Do old dogs become senile?
By seamonkey
@seamonkey (1976)
Ireland
March 15, 2007 4:18am CST
I know they become, deaf, develop cataracts and arthritis, but do they start to lose their grasp on what is going on around them? My dog is 14, which is very old for his breed, and sometimes he barks for no reason any of us can figure out. Other times he gets very excitable and puppylike but we don't know why. At other times he doesn't seem to know us for a moment. Is he becoming a little senile?
2 people like this
7 responses
@mygreyparrot (1461)
• United States
16 Mar 07
I had an 18 yr old dog who never seemed senile. He was blind as a bat, couldn't hear, and couldn't get around very well though. It may be because he can't see? Is he blind too?
2 people like this
@seamonkey (1976)
• Ireland
16 Mar 07
Nope, when his ears started to go my brilliant boy picked up hand commands. We have an idea of how far away we have to be before we must become blurry, but if we are in the same room he can see us.
1 person likes this
@rustystar (8)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Our old dog, Mace would bark for no reason. We said he was listening to little voices in his head. Another dog that we had, Elmo, would try to get behind the toilet for no reason. I think that old dogs might suffer from a series of mini-strokes and that affects their behavior.
@seamonkey (1976)
• Ireland
16 Mar 07
That makes sense because he seems to go through good periods and bad periods. Little TIAs could explain his turns.
@oldboy46 (2129)
• Australia
16 Apr 07
When I was much younger, a child in fact, we had an old dog who did some strange things ... barked a lot, got lost amongst the better things that he did. Mum said that the dog was senile ... but we didn't believe here then one day he was gone. Later found out that the vet had put him to sleep .... yes the dog did become senile. He was forever wandering off .... anywhere and everywhere and sometimes across the road in front of cars and that sort of thing. We were told not to chase him if he went onto the road ... but of course we did and nearly got hit by a car or truck a few times.
So I guess he was senile and in the end the parents decided he had to be put down for his own safety ... we found out from someone later on that the neighbours were afraid to drive past the house or did so very slowly ... in case one of us was out there chasing the dog off the road.
@seamonkey (1976)
• Ireland
15 Mar 07
that's a good age. what is the life expectency of terriers? Don't little dogs usually live longer then big dogs?
@ElicBxn (63594)
• United States
15 Mar 07
Yes, they seem to, but sometimes, when they are loosing their hearing, they bark because they are trying to hear themselves. Lady, who was 16 & a very old, yard dog, mostly border collie, would get herself between her dog house & the house & not figure out how to get out. She was blind & mostly deaf & seemed to not know/remember things. It was finally kidney failure that got her tho.
2 people like this
@seamonkey (1976)
• Ireland
15 Mar 07
It never occurred to me he might be barking to hear his own voice. Poor old fella.
1 person likes this
@drakan291 (817)
• Ireland
15 Mar 07
We had a poodle that lived to be 18 and I don't remember her seeming confused. She was blind and deaf and eventually had pneumonia, so maybe she felt too old and sick to show her confusion.
@Woodpigeon (3710)
• Ireland
16 Apr 07
My friend's dog is very old and he seems senile. The only thing he really seems sure about is he likes people to toss his ball for him.
