My Dog is Old

[Chainsaw_Willie]

Took my dog, Torvald the Elkhound for a dayhike today up to Labyrinth Mt. just East of Stevens Pass. It's only about 2.5 miles and 2500 ft. of elevation gain from trailhead to top, so a pretty consistently steep trail. By the time we got back to the car he could hardly walk, all his legs were quivering and shaking real bad. All he wanted to do was get back in the car and lay down. We set a slow pace too, took about 6 hours total.

What a change from last year. In late October last year I attempted to climb Mt. Maude in a day and ended up about 1000 ft. shy of the summit due to a bad route choice and running out of time. Still, it was about 6.5 miles one way and about 5500 feet of elevation gain, taking about 12 hours total. Tor was a real trooper on that trip and while he was thoroughly exhausted by the time we got back to the car I wasn't surprised given his age and how long the trip was and how much climbing was involved.

I don't know if I'll be able to take my buddy hiking any more. I had to stop taking him jogging this summer as he couldn't keep up and I'd literally be dragging him the last mile or so.

He'll be 12 on Nov. 5th and other than losing a lot of stamina he still seems to be in real good health. The vet can't find anything wrong with him, doesn't seem to have arthritis, still has sharp hearing and eyesight, good appetite and still likes to run around and play, just not for any length of time any more. He's not fat either, still checks in at 49 lbs, just like he always has.

Bummer.

I wonder though, do dogs get out of shape like we do? Since I stopped taking him jogging 3 times a week he really hasn't gotten any consistent exercise. Do I just need to go for shorter runs to keep him in as good of shape as possible? And if so, then how do I find the time to keep myself in shape? There's only about a 2 hour window between jobs in the afternoon on weekdays.

[AsheanMT]

My dog is about 7 years old and I notice he has a hard time when hasn't been for awhile. I would say that they most certainly get out of shape just like a human does
.

[irul&ublo]

Took my dog, Torvald the Elkhound for a dayhike today up to Labyrinth Mt. just East of Stevens Pass. It's only about 2.5 miles and 2500 ft. of elevation gain from trailhead to top, so a pretty consistently steep trail. By the time we got back to the car he could hardly walk, all his legs were quivering and shaking real bad. All he wanted to do was get back in the car and lay down. We set a slow pace too, took about 6 hours total.

What a change from last year. In late October last year I attempted to climb Mt. Maude in a day and ended up about 1000 ft. shy of the summit due to a bad route choice and running out of time. Still, it was about 6.5 miles one way and about 5500 feet of elevation gain, taking about 12 hours total. Tor was a real trooper on that trip and while he was thoroughly exhausted by the time we got back to the car I wasn't surprised given his age and how long the trip was and how much climbing was involved.

I don't know if I'll be able to take my buddy hiking any more. I had to stop taking him jogging this summer as he couldn't keep up and I'd literally be dragging him the last mile or so.

He'll be 12 on Nov. 5th and other than losing a lot of stamina he still seems to be in real good health. The vet can't find anything wrong with him, doesn't seem to have arthritis, still has sharp hearing and eyesight, good appetite and still likes to run around and play, just not for any length of time any more. He's not fat either, still checks in at 49 lbs, just like he always has.

Bummer.

I wonder though, do dogs get out of shape like we do? Since I stopped taking him jogging 3 times a week he really hasn't gotten any consistent exercise. Do I just need to go for shorter runs to keep him in as good of shape as possible? And if so, then how do I find the time to keep myself in shape? There's only about a 2 hour window between jobs in the afternoon on weekdays.

Switch from running to walking. Try and keep him off concrete/pavement as much as possible. Check w/ vet about daily pain relief. Its hard to take, but our pals do get old.

[rideit]

Well, you have gotten twelve great years, so far!!
Cherish that.

I still miss Zane with all my heart.
He was just hitting his prime at 5....

[Cliff Huckable]

Fucking hell - I know you love your dog but you have to recognize the reality of the situation, ffs! He's 12. Twelve.
A six-hour hike is way way WAY too much for a 12-year-old dog.

The time for that kind of thing has passed. Keep your dog fit but don't push him like that anymore.
He's not the dog he was, he's the dog he is - a twelve year-old. Acknowledge that.

[schindlerpiste]

It seems like 4-10 or 11 is prime for a big dog. My Chessie is 11, and I am noticing the same thing. Now, I take him for a long swim just about everyday. It's less strain on the hind leg joints, and he seems to really enjoy it.

[hutash]

Yes dogs get old, yes dogs get out of shape, yes a six hour hike is a long hike, no a 12 year old dog can still do a six hour hike, if in shape, not arthritic, et cetera. Old people run marathons, Jack La Lane tows fuckin' row boats across San Francisco bay.

Try a good glucoasamine supplement. I prefer Dasaquin (ask your vet), and/or consider a trial of Rimadyl or other NSAID. Or just stop running your self, so you are both out of shape, that will slow the pace a bit. Regular exercise is very important for old slow dogs. Maybe he can't do long hike anymore, but don't give up on him yet. I sure hope to be hiking and climb at an equivalent age.

[Woodlandclown]

i had to stop running with my dog when he was about 6-7. i dont think running is that great of dogs anyway, but certainly not a dog thats 12! I also do not take him on any steep hikes. we do trail walks and short hikes to swimming holes or something. a dog that is 12 is freaking 84 years old, of course he is out of shape. hes old. you have to tailor your activities. he does still nee to move around, but not at the pace you are going.

I also give my old guy zubrin--its a doggy motrine. supposed to help with pain and not as strong as a deramaxx, rimydl

[SuperChief]

Cubby is twelve and theres no way I can take her for anything over a two hour hike anymore, So I always walk her 20 min in the morning, go to work and walk her another short walk in the evening.

we give her a glucosamine suplement called Nupro that is a gravy that she loves.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

Thanks for the input folks.

A lot of you seem to be focusing on the fact our hike took 6 hours yesterday. Umm, we were lollygagging the whole way. Look at the mileage - 5 miles total, 2.5 up, 2.5 back. A little over 2500 feet elevation gained and lost - trailhead at 3800, top of mt. at 6376. I stopped several times on the way up to take pictures. There's a lake at 5600 feet that we hung out at for about 45 minutes, ate lunch and waited for the clouds to burn off as the ceiling was about 5800 feet. No point in hiking up to the top of the mountain if you can't see anything. On the way back down I again stopped at the lake for about 20 minutes to take more pictures, and again a few hundred feet below the lake for yet more pictures.

Just wanted to be clear on that. If I was in the same shape I was in last year and hauling ass I could've summited that mt. and been back to the car in 2-2.5 hours given that there's a well defined trail and no real obstacles the whole way.

I was just surprised that after what we did last year - more than twice the mileage and more than twice the elevation gain, constantly moving for nearly 12 hours that he was in such bad shape after what was comparitively a really easy walk in the woods.

Surprised and bummed, but yeah, he *is* the equivalent of 84. I hope I'm in that good of shape in another 45 years...

Really want to get a puppy both to keep Tor company and so I have a dog to hike and run with again, but just don't have the time right now. Hopefully in another year I won't be working two jobs any more and can find a good pound pup.

I'll check into supplements for him too, but he really doesn't seem to be in any pain or having any arthritis problems. Do they make doggie Red Bull?

[corn dog]

Yeah my running dropped way off when an old dog became part of my life. i'd take her for walks or take her swimming, which she loved. For a while I had a routine of taking her to the dog pond to swim for 45 mins - 1 hr, then we'd drive over the a trail on the edge of town (the M in Bozeman) and I'd hike that just to get myself some excercise.

[liv2ski]

Fucking hell - I know you love your dog but you have to recognize the reality of the situation, ffs! He's 12. Twelve.
A six-hour hike is way way WAY too much for a 12-year-old dog.

The time for that kind of thing has passed. Keep your dog fit but don't push him like that anymore.
He's not the dog he was, he's the dog he is - a twelve year-old. Acknowledge that.

6 hour hike after no regular conditioning (walks) was likely a really bad call for your best bud. Poor guy loves you so much, he tried to hang in there for you.
How about a 1/2 hour walk twice a day at his age. I mean what is 12 for a dog? About 84 for us Take it easy on him.

[Chainsaw_Willie]

I'll definitely be taking it easier on him! I'm just surprised, he went on several hikes with me last year, including that grueling trip to Mt. Maude and didn't really have any problems. I guess it's because I've stopped taking him jogging - we were running 3-5 miles 3 times a week last year real regularly. I suppose the fact he can't keep up with that jogging any more means he's "turned the corner" so to speak.

Anyway, here's a couple pics of him from Sunday:

Gettin' the red carpet treatment:


Chillin' atop Labyrinth Mt. on a snow patch with Glacier Peak in the distance: