Old and now we're seeing some behavior changes, not just the weak hind end. He still loves to eat and he's still drinking. Still goes outside and does his little walk around the house, screeching at the door when he wants in. But there are subtle changes that pull at my heart, suggesting the end may be sooner rather than later. Most noticeable is he hangs out away from us now. Used to be, he was always with us. But now he seems to prefer the back hall on Ami's blanket in front of our bedroom door. Possibly, it's a cold adaptation thing - his crate is in the sunroom, unheated, but off the family room with wide open French doors and that where the wood stove is. So cool but not over cold. But the family room and kitchen are toasty. As is the living room which had it's own stove. The back hall is out of the way so stays cooler. So maybe...

I also pick up a sort of sadness, I know, that sounds ridiculous, but that's my gut.

I can't finish this now

I'm relating all to much to this! Avalanche is gonna be my perpetual puppy till he just crawls off into a corner. Sky, not so much ...

The weather change is taking them outside more (and maybe an escape from the miniature monster) but Sky's just huddling down in her hole. Avalanche plays with his Jolly Ball and some with Zeus but Sky just sets and watches them. Ditto in the house, she's claimed the end of the couch and when she's inside she's more apt to be there than anywhere else.

I know that their lives are so much shorter than ours and it's painful to watch them age. I don't know of anyone who wants to bid them goodbye but sometimes we're left with little choice.

Enjoy Z'ev, as I'll enjoy Sky and Avalanche, for as long as you can.

Y'know, your adventures with Z'ev remind me so much of my adventures with Sasha ... such a major pain in the butt but eventually such loved members of the family.

Welp. Mr. Z'ev had perked back up again, back to his constant under for regimen. And out the door, in the door. Repeat at 20 minute intervals throughout the day.

At least he's active.

And when they reach a point, we start looking for those signs that mean they might not be here much longer ...

He's scared me on multiple times - he sleeps incredibly soundly, his respirations are subtle to say the least, slow and shallow. It's almost become standard for me to say "Z'ev, are you dead?"

In retrospect I'm thinking 2 things were at work - two days in a row I forgot his evening dose of carprofen and somewhere in those days, I opened the laundry room door not knowing he was close to the door on the other side and his toes caught the door. In the back of my mind, I vaguely noticed he seemed to be more hesitant about putting weight on his front legs so I'm not thinking he may have bruised his front paws on the door.

In a lighter note, during the summer, we keep the doors between the kitchen and the laundry room, laundry room to front hall all open. But in winter that creates a significant draft with the family room with a word stove on one end being 3 steps down and the laundry room on the other having an exterior, leaky door. So we shut all the doors to stop the convection rise to the 2nd floor. And, the door from kitchen to laundry room doesn't latch due to house settling. So Z'ev, who has highly functional front paws, apparently with thumbs, can open the door from both sides. But doesn't close it. So I'm forever jumping up to close the door since it's on my end of the kitchen table. I was grumbling yesterday that I need a long dowel so I can just push the door shut. When I shut the shades last night, I noticed a 5 ft section of 1/2" PVC pipe. Sitting next to my chair learning against the wall. But Z'ev was highly intrigued by me just pushing the door shut when he went through. So back and forth about 6 times in the first 5 minutes. Looking at me like "aren't you gonna get up and come to the door"  Uh, no, babe, that's why I have the friggin' pole you idjit!!!

Well, at least your's isn't a drama Queen (let's try drama King) Zeus has tripped over his too big front feet a couple of times and cry's ... then goes limping off like he's had a foot cut off ... till he can get someone to play with him!!

Love the way that some dogs will use us as their personal experiments. "I wonder how many times she'll shut the door after me?"

Oh, when Avalanche is laying out in the driveway in the sun (what sun?) I laugh at my 'dead dog' I have to get right on top of him before I can tell he's breathing!

Kenzi had a rough day earlier last week that got us both unsettled. We can feel it even though most days she still acts normal, but some days it's like she's in pain or a little confused and those days really show how fragile she is. That is the big push to find a good 3rd dog. I'm so used to having the old dogs do a lot of the teaching for the younger dogs. She is my teacher. All my dogs, even getting them as adults, have transformed to better match her and she runs a tight ship. Without her Kye I don't think will do well on his own and he is not a teacher. While he isn't a dog that is overly needy and chooses to spend much of his time in his own space he looks to her for guidance in outside situations because he's just a bit clueless. If we already had the next dog so it could be learning from her and kye could be bonding with it it would I think help him (and us) with the transition when she passes.

Shadow perked up after 5 teeth were pulled but i still see things i dont like. I get that he is blind, but he has been for awhile and lately he has been getting lost in the yard and in the house. He just randomly barks. He has alot of signs of canine cognitive disfunction but not enough for a clear diagnosis but several questions involve sight like staring at nothing and for a blind dog... i do feel like to some extent he is on borrowed time. Akc says normal life of a gsd is 7 to 10 years and he turns 10 in August.

All my dogs sleep so soundly that i think they died BUT several times i have found shadow asleep with his eyes open and the tip of his tongue straight out of his mouth. Its scary and then i wake him up. Anyone else have a dog do that?

Kye will sleep with his eyes open but you can tell they are rolled back in his head. No tongue out though.

I've told son #2 how deeply Z'ev sleeps. They came for a visit yesterday and Z'ev was sleeping in the front hall. Soon came in the kitchen and said "you're right about Z'ev sleeping soundly, I talked to him, looked at his chest, didn't see any movement, scratched his ears - thought s#$t, I'm gonna come on the kitchen and the first thing I'll have to say is their dog died

amymeme wrote:

I've told son #2 how deeply Z'ev sleeps. They came for a visit yesterday and Z'ev was sleeping in the front hall. Soon came in the kitchen and said "you're right about Z'ev sleeping soundly, I talked to him, looked at his chest, didn't see any movement, scratched his ears - thought s#$t, I'm gonna come on the kitchen and the first thing I'll have to say is their dog died

Well, at least my Avalanche isn't *that* bad. He lays out in the sun and from the porch I can't tell whether he's breathing or not but if I call him he'll lift his head up "Yeh, dad??"