Ops, I Googled Again
I Googled how old my dog is in people years the other day.
BIG MISTAKE!
When will I ever learn that Google is not always my friend?!
As a large breed dog, at 5 years old she is evidently the equivalent of a 40 year old person.
In less then a year, at 6 years old, she will be considered a senior dog!
So, why does this matter?
I became irrationally afraid that my dog is going to die. Heck, I almost cried over the thought. I skipped over all the steps of slowing down and aging and went straight to not having her in my life. (As a side note she is perfectly healthy and happy and for all we know she could live to be 10 or even 15 years old).
I grew up with outdoor dogs and farm dogs. Oddly I had a purebred and registered Golden Retriever as an outdoor farm dog and now I have a rescue mixed breed mutt as an indoor, family dog.
But our giant rescue mutt, she’s the first dog to win over my heart this way. She is my 
first ever inside, member of the family dog. I now understand that there is a difference, and by living in our home she is literally a member of the family. And honestly she is as close to a child as I have. I know she’s not a human child, I get that, but she’s provided unconditional love and support for me through everything. Honestly, she is the as close to a child as I’ve had and she has such a special spot in my heart and our lives. When I’m hurt she’s there for me, whether its a migraine or a miscarriage, she’s been at my side. Literally, right at my side.
When I was pregnant, each and every time she was my most reliable two week wait symptom because she turned into my shadow and never put a paw on my stomach. She was literally my early pregnancy test, more reliable then first response.
When I’m sad she’s there to snuggle and to make me smile – if Mr. MPB would have let me I would have taken 365 happy day photos of just her. Heck, during our losses she became my constant source of support. She snuggled me when Mr. MPB couldn’t. And she found herself invited onto the couch with me whenever Mr. MPB left the house for any reason (i.e. work, groceries, mow the lawn, etc.). So now we still snuggle together on the couch when Mr. MPB isn’t home and now at night she sleeps in our bedroom right next to me (on the floor, there is no way I can handle fur in our bed – she sheds fur constantly).
When we eat dinner she now puts her head right at my feet just in case I drop something, which makes me laugh every single night.
When we watch TV, she snuggles into the tiny space between the couch and the coffee table, so she’s nice and close to us.
When I’m happy she’s there to make me extra happy with her silly antics and her playful ears. (She seriously has the cutest ears). 
Honestly, she’s an amazing dog and just thinking about her turning into a senior and slowing down does make me sad. I want to keep her just like she is now, forever. Can I do that? Has anyone invented a non-Frankenstein way?
I know, I know, she is going to age. But I still find it hard to believe that in less then a year she will be considered a senior dog. She still seems so young to me. It feels like just yesterday that we found each other.
And honestly, as sad as I am at the idea of her aging, I am super excited to spend more of 
our lives with her. I’m super excited to watch our children crawl all over her (assuming she doesn’t eat them, I ask her all the time not to and I’m hoping she’s listening). I’m super excited to play with her and walk with her for as many days as possible.
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Hooray for dogs! What a lovely tribute to your furry family member! They’re the best, aren’t they? 🙂
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Thanks! Dogs really are the best!! I honestly don’t think I’ll ever live without out one, and I intend to snuggle this one for as long as possible. She is the best. 🙂
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I love how much you love your dog. They are no doubt part of the family. I am a huge dog lover myself. My husband & I’s first “inside” dog passed away a little over a year ago, right after our first miscarriage. I still say it hurt worse, which seems almost impossible, but it’s true. I pray you have many more happy years together still! Cherish every moment 🙂
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Sending you love my friend, I cannot imagine losing a dog right after a miscarriage. Such strength to survive all of it.
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I cannot wait to have a dog one day and share this bond!!
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You should totally get a dog!! Honestly, best companion ever, all they know how to do is love. 🙂
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Awe Sadie. What a sweet girl. Loving dogs is so wonderful, but also painfully difficult because they just don’t life as long as us. Juno and Clem are both considered senior dogs now, and while I daydream about how amazing they will be with our littles, I also have nightmares of them leaving us. They’re life’s bittersweet gift to humans. Now excuse me as I go and pet and kiss my dogs.
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You are right, they are a beautiful gift to humans. In fact, I think the world would be a much better place if all humans had a pet dog to show them how to love.
I too am going to go pet and kiss my dog right now. 🙂
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My vet sent me a notice that Kitten was due for his Senior check up. He’s only 6!! It made me so sad, so I totally get it.
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I guess kittens and dogs age at the same rate. I hope you have many more years of happiness and health with your kitten! 🙂
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The senior designation comes about because as they reach about 6 years their metabolism and other functions change. I think vets have done this in part to encourage people who keep dogs to mind the changes. Because let’s face it, 42 is not senior in human years and humans rarely like to 100 but many dogs do if you go by the “human year” equivalent. I was so scared of losing my rescue boxer from Mexico City that I joked all her life that she would live to be 13. I had never known a Boxer to live beyond age 8 as they are very prone to cancer. Sure enough my old girl got a mast cell tumor that exploded in size within 36 hours of its first appearance on her skin. Two costly surgeries and several treatments later, she stayed with us… Until age 13. I still miss her every day. So I her your fear. Still, the one thing we learned after our old girl first got sick was to treat every day like it could be our last one together and enjoy all the time we had together. Thankfully she wasn’t in distress until immediately before her death and truly made the most of her time with us, too.
Leaving all of that sad talk and thoughts aside, I think it’s awesome how much you love Lady S and I hope you get to enjoy her company for many many many years to come.
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Thank you so much for your enlightenment! You are right, 42 in human years is nothing like being a “senior”! And I sure hope its the same for our dog. I’m hoping she’s going to live a long and healthy life! And she’d better, I don’t need to be pushed over the edge right now. 🙂
Also, thank you for sharing the lesson you learned from your rescue boxer. I think you are wise to “treat every day like it could be our last one together and enjoy all the time.”
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Oh, do I understand. I lost The Furry One almost a year ago at the ripe age of 14, just a few months shy of his 15th bday. My heart broke, and despite now having Yappy, I still mourn my furry first born. Like you I also thought about what life would be like when I lost him–wish I could say I was prepared. I wasn’t. Enjoy every blessed moment with the furry family member. ❤
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Something tells me none of us can ever be fully prepared to lose our furballs. I can only imagine how heart breaking it was to lose your first furry one!
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Technically pets aren’t considered seniors until they are 7, so you have a couple years to go! That being said…I’ve seen labs live to be well into their teens (in human years) so I wouldn’t get too stressed about it. If you feed her a good, quality food, don’t give her a million treats, keep her exercising and mobile, she should be good for quite a while. 🙂
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Awe thanks Amy!! I love knowing that I have a few years before she’s officially a senior! And not to worry, she’s on the most expensive/good dog food imaginable because her tummy is so sensitive. And for treats, ya, nothing cheap for her. We are pretty strict about what goes into her, because if it upsets her stomach no-one in the MPB household enjoys when it comes out of her! I actually expect it will be harder to control her diet once we have kids because they will feed her when we aren’t looking, even if they aren’t supposed to. 🙂
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Yeah we see a lot of dogs gain weight once babies are born…or once they start becoming mobile lol!
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I totally get this. I started worrying about our cats growing old and dying when they were still just kitties, because I knew it would go by in an eyeblink and the kind of bond you form with your pet is as strong as family. I’m still afraid, but I’m getting better at just letting them be and grow up as they do and even have a little fun watching their personalities change as they age – kittens vs two-year-olds vs now four-year-olds is very different!
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Clearly, we are the exact same way with our pets! Our dog is such a wonderful dog and I just cannot imagine our lives without her. And I really do look forward to watching her continue to grow and change as she grows up.
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I get it! I love my fur babies. Unfortunately I lost my 19 yr old cat 2 years ago (very hard but it felt ‘natural’ We had almost 20 good years!) , then Skittles, she was only 6, we spent 6k in less than 24 hours exploring options to save her and finally Runkie who was almost 16. Losing Runkie was difficult because a part of me wanted to keep him going but part of me knew we had crossed a line in terms of quality of life for him, so there was a mixture of guilt, resentment at all the care/decline cuz I really just wanted the old him back… Losing them was like a death in the family. Because she was so young and so close to me, Skittles’ passing was the hardest, I thought we had more time together and I was genuinely looking forward to it. They are every bit as much a family member as a human, imho.
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I am so sorry that you’ve experienced so much loss of pets over the last few years, I have a tear in my eye reading. Your right it is like a death in the family when your animal is a member of the family. I never understood that perspective when we had outdoor/farm animals, but now I so get it. Our dog, she’s absolutely a member of our family.
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I hear ya! I cannot believe my cats are 11, I feel like I just picked them up from the humane society as kittens.
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It’s amazing how quickly time flies, eh? I’m so happy that you’ve been able to enjoy your cats for so long. And I hope you have many more happy years together! 🙂
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I hear you! Our dog is our daughter’s absolute best friend (scarily so sometimes, she has taken up a lot of dog habits… Even barking at other dogs with our dog…). It makes me so sad she can’t be with us till the very end, and I am tearing up just imagining a day without her.
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I love that your dog is your daughters best friend!! That’s exactly what I’m hoping for too! I hope both our dog’s live happy and long lives with us! 🙂
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I’m sobbing reading this; happy and sad! I soooo hear you. My pup is 4 and she’s already growing up too fast for me. I can’t remember life without her. She’s my lifeline when all else fails. Let us both have many happy and full years ahead with our best furry pals!
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Dog/animal people just get this fear, eh? Our pets are just such a critical part of our lives and bring us so much joy! I’m glad you get it and have such a special pup of your own. 🙂
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I grew up with a purebred Border Collie that my grandfather rescued off a farm in Colorado (during a hunting trip, no less!) …. if it brings you any comfort at all, she lived until the ripe old age of 17 with only arthritis to slow her down. Dogs are worth every emotional penny we spend on them (and then some).
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Thanks for sharing!! I do think you are right, dogs are worth every single thing we do for them and every single penny we spend on them – I wouldn’t give up any of it for our dog! 🙂
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Such a cute puppy (they’ll always be puppies!) I feel the same about our kitty. I was never (and still am not) a cat person, but this kitty, she is the best ever, and I think about her living about 17 years and it makes me terribly sad! But you’ve still got plenty of time with your lady!
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I’m with you on this – they are all puppies forever! And kitten’s too! 🙂
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I honestly feel the exact same way as my doggie. I just did the calculation on my dog since he is 8 years old and got 64 years old. I knew he was already considered a senior dog because my vet requests a “senior blood panel” every year for the last two years. it just breaks my heart. My dog is my best friend and is just like my own child in my heart. I hope I get to stay home with this future baby of mine. Just so I can get some extra added time with my senior doggie too.
Sending you a big hug! Because this is a real fear and I understand it. One good thing I know, is I use to housesit for this guy who had a 16 year old Golden. I hope more than anything that our doggies last that long, as long has they aren’t suffering in anyway.
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You totally get it! It’s a real fear, we know one day we will lose our dogs, but clearly we dread the day! I too hope both our dogs make it to 16 years old and healthy! 🙂
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Those calculations aren’t all that accurate, you know… 🙂 Keep her healthy – regular walks, healthy food, annual vet checks and DENTALS (people tend to forget those and they make SUCH a difference!) and she will likely keep going for years. She is going to love having a baby to snuggle… 🙂
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Once again, you responded to me the exact same way Mr. MPB did! Are you sure you two aren’t in cahoots together? 🙂
She’s a pretty spoiled dog with lots of walks, healthy food (thanks to Giardia as a puppy she only gets the best food now as her stomach will act up otherwise), annual vet checks and regular dental checks too. So far her teeth have been in great shape according to our vet, but we know one day she’ll have to get a full cleaning. Really, she lives a puppy princess life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 🙂
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I hope that one day I’ll get to meet Mr MPB! Sounds like we were siblings in a former life!
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Dogs are THE BEST pets and no one can tell me any different! My beloved dog Chester passed away a month before I got pregnant with Evelyn. I always say he helped guide her soul to me. I bet your doggy will be the best big “sister” ever!
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What a beautiful thought about your dog Chester and your sweet Evelyn! I’m sad your dog passed away, but honestly, that’s such a beautiful thought that I found myself smiling.
I figure as long as she doesn’t eat the baby, she’ll be a good “sister”. 🙂
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Don’t panic yet… You still have many years left with her! But I know it’s hard to even imagine life without her. As my favorite cat aged with diabetes, I knew we were on borrowed time when she turned 10, and I worried from that day forward. She bravely gave us 2.5 more years. My boy cat is now 13, the average age of death in my vets practice, and I think about that a lot.
You have a fantastic dog! She won’t eat your babies.😉
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I hope your boy cat keeps living a healthy life for many years to come. I figure he’s at your vet’s average, so he could still have at least a few more years to go.
And thank you, I really hope I have a lot more years with her, and I really hope she doesn’t eat any babies. 🙂
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You lead me to Google our dogs ages. Grem is a spry 44 and Swar is a very distinguished 76. (They’re actually 7 and 15 respectively). And if anyone considers 7 a senior, they should meet Grem. She has more energy than most 3 year old dogs! Swar definitely is a senior but he’s always been a cranky, stubborn dog. Regardless of age, they are both great dogs who are amazing with Buddy and vice versa.
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Thanks for sharing! It’s funny how google seems to have the answer for everything, even our dog’s ages.
I love hearing that your dogs are doing great and that they are amazing with Buddy! That’s awesome! I hope you have many more years together. 🙂
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I totally understand how you feel! Our fur babies are our children too and they have gotten me through so many sad times. They just KNOW. I know yours will be such a good big puppy sister to your child and you will make so many new memories!
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Thank you so much Wifey! I love that you also know the true love and companionship that our dogs offer us. It really is an amazing connection that we have with our animals. 🙂
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OMG! My doggie is six and I guess she is “senior” now! Thanks for letting me know LOL! 😉
Anyway, I feel the same way about my little love as you describe here. I am terrified of the day something happens to her. I might lose what’s left of my mind. I’m so glad you have her love and companionship to help you through the difficult days.
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Ops! Now I gave you all the same irrational one day worries! 🙂
I love that you get it and that you understand the amazing relationship I have with my dog – it truly is remarkable and a special kind of love. I think everyone should have a puppy, I think it could result in world peace. 🙂
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You make me wanna go get a puppy :). Xoxo
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You should!! I bet Goldielocks would love to have a puppy in the house! 🙂
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Lol! She probably would but the two kitty cats I have would go psycho! Bahaha 😂
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I love my dog in the same way! We truly have twin lives in different countries. Have you read my Not The Worst Day of the Year post? It was like March 2014 so I don’t think we *knew* each other yet. I almost lost my pup and it just about killed me (no exaggeration). I couldn’t handle one more loss and I know if I feel that way, you totally do! Xx
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We really do have twin lives in different countries!! And I love it! 🙂
I’ll go back and read your post, I don’t think I read it the first time as that’s when I had just started blogging.
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I’m the same way with our animals! Although Rocky isn’t nearly as well behaved, lol. I did want to tell you though that Rocky is so good with the daycare kids. They will sit right on him and he just lays there and takes it. I bet yours will be the exact same way! 🙂
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I hope you are right and our dog is just as good as Rocky! And since our dogs are long lost twins, there’s a good chance you are right about this one!
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