Walking without a leash

(Robin) #1

So, now that sweet Paul has passed I am missing a big part of my regular exercise…
Although the last several months they were just leisurely strolls with lots of stop-and-sniffs along the way.
So part of my healing will be going for walks with hubby and trying to keep up. Good for the soul and the old bod.

#2

I was so incredibly sad when our Jaz passed away. In fact I couldn’t bear the silence and we had a puppy within a fortnight. Don’t regret a second, do you think you’ll have another dog?

(Robin) #3

No. No more pets. We’re 70 and in good health and have put off trips together. So we have plans. But I can certainly understand the urge to fill that vacuum.

(Bob M) #4

70 might be a bit too old to get a pet that can live 10-15-20 years. We’d like to get a second dog (most likely a puppy), but I just turned 60, and that means we’d have to at least think about discussing what happens to our pets.

I see a lot of pets on Threads (a Twitter competitor) where dogs go to the pound because their owner passed away.

#5

So sad, you miss them so much… maybe some volunteer opportunities walking dogs in your area?

(Robin) #6

I have many dog friends.
My entire neighborhood knows me and Paul… I’m chatty and Paul was always up for a few “what a good boy” pats.
My plan is for my husband and I to walk together.

People will see us and say “look at that sweet old couple holding hands. I bet they miss that old dog.”

(Marianne) #7

I’m so sorry, Robin.

I hear you. My husband and I do not travel together because we won’t board our dogs and full time pet sitting is prohibitive. Maybe after you satisfy what you want on your bucket list, you can consider a “senior to senior” adoption. We adopted our Chi, Petey, as an eight year old. That was four years ago. He is amazingly spry and brings us so much joy every day.

God bless. :cry:

#8

That’s lovely, but a shame you can’t holiday together :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

#9

That sucks, sorry Robin :frowning_face:

(Ohio ) #10

Robin. Sorry about your dog. I live 4 dogs. I’d like to say I’m somewhat educated on dog biology, but probably not on a scale you are. I have a broad question on older dogs and dental maintenance via vet, like when they “knock them out” to clean their teeth.

How safe is this on older dogs? Vet sounded like he was on the fence about my 13 yr old poodle. it’s on a very healthy keto diet. No processed food, I make it from scratch. My dog still runs after squirrels and is playful, no health issues. I appreciate your advice as always.

(Robin) #11

Paul had to have several teeth pulled a couple years ago. He was already on heart meds. We had to sign a form stipulating what we wanted if he was dying during the procedure/anesthesia. He was around 11 at the time.
It’s always a risk. But we decided if he was already ‘asleep”, it would be a good time to let him go. Honestly, that was a harder talk than we had about our own end of life decisions.
Paul came thru with flying colors and never gave any indication that he was sore.

BUT… I would never advise anyone else in this situation.
Good luck either way. Go with your gut/heart.

#12

Does your dog need any teeth out, or is it just a clean? Not sure I’d put mine through that for just a clean, but then I guess if you leave it & they need a tooth out in another year or two you’d wish you’d had them done before…they are such a worry, these fur babies!
I thought our lab had been poisoned the other day, she was hyper salivating badly, & looking like she was going to be sick, but she was fine a few hours later, thankfully!

(KM) #13

Not quite the same situation, I had a 16 year old cat who went in for an under anesthesia tooth cleaning procedure and never woke up - after the vet called to say he was doing fine and in recovery. I wouldn’t do it again unless the animal was clearly suffering from tooth pain. :frowning:

(Ohio ) #14

Just cleaning for plaque. I feel like it’s in incredible shape for a 13 yr poodle. Runs after squirrels, etc. I feel like dogs could live a lot longer on a unprocessed keto diet. Like a example of a lab/mutt like dog, in Italy, that was like 30? Not quite sure on the effects of anesthesia, I don’t know anything about it really.

(Ohio ) #15

Dually noted. That may have made up my mind.

(Robin) #16

I agree, if it’s just for plaque

#17

So sorry for your loss. I hear what you are saying. After my dad passed away, we bought my mom a dog. She never felt lonely when she had the dog. Sadly, the dog passed away two weeks after my mom passed. My wife and I have owned 5 dogs together over a 30-year period, all golden retrievers. We currently have two, ages 4 and 2. Our vet is also our breeder and knows everything about the breed. We found a gentleman who boards and walks dogs close to where we live. He actually prefers dogs over people. He is truly amazing. His prices for boarding are significantly lower than most. He charges $45 per day. This includes 3x walks per day. (more than they normally get). My wife and I found that waiting to get another dog was a process that, in the beginning, we waited about 2 years before we would get another dog. Our vet only breeds during the summer. So we now only wait until the summer to get a dog. For us and our kids, we all feel more complete when we have dogs. They just want to please (most of the time). They always seem to know when you have a bad day. We will always have a dog or dogs. Only you will know when the time is ready.

(Robin) #18

I believe it hit us extra hard because it was just us and sweet Paul.
He didn’t have to compete with kids or jobs for our attention. We were literally a threesome.
After we’ve taken our major postponed trips, I suppose we could consider another dog. But then OUR age comes into play. Will our kids have to deal with our dog? Oye.

(Ohio ) #19

Nah. Keto ppl gonna live much longer. Besides I give my poodle credit for saving my life when I had Covid in early 2020. She motivated me to get out of bed at 3am and walk. That’s been our routine ever since.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #20

With me, it was my pet rats. They live such short lives, but they are full of love and fun. It was when I started keeping rats that I began to understand just how much a beloved pet can affect your life. It’s always sad to have to say good-bye, and they leave such a hole in our lives. I have come to understand that they are never truly gone, so long as they live in our hearts.

I place great hope in the idea of the Rainbow Bridge. Though of course not literally true, it is most likely true in essence—how could it be otherwise?