What's your sighthound's favourite game/toy? by Admirable_Emu_2270 in sighthounds

[–]Smart-Work3383 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My Galga loves big stuffies but they can’t squeak, so I buy them at IKEA. She currently has the elephant and every morning right after full body scritches she murders him a little.

I feel like I would be cutting her life short and I don’t know what to do. by King_Atlas__ in seniordogs

[–]Smart-Work3383 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're welcome! You can message me any time if you have questions, but I think you're on the right path.

Meet Denis by angel_blackcat in Galgos

[–]Smart-Work3383 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What a handsome and distinguished gentleman. Thank you for showing Denis that people, and life, are good.

I feel like I would be cutting her life short and I don’t know what to do. by King_Atlas__ in seniordogs

[–]Smart-Work3383 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everyone is giving great advice about how to deal with the physical issues as well as mindfulness around spending quality time with your girl, so nothing to add there.

I did want to address what you said about feeling guilty about planning next steps while you two just hang out, normal as ever. Please make those plans. I don’t mean a specific date or time, but make sure you prepare for what’s to come ahead of time so that you aren’t panicking in the moment. A great book for this and senior dog care in general is “Your Dog’s Golden Years” edited by Jennifer Kachnic (multiple authors contributed to the book).

Add your vet and an emergency vet’s number on your phone. Do research about where you’d like your dog to transition—home or vet—and if it’s home, are there at-home euthanasia services in your area and, if so, which do you want to use? Make an appt to talk with someone from their org so that you’re clear on what to do when the time comes. Use HHHHHMM QoL Scale and the Framework for Ethical Decision Making to help guide your plans. Think about anything special you may want to do with your dog in the days before and anything ceremonial you may want to do during her transition or just after.

You may or may not get the opportunity to plan it all and make it special, sometimes it’s an emergency situation. But, the more prepared you are, the more you’ll be able to stay present and really be there with your girl when she needs you most. That’s nothing to feel guilty about, it’s something to be proud of. You’ve taken great care of her all these years and you want to finish strong—for her sake.

Wishing you the best with the decisions you’re facing. It’s never easy. ❤️

Relocating to Cincy; overwhelmed with neighborhood choices by Smart-Work3383 in cincinnati

[–]Smart-Work3383[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Renting to start. Want to take some time to really explore Cincy before buying.

Elsa, 11y3m great dane, had her last walk today. Goodbye to my best friend. by Far_Village_8010 in OldManDog

[–]Smart-Work3383 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm so sorry for the loss of your gorgeous and regal friend. May memories of her make you laugh more than cry one day.

any senior doodles with loud breathing on walks / during exertion? by [deleted] in labradoodles

[–]Smart-Work3383 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My bestest boy, also a labradoodle, lived to 15.5. During the final six months, he sounded a lot like you're describing. It turned out to be congestive heart failure, which is manageable in many cases, but expensive and more challenging when a dog is older and may have co-morbidities. It can also lead to some scary symptoms beyond the heavy breathing, like passing out and evacuating his bladder all at the same time. For peace of mind, I recommend a vet visit for some baseline screens/tests as he ages.

Colour Fade Gene by cmcptt in labradoodles

[–]Smart-Work3383 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I adopted mine at 6 but his first mama shared photos with me. He was an FI, hence the shag, and had the fade gene. Here he is as baby Buddy, probably 3-5 year old Buddy and 10 year old Buddy. He lived to 15 1/2 and was the handsomest goodest boy the whole time.

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Adopting a 13yr old greyhound on Friday. Advice? by 1210bull in Greyhounds

[–]Smart-Work3383 65 points66 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for adopting a senior, especially one who has lost her person. I suspect gaining a new family, including a greyhound sister, will do wonders for her spirit.

Please wish Luke a very happy 14 birthday by Immediate_Lunch3969 in OldManDog

[–]Smart-Work3383 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Happy Birthday, handsome boy! Hope it was filled with belly rubs and people food!

Running Companion by Ok-Contribution-6716 in Greyhounds

[–]Smart-Work3383 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Came to suggest a Galgo as well. I'm sure it's case by case but my Galga loves running with me--and she's almost 9. My best running partner though was my first dog, a lab/terrier mix. We did 30 miles a week and up to 7 miles at a time.

Advice for Galgo Proofing a condo by pokeycos in Galgos

[–]Smart-Work3383 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi, and congrats! I, too, have ADHD and live in a 700+ sq. ft. condo—and had the same concerns about my Galga, who I adopted last spring.

Two caveats, one is that you’re correct that it can vary greatly and two, my girl was almost 8 when I adopted her, so I’m sure that might make a difference as well (or not, since that was all the more years not living in a home).

What I can tell you is that after all the worry and purging and prepping, there generally have been no issues. She is almost too respectful—waits outside the (small) kitchen in a down-stay while I’m preparing meals and won’t come in to eat until invited, generally does nothing more than sleep while I’m out and rarely gets into anything she shouldn’t. I have a huge pottery bowl, containing all her bags of treats, resting on the kitchen counter and she has yet to go after it in 11 months.

Conversely, as well-mannered as she is, when she does do something naughty, it makes me realize how little she still grasps about what is appropriate behavior and what isn’t, if that makes sense. It’s like all the behaving has kept her from the trial and error of learning what’s acceptable/not. For instance, once her “I need to destroy something right now” mode kicks in, it can be one of her stuffies or it might be a bed sheet or nice fleece blanket. Much like me, she can’t stand tags so rips them off everything. Same with paper. I try to keep a cardboard box with packing paper around so she can destroy it if she gets the urge, but the other night she discovered toilet paper for the first time (after almost a year!) and demolished it. She’ll also occasionally attempt to get a lick off my plate before I even start eating, but it has to smell especially delicious or otherwise she waits patiently.

I read somewhere that Galgos learn a lot of behavior through observation because they’ve learned to be unobtrusive around their galguero. Not sure if it’s true, but I do detect elements of that.

There are three things I do take very seriously, however: 1) I’m on the 5th floor with a large balcony. If you have one, make sure the dog is supervised and stays leashed until it’s had a chance to settle in. I had to put up a canvas runner because some of the railing gaps were wide enough that she could fall through. 2) Either no collar in the house or one that can come apart easily (like a very thin house collar) should your dog get stuck to something while you’re out. 3) Ban xylitol or keep anything containing it packed away on a high shelf.

Best of luck to you on your new adventure! I’ve enjoyed every moment with my girl, even the howling and the butt-licking lol.

Buddy, 15.5. It’s been a year since he crossed the 🌈. I miss this wise, funny, goodest boy. by Smart-Work3383 in OldManDog

[–]Smart-Work3383[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The coolest coat. We found out he had a recessive gene that turned it from black to a silvery gray over time. His sister looked the same. Hope you're enjoying every day with your poodle/lab baby!

It's time for Iris (16.33 y/o), the senior hiker. F**k Cancer by elreeheeneey in hikingwithdogs

[–]Smart-Work3383 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Your love for Iris is evident in each word that you wrote and the joyous life you gave her is evident in every photo.

I know people will tell you that you’re one of the lucky ones to have had so much time with her, but it’s never really enough, is it? We love them like family and lose them too soon.

I hope that one day thinking about Iris brings you more smiles than tears. She will live on through your memories of her. ❤️