I love my dog, but sometimes he gets annoying.

Canada
October 14, 2010 11:38am CST
My dog, as he's gotten older in the last year, has begun to change in many ways. I got him last November as a rescue, he was underweight and not happy. I brought him home to a small apartment, it wasn't the greatest setup, but I was hoping to be out of there and somewhere else before long. He was spoiled by me, I went out and bought him a matching collar and leash, a leash that was longer than what he was used to. I had to do this as he finally started putting weight on, and his old collar didn't fit him anymore. He got fed good food, he always managed to get at the food we'd dropped on the floor, he was pretty sneaky. He didn't like doing the stairs even though we'd put carpet tiles on them. The awkwardness of a corner going up them didn't help him. He's a big dog and he just didn't fit too well. I never had enough time to take him out for long walks, and as he got older, he was content just going to the corner for his daily trips. Since he couldn't go upstairs on his own, bathtime proved to be challenging and we bought a hose we could hook up under the sink, and I'd bathe him outside. I only did that in the summer, if I had to bathe him in the winter, we'd struggle to get him up the stairs. He would stay out of the cat's litterbox there because it was upstairs. But now, we live in a bungalow, only 3 stairs to contend with when he goes out to the backyard. He likes that, but he still hesitates going up them, especially if the door upstairs is shut. Bath time is easier as he can go straight into the tub with the door open, unlike the other place, the bathroom was so small you'd have to fight with him and the door at the same time. He now eats dirt in the garden, wanders through the plants growing there, and likes to get muddy outside. He also now eats from the litterbox, not an easy thing to control either as the receptacle lid is easy for him to open. We have a self cleaning litter box, it's the best investment I made with my cat. Thought it would be helpful with the dog as well. My dog snores too, he sounds just like a human, and it's crazy. I'm not sure why he does it, and it started recently, so I'm kind of wondering if it's because he's less active now. I let him out several times a day, but he'll just go and lie in the grass and do nothing. He got lazy once we moved. I tried getting him a companion dog, but things didn't work out. The other dog was a half dingo and he was beating up on my dog, asserting his dominance over him. I'd never heard my dog bark so much, but this dingo dog wouldn't give it up. I sent that dog back to his owner the next day after it bit me and my roommate. I wasn't going to tolerate it anymore. My dog begs for food from us when we're eating. We don't feed him our food, he only gets what falls to the floor, which is pretty rare around here. But he still does it. It would be a challenge to break him of this habit, and considering his age, I'm not going to try. I'm not sure what I'm going to do when he dies, since he's getting on in years, I don't hold up much hope that he'll be around longer than a couple of years. I'm hoping we stay put in this house, if we do, we might be able to bury him on the hill in the backyard. My dog will be 10 in March, and I'm not looking forward to the winter with him. This is why I'm glad we moved to a house, we wont have to worry about icy conditions for walks, he'll just frolic the best he can in the backyard. I love my dog, I wish I'd been able to raise him from his puppy years, but I was blessed with him when I got him, and I guess I wouldn't change anything.
3 responses
@urbandekay (18278)
14 Oct 10
You don't say what breed he is all the best urban
• Canada
14 Oct 10
He's a yellow lab.
@urbandekay (18278)
15 Oct 10
Aye, labs are greedy all the best urban
@inu1711 (5285)
• Romania
16 Oct 10
You said you love your dog, but I can't say so after reading your story. Maybe you do love him, but you don't know what's best for him. I'll try to give you some advice, I hope you won't be mad at me for that. As your dog goes old, he doesn't need to get fat. It will be very dificult for his joints to sustain any suplimentar weight, and he will suffer if you don't take measures right away. His heart will also suffer if he gains more weight, especially now, that he's in his tens. A dog needs exercise in order to be a healthy and happy dog. You said he just goes out, lies in the grass and does nothing. So, where's the exercise he needs? I'm sure he misses the short walks to the corner. They were more than nothing. Maybe you can find some more time to take him out for long walks. Or, if you don't have time, maybe your roommate has time to do that. It's sad that now, when your dog got old, you can't provide him what he needs.
@sjlskl (3382)
• Singapore
15 Oct 10
For all his antics and funny ways, when you sit back and recall, he is such a bundle of joy. Loyalty, companionship, you rest assure he will give you plenty.