Old dogs are great! My two old dogs, Willy and DJ, who I refer to as the "Uncle Grumpys", will be 13 and 12 this fall, respectively. They both have some arthritis issues, and DJ is mostly blind, a little "deef" and I think his sniffer isn't working very well, because I can put a treat under his nose and he still can't find it! I am ever optimistic that they will live many more years, which is why when their license tags came up for renewal recently, I paid for the full 3-years! And I hope to be able to renew them after that.
I have some young adults, 2 5-year olds, and 1 4-year old. I will soon have an older puppy of 7-months.
To keep my pack's continuity, I like to get the new pups somewhere between 5-10 years younger than the old dogs, so that the old dogs can train the new pack members as to what the routine is, which saves me from having to teach them, because dog communication is much easier between the dogs!
Obedience training isn't something that I focus on. But I do expect all of my dogs to be well-mannered and well-socialized within the pack. They know what I expect of them, and they fall in line really well. One of the first things a newbie learns is that there is no grabbing for a treat. Everyone gets the same treat, so they learn to sit patiently and wait until I get to them. They know that if one gets a treat, everyone gets a treat. And at meal times, everyon has their own feed dish and it is kept in the same location. So when I measure out their kibble for dinner, or yogurt and diced apples for breakfast, they are allowed to sniff to see what was placed first in DJ the Alpha's dish, but no tasting allowed. They go wait by their dish, and are not allowed to bully or terrorize anyone else so they can eat out of their dish also. A sharp, "Ach!" stops them in their tracks. Any dog is allowed to leave his/her feed dish to get a drink, go outside to potty, and then return and expect that their food will still be in their dish. Only if the dog has made it obvious that he/she is eaten all that he/she wants (rare), then I will divide up the remaining few kibbles into the others' dishes.
My dogs are not allowed to enter through the front door with me, with the exception of DJ the Alpha. He can enter right after me. All of the others have to "go around" to the doggie door and into the kitchen, where they are gated off from the rest of the house. DJ the Alpha gets to jump up on the couch and be King of the Jungle for about 30 seconds before he gets down to follow me into the kitchen where he expects to get some food.
Like Codger_64, I know that my dogs are DOGS, and not human. I don't anthropomorphize my dogs. If a dog pees on the floor, and I find it later, they don't feel ashamed and guilty. Heck, I don't even yell at anyone. I just say, "Who peed on my floor?" Dancer, the 4-year old, always scurries out the doggie door when I say that!
The unconditional love of a companion dog cannot be matched by any other person or animal.
And old dogs need to be protected as they age, and as they weaken, and should never be allowed to be the victim of an Alpha-wannabe. If it gets to the point where the old dog(s) are hiding out, then it is probably time to separate the old dogs from the younger pipsqueaks, so that the old dogs can feel safe and secure. That may require fencing off a separate part of the yard and gating off a room for the older dog(s), but the old dogs have earned the right to be treated with respect and dignity.
When the quality of life is such that one of my dogs is no longer experiencing it, I will always be proactive and not prolong their pain and suffering, be it physical or cognitive. I will be right there in the exam room with them, talking to them and looking into their eyes as they take their last breath. They will not experience death without me in the room with them. Then I will lovingly gather him/her up and use their favorite blanket to snuggle them up in and take them home. I will have their burial site already prepared. I will lay the now deceased dog down on the floor in the house and allow the other dogs to investigate and smell the dog if they so desire. I don't know how dogs assimilate death of a pack member, but I will offer them the opportunity to have closure. After that, I gather the items I need, and take the dog to his/her final resting place. I always send my dogs on their final journey with supplies: a bottle of water in case they get thirsty, a baggie of treats, their favorite toy(s), I talk to their spirit as I am saying goodbye and placing their supplies with them.
The burial process is one I prefer to do alone, without friends around. This is a time between me and the dog(s). After properly filling in the burial site, I pile rocks over the site so that the wild critters are unable to dig into the site. There is always a marker of some sort.
I will wander out to my little pet burial ground every so often to check on the burial sites, and to say a few words to each of the loving companions who rest there. I always continue to have my memories of them, but am glad that they are no longer in any physical or emotional pain.
