Rex’s Retirement Respite

We’ve now gone from Fido’s Fat Farm to Rex’s Retirement Respite.

Had Barney, a 14 year old collie cross staying with me for a few days.  Bless.  He is a lovely boy with a few issues.  None of them serious, just endearing.  He’s “selectively” deaf (which is not a condition exclusive to older dogs!) and let’s just say he gets a little confused at times.  Well, I probably will be much the same when I’m 69 which is how old he is in human years.

 

The common belief that one human year is equivalent to 7 dog years has now been discredited by canine experts mainly because dogs reach adulthood within the first couple of years.

The accurate formula to go on now is 10 ½  dog years for every human year for the first 2 years.  Thereafter, 4 dog years for every human year.

By that reckoning I’m delighted to find that I’m only 9 ½  in dog years.  So, my dog age is the same as my behavioural age then!  Can’t think of a better place to be in my life.

Back to Barney.  He got extremely enthusiastic when a walk was mentioned – obviously he couldn’t trek around the countryside on my usual 2 hour hikes so they were shorter easier rambles – but when it actually came to leaving the confines of my drive the brakes occasionally went on.  Even the hand brake.   His front legs would lock and nothing would shift him.

Not every time.  We did manage some happy gentle walks and even had a play date in my field with my girls and a neighbour, a veterinary nurse, with her Rhodesian ridgeback, Tage, and Whippet cross, Roxy.  (Another one).  Pride powered Barney on and he made a brave effort to look athletic.

Most of the time he loved lying in my garden in his bed sniffing the air and watching my dogs play with me.  Occasionally, something would excite him and he’d bound up and made a valiant effort to join in for as long as it interested him and we made a big fuss of him.  Then he would forget what he got up for.

I suspect also that he found it tricky to figure out what was outside and what was inside here.  Often, he would be in the garden and he would saunter in to my garage to have a poo, then saunter out again.  How could anyone be upset by that?  He at least knew he had to go somewhere.

I have suggested to his Mum that she ask our vet for Vivitonin which can be effective in treating older dogs who have lost their zest for life.

I see Barney regularly and will report back here on his progress.