It’s a question most pet owners, at some point in their pet’s life, will probably ask. At what age do we start to consider our dog to be old?
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When is a dog considered to be a senior?
Although it may seem pretty straight forward, it can actually be a difficult question to answer. There is no magic number that, when your pet reaches that age, it causes him/her to suddenly become old. Aging is a process, and how it effects your dog can depend on a lot of different factors.
In general, a pet can be considered to be a senior when he/she reaches an age that is at least 2/3rds of the total average life span for their breed. Dog breed that are estimated to live an average of 15 years can generally be considered senior citizens when they reach the age of 10.
Those numbers, however, are just an approximation.
My Kitsune, who is currently 13.
Just like some people die young, while others live passed 100 – some animals outlive their expected lifespan, while others, unfortunately, pass away before ever reaching old age. These types of variations in age can be influenced by many factors, such as health, diet, and even genetics.
With so many different variables involved, it’s easy to understand why it can be hard to say for sure at what age a pet should be considered old.
Age is just a number!
Rather than preoccupying ourselves with our pet’s age, why not just keep a close eye on your pet’s general health? Age is just a number, after all! It’s something most pet owners do already, and there are certain medical conditions that become much more common as animals age. They can include…
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Cognitive disorders
- Prostate disease
- Intestinal issues
- Deafness
- Vision problems
- Dental disease
- Diabetes
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
Make sure your pets receive regular wellness exams from their veterinarian. Even if your pet is still young, preventative care throughout an animal’s life can help to reduce the chances of them developing serious issues later in life. Yearly wellness exams are most common. But for senior dogs your vet may, at some point, recommend you bring your pet in every 6 months.
Most importantly, love your senior pet!
Just because an animal is old, doesn’t mean he/she can’t still enjoy life. Sure, daily walks may need to be shorter, but exercise is just as important to senior pets as it is for their younger counterparts. Many older animals enjoy remaining active, both physically and mentally, well into their senior years. And even if your pet does start to slow down a bit, he/she will still enjoy spending quality time with beloved pack members. You’ll be hard pressed to find a companion more loyal than a senior dog who’s grown old under your loving care!
How awesome is that? The whole process was fast, and hassle free. Lupine replaced our leash even though I let them know that I had purchased it a few years ago and that the damage to it was caused by my dog.
In late 2019 my little pack and I moved a bit over 300 miles, from the apartment we had spent 10+ years in to a house in the country. It was the first time I had ever completed a move with dogs. My 
Being in a new place for the first time can be scary, and some animals cope with fear by running away from it. If your new yard is fenced, make sure to check it over before counting on it to keep your pet contained. Otherwise, dogs should be kept leashed when outdoors, at the very least until they become more familiar with their new surroundings. Pet proof your new place before giving your pet free reign. Make sure there’s nothing dangerous he/she could get into. Keep current forms of ID on your pets as backup in case they get loose.
At least at first. When you move, you uproot so much of your pets’ life, it’s comforting for them to have you around. My fiancé and I are very lucky to both be working from home now. If you don’t have that luxury, take some time off (if you can) right after the move. You don’t necessarily have to do anything special. Just be there for them so they don’t feel alone in a place they are unfamiliar with.
helpful for one, might not work for another. For Kitsune, he really seemed to settle in as soon as he figured out where the essentials were located in the new house. As long as he had access to water, a comfy bed, and food, he was pretty happy.
Comment below! Have you ever moved with pets? Or maybe you’re planning a move now? Good luck, if that is the case. If you’ve moved with pets before, what tips would you share with other pet owners? What helped your dog to get through the move, and adjust to their new home?
From common to downright wacky, pet owners seem to love telling the stories behind their pets’ names. It makes me laugh to think about when we first met with the dogs’ new/current vet. After being introduced to both of our dogs for the first time, she exclaimed “can’t you give your dogs normal names!?”. Nope! I’ve always liked giving my animals more unique/unusual names. The lower the chances of meeting another animal with the same name as any of mine, the better! Here are the stories behind Kit’s and Fen’s names!
Before we got him Kitsune’s name was Raindrop – thanks to an adorable marking on his head that is shaped like a raindrop. I always felt like it was ironic, though, because Kit has always hated the rain. He was 9 weeks old when we got him and didn’t seem to know his name yet, so luckily it wasn’t a big deal for us to change it.
Called most often: Fen
I don’t really blame you. Before getting dogs myself, I never thought much about how to dispose of the waste of carnivores. Dog waste, when disposed of improperly (or not at all) can cause a number of issues. Dog waste can spread parasites and bacteria, and is bad for the environment.
Like I mentioned in my post about whether or not papillons make good apartment pets, my definition of what makes the perfect apartment dog might be a little lax. Rather than recommending a specific breed for life in an apartment, I really feel like it comes down to each individual dog! You can make generalizations about a dog based on his or her breed, but not every single individual in that breed will behave the same way.
Alaskan klee kai are generally 1 person dogs. They’ll adore their special person, and usually love other family members as well. But they commonly want little to nothing to do with anyone else. Alaskan klee kai can be shy, timid, and sometimes reactive around strangers. These can be very stressful traits to manage if you’re living in a building full of other people. It doesn’t help any that Alaskan klee kai are adorable, small, unique looking dogs. Everyone wants to pet them!
I adore Fenrir, and I’d never say that I regret getting him. But when we still lived in an apartment, I often wished I had waited until we were in a house to get my klee kai.
Studies have shown that animal waste, especially from dogs, plays a roll in polluting our waters. Runoff from our cities and towns carries bacteria and nutrients from decaying animal waste into our water systems, where the introduced bacteria can cause illness. The excess amount of nutrients can cause overgrowth of algae in the waters, which can be damaging to the waters’ natural inhabitants.
The landscape surrounding our new place is quite a bit different!
I keep thinking about how crazy it was that we went from living in an apartment with a NYC view one night, to living in a house across the street from a 400+ acre forest the next. But I’ll tell you all about the new place in more detail later. Today I wanted to share some tips that we found helpful when it came to keeping our pets comfortable on moving day.
Catnip (for dogs and people) can also help to relax upset stomachs. It can help to relieve gas, cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. It can also be a natural way to help dogs who suffer from motion sickness.
