Old Dogs........

[lasttombstone]

and not meaning like many of us on here...... real dogs. I was just wondering, as I have been for a few years now, about how old one of my dogs is and if the information, which I have no reason to doubt, if true. I can't remember the specific year, but it has been some time ago, a beagle showed up here. He was very skiddish and it took weeks to get him to where I could even touch him but he stayed around for the food. For years no one except the wife and I could even get close to him but he is still here. Now he is virtually blind, has joint problems to the point that he can only take steps that are about 2 inches and no more then 3 or 4 steps at a time. Yotes or something got him over 10 years ago but I was able to put him back together with no lasting effects. So........ a while ago the guy who tends my fields was by and saw Buddy and remarked that it was amazing that the dog was still around. Buddy originally belonged to this guy but got out of the pen years ago and never came back. Since that time, the farmer has given up dogs and was glad to see that Buddy had found a new home when he first saw him years ago. He said that the dog was over 20 years old because the farmer used to work for company and drive the company truck up to the pen to feed the dogs and he left that job in 1996. He swears Buddy was in his pen when he quit that job. So that means that Buddy is at least 22 years old. Like I said, I have no reason to disbelieve the guy but that seems awfully old for a dog that has never seen a vet nor had any medication to help him along. What do you think? How old a dog have you had?

 

[jenkinsnb]

They tend to be a bit more long lasting than most breeds, but I personally know of a woman who lost her eldest chihuahua last summer. She had records when she got him in 1994. He was near about blind and walking wasn’t hardly even an idea anymore, but he was otherwise healthy till the very end. I have a cat thats either 20 or 21, I can’t recall which.

 

[Rubline]

We had a female Queensland Healer that made it to 14.

 

[smith-n-stokes]

Oldest dog I personally know of was a English Pointer that my uncle had. He was 15 when he died.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ol Copper]

Im sitting here now with a male yorkshire terrier in my lap that is 15. He shows no real signs of age, although the vet tells me that 14-15 years is their 'normal' life span. He still has great vision, hearing and agility. Fiesty ol coot that still trees squirrels with the energy of a 2 year old. We had a sister of his from the same litter that died 2 years ago....2 very different dogs, she started acting feeble when she was 9.

 

[Excursion]

I have a lab that is 15 1/2.

 

[TravisLH]

I had a mutt that made 16....had pictures of her at my 2nd bday party and she died the week before I joined the Army


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[nccatfisher]

I have a 15 year old in the kennel now, along with a 12. Once hunted a 15 year old on a regular basis, he was good for a solid two hours in the morning then I could put him in the box for a nap and a meal and that evening he would hit it again for a couple of hours. He was stone deaf the last three years. I hunted him with a vibratory collar. If I needed him to come in I would just hit the button and here he came. Many folks never knew he was deaf. He died at 16, his heart just gave out.

My 15 year old in the kennel is blind as a bat but otherwise healthy. I keep her comfortable and don't change things around. She is so used to her surroundings most folks don't realize she is blind.

 

[Soilman]

I had an English Setter that made it to 18. I had her for her last 13 years, and as best I can figure, my uncle had her for about 5 years prior to me.

 

[rodman]

I have a foxhound that is 11 years old. She has alot of miles on her now but will have a home here until she goes to the running ground in the sky. She was so hard headed when she was younger I named her trouble. No she can't hear well,has a time moving around. But she was good to me and I will be good to her.

 

[lasttombstone]

Love these stories of love for your dogs. I forgot, Buddy is stone deaf as well. You can yell his name from 3 feet behind him and he never flinches. He can see or sense movement right in front of him but if you stand still he will walk into your leg and look around like, who the hell put this here? He still tries to make it to the edge of the yard to do his business but sometimes he gets tired and doesn't make it off the concrete. I don't mind cleaning up behind him though.

 

[nccatfisher]

Love these stories of love for your dogs. I forgot, Buddy is stone deaf as well. You can yell his name from 3 feet behind him and he never flinches. He can see or sense movement right in front of him but if you stand still he will walk into your leg and look around like, who the hell put this here? He still tries to make it to the edge of the yard to do his business but sometimes he gets tired and doesn't make it off the concrete. I don't mind cleaning up behind him though.

They devote ALL their lives serving, I figure the absolute least I can do is make the end of their lives as comfortable as possible for all the good times they gave me.

To me I look at owning a dog as a privilege, with that you are tasked to give them the best care you are able to. That doesn't mean when things start to get rough abandon them. Now I am not going to go overboard like I have seen some folks do and mortgage the house trying to save one. But I will do everything within reason to keep one comfortable and you can bet one will never be dumped from here or sold to wind up on a trade lot and spend their latter years shuffled around with multiple owners just because they aren't as productive as they once were.

I always wind up with a senior citizens ward in my kennel that occupies more room than my current hunting group. It is just the nature of the beast for me.

 

[turkeyfoot]

We have old mutt that is at least 14. When my kid was in 1st grade he would chase my wife's car taking kid school morning and eve pick up as well. So one day I come home to a bowl of water and food on porch wife says he gonna get hit if didn't bring him home and there is no arguing with this woman when it come to her dogs. He hit the lottery been here ever since treated like king. I figure He was at least year when got him my kid is senior so he at least 14 he got little grey showing and some arthritis in hip but gets around just fine

 

[Soilman]

Me and nccatfisher are a lot alike. When a dog comes to my house, it's a lifetime deal. I'll take care of them as best I possibly can. By the law, dogs are "property", but "that dog don't hunt" at my house. You don't have enough money to buy one of mine. They are a responsibility that I take seriously. As sad and hurt as I am when one goes, I already know we will get another one. For myself, I've always thought it would be selfish of me not to give another one a good home, because there are so many out there that needs one.

 

[pattersonj11]

We had an old yard dog mutt that made it to 17. She was attacked by a couple of roaming dogs and died in the night from that. Tough old dog. They caught up to her at the right time for them. She didn’t show any age at all until she was around 14-15. When she was a bit younger, I don’t know that they would have been able to put her in that shape. I had never seen any of the stray dogs tangle with her and come out on top when she was youthful.

I’ve got one now that is not even 2 yet, but he is another that the strays don’t tangle with often.

 

[ellwoodjake]

My matriarch beagle "Muffin" made it to 18 and was stomped by a cow. Poor girl was stone deaf, couldn't see well and was pretty feeble. Ol, boss cow probably did her a favor.

 

[Nana]

My first Keeshond made it to 17 before I had to help him over the bridge. Got him as a pup. My first adult purchase. Each of my three Jack Russells made it to 16. I got them all at about 10 yrs old.

 

[Wv67]

Both Rotties we had made it to 15 our schnauzer 13 and a silky 15 the little yorkie we have now is 3 and we r looking for another Rotty

 

[CRC]

17 year old mutt

 

[agreenchicken]

I have a a female fiest that just turned 16. She’s been an outside dog for most of her life. She has been to the vet once and was to be fixed. She is really starting to show her age though. She moves slowly and her eye sight is deteriorating. She’s been a good one though!

 

[Homebrewale]

Right now I have a dog that is 14 and another that will be 14 in August. The current 13 year old has been blind for about 5 years now.

 

[Billy]

My yellow lab will be 14 in April and is also stone deaf. My previous chocolate lab didn't make it quite that long, 12 years I believe. I have read that the smaller breeds normally live longer than the larger dogs.

 

[wolfman]

we had a basset hound growing up that made it to 18.

 

[Part-time hunter]

I've always heard that a lot of breeds of dogs that have been "created" by humans are prone to problems, like the eyes for spaniels, hips for labs, etc. and that their average life expectancy is around the 15 year mark. There are always exceptions and it isn't a hard and fast rule but judging from the responses here it seems to be fairly close to the mark. We adopted a Carolina Dog, also known as American Dingo about nine years ago and he still acts like a pup most of the time. The literature on this breed, which is accepted by the UKC, but not the AKC, has dna that is not related to any known breed. Its characteristics are said to have evolved to aid in survival over time as opposed to being bred for a particular use. They also say that because of this the dog should live longer and be generally healthier. It is a very cool dog and I suggest you google it to find out more about it.

 

[Ridgeline66]

My old Chow Taz lived to 16, i had to put him down when he didn't want to eat, i have a dog now that i adopted awhile back we "think" she's 13-14, i dread the day i have to put her down.......

 

[perfectroadglide]

If my Lab makes it to 15, I'll be 75. Should be my last dog.