Where are the dog lovers? A question.

warriormomerin

This question is probably stupid, but do dogs experience senility as they get older? Tyler, our dachshund mix, is the very first dog we've ever had as a family. He'll be 14 this year and has been demonstrating some bizarre behavior over the last few weeks.

Health wise' he's great, but mentally, not so much. Lots of random barking, forgetting where he leaves his food, anxiety and nervousness. Do dogs normally start acting a little strange once they become "senior citizens?"

megntom07

I don't have an answer per se, but our dog just turned 14 last month and she is not doing any of those things although I do think it's possible. She is more fragile for sure, but as far as her mental health I *think* she's pretty normal! and I love that you called them senior citizens!

l_kristina

the dog that i grew up with had similar issues.  i was at college when she was older and my dad would tell me the strange things she did.  she did seem way more nervous when i would see her, like we were "meeting" again for the first time.  she just didn't act the same.  but, health wise, she was just fine.  from my one experience, that sounds "normal"

hth (:

stillwaiting12

Yes. We always had multiple dogs growing up and still do so I have seen quite a few go through that stage, unfortunately. The most recent dog that passed was 17, whe was my childhood dog that I got for my 10th birthday. She definately went downhill the last year or so of her life. She would be sleeping and would startle suddenly and freak out, among some of the other things you mentioned. Plus, she began to lose control of her bowels and she was wetting and pooping in the house when she hadn't done that since she was a puppy. It's really sad to watch, especially after having a dog for so long. We just made sure she wasn't in any pain and let her be.