He's Old, Not Dead

I met a 20-something guy at the dog park today for the first time.  He was outgoing and talkative and walked up with an exuberant mission to introduce himself and his puppy.  I was in my reclusive mode and wasn’t particularly in the mood to talk to this guy but he sat in the shade right beside me and didn’t take the “nose in the phone” cue.  Talk, talk, talk, talk, Talk, Talk, TALK, TALK.  Seventeen weeks old he said his pup was. He’s a lab bloodhound mix…gonna be big, he said.  His paws are huge, got a lot of extra skin, he said.  The vet said at least 100 pounds!  He still has his balls, he said…don’t have the heart to have them removed.  My eyes rolled uncontrollably…do I have a sign on my forehead that says “come talk my ear off when I am trying to relax in the shade?”

His pup rolled around with the other dogs that were willing to play with him and pestered the ones who weren’t.   He tried to play with Jake and Scout who are far too refined to play with bouncy and rambunctious puppies.  This made the guy talk to Jake who of course wouldn’t pay him any attention.  “Is he old?”  Yes, he’s almost 13 and he’s deaf.  His next statement was just the beginning of my wanting to put my foot through this guy’s arse.  “Oh that’s so sad.  It’s sad when they get old and lose their functions.  He probably has a lot of trouble eating”.  Nooooo…he eats just fine.  He rubbed him down and commented that he didn’t seem to mind being petted, something he said that most elderly dogs don’t like.  “Do you come here so he gets exercise?  He doesn’t seem to like it much.”  Noooo…he likes it just fine.  He walks all over the park before coming back to rest.

  Sometimes he even runs around.  “Oh you poor thing…poor Jake”.  He then pointed out all of Jake’s little bumps and growths and warts and little scabs, even his goopy eyes.  “Is that a tick on his head?”  No it’s a wart.  “Oh…It’s so sad when they get those…it happens to older dogs…I just hate to see a dog get old”.   Then he commented on how calm Jake is and how most dogs are really agitated when they get up there in age.   I tried to be friendly despite my growing annoyance and anti-social mood.  I said that Jake has had his share of issues…he leaks and often paces at night.  I added that he wears diapers for the leaking issue but that the pacing has gotten better recently with a wet food diet and even more recently with the use of a borrowed memory foam dog bed.  “Aches and pains?” he wanted to know.  Sometimes…yeah I guess.  “Poor thing…Poooooor Jake…sooooooo very sad.   Have you ever thought about having him euthanized?”  Ok, dude…seriously, can I smack you now?  I wanted to say “why, just because he’s old?...because he's not a cute, bouncy little puppy anymore?!”  Instead I said, matter of factly, “No…not until he can no longer eat, poop or walk.”  At this point he went on with his ramblings and I tuned him out, more than irritated.  He turned his attention to the other dogs in the park and preyed on the other unsuspecting owners with his over talkativeness.  I sat and reflected on the conversation… do people abandon their old dogs at shelters or put them down just because they get old and they can’t deal with the challenges? I understand difficult decisions must be made when the time is right but it seemed to me he thought I should end Jake's life just because there have been a few declines and that he's not what he once was.  I really hope this guy figures out how to handle an elderly dog before his pup loses one or more of his functions.  I am guessing he’s got at least 7-10 years before that happens.   I certainly won’t deny that Jake can be a royal pain in the rear sometimes and that he has presented with his fair share of major challenges but that doesn’t mean he should lose his life over it.  He still enjoys his life and can keep it as long as he does.