K9 Senior Moment

Jake is my dog. The original. He's the dog that I have had for the entirity of my adult life. I would do anything for the old guy.



I have to buy dog food this weekend. Its that time again where I can see the bottom of the dog food tub.

But this time will be different. Instead of one giant bag, I will be buying one giant bag and one large bag.

Jake is being switched to 'mature adult' dog food this weekend. And the thought breaks my heart in two.

You see, Jake isn't supposed to get old. That wasn't part of our original agreement. Jake is my soul mate. My other half. He knows me as well as I know him. We've been through everything together. He's the dog who taught me everything I needed to know about owning a dog.



These past couple of years, he has been gradually turning grey. When I got him, he was an orangy yellow. Every single year, he would turn a darker shade of golden red. But last year, he got lighter. And he continues to get lighter as the grey sets in.

I took Jake out to play today. And while I watched him zoom around the yard, I realized how old my dog really was. We never knew exactly how old he was. Going by our calculations, he is around 8 years old. But judging by how quickly he is aging these days, its quite possible that he's actually 9 or 10 years old.

Senile is the only word I can think of to describe what's happening to my dog. He hears just fine, but he doesn't really listen anymore. He knows that he has retired and that nothing is really expected of him except to be happy. We've never allowed dogs on the furniture. Jake has his own chair. What does that tell you?



My world will be turned upside down the day that dog leaves this earth. My heart will shatter.

Maybe I'm looking too far into it. It's just hard watching him change.

I will fully enjoy every single day I have with him. He's not going anywhere anytime soon. He shows zero signs of arthritis or soreness. He gets the zoomies daily. In a wrestling match, he can still hold his own against any strong, young dog who might happen through here. He can still perform every trick in his arsenal.



He is having more senior moments that I care to see these days. But he'll always be my baby.