to look for us, and it's warmer up there. Although if he is cautious he can get down by himself. Most times we carry him down and then he wants to go right back up.
There are times he will wander around the house and come to say the cross piece for the table chair and he can't seem to figure out how to go over it anymore or around it. And you will find him just standing there staring looking very lost. I am sure that dogs do get a form of senility.
As I learn from my boy, I also have a friend who's Golden is going through the same thing. She feels so bad for her pup, and thinks she is suffering. I keep reminding here how remarkably adaptable dogs are to all this and that she isn't suffering. She will learn to make her way around and always be close to my friend, whom has already fallen over her. It takes time, but they do adapt and we have to have the patience for them while they age and have these changes through the last years of their lives.
I enjoy most times loving on him when I get home. And have to laugh when he wants up then seems to want down, walks around the coffee table and wants right back up then over on the other sofa. While I myself might find it frustrating to lose my sight and hearing and not be confident moving around, I really don't think they have that frustration. They really do adapt well.
So.... Patience is my word (again) of the week.
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