My old dog does this amazing thing where she just exists and makes my whole life better because she is here.
-Anonymous
We dedicate this post to Sugar The Golden Retriever of Golden Woofs
I met Sugar and her mom, Rosalyn, at my first BlogPaws conference where they made it their mission to make everyone smile.
A Day in the Life of a Senior Dog
Zora will turn 14 at the end of April. I honestly don’t know where the time went. It seems like just yesterday that this sweet, gentle soul joined our family and I was explaining to my, then 7-year old daughter, that our new puppy would not be sleeping on the bed or hanging out on the furniture. About six minutes later, my little yellow lab of cuteness was snuggled up against my side… on my bed…where she spent the next 12 years sleeping next to my head… when she wasn’t lounging on my her favorite purple chair 😉
About two years ago, Zora decided that she no longer wanted to sleep on the bed. Her bad hips and arthritis make getting up on the bed a challenge and even with assistance, she doesn’t seem to enjoy the softness of the mattress, only staying to belly rubs for a few minutes before seeking out her chair or a spot in the sun on the floor.
With two younger dogs in the house, it’s hard not to notice that Zora is slowing down. She is still a puppy at heart with bursts of silly energy and a zest for life. Her tail continues to “helicopter” when she is really excited. She can’t go as long or as far as she used to but she still loves to head out for short leisurely walks or a ride in the car and she continues to greet people with typical lab enthusiasm. But, it’s different. Beautiful but different.
We’ve all heard heart wrenching stories about senior dogs being discarded at shelters, often because they are no longer “puppy like” or because the health needs of a senior pet can be a challenge. There is no question that as our dogs age, the daily routine changes a bit. Where I can head out for a hike with Simon (10) or Piper (2), Zora really can’t join us for these highly physical activities so we plan special outings that include some of her favorite activities.

PC’s Pet Pantry

So many treats!

Zora, picking out a new toy!
No outing is complete without visiting with old friends.
Zora visiting with our good friend, Karyn 🙂
No matter what we do for our special outing, we always make a stop at Lake Viele before heading home for some much needed R&R.

Photo credit: Bryn Nowell, A Dog Walks Into a Bar
We encourage everyone to make the most of each day with your dogs.
In honor of Sugar’s passing, we will be checking a few items off the bucket from Sugar’s 15 Ways to Celebrate Your Dog’s Birthday recommendations. We are also celebrating Sugar’s life with a donation to Izzy’s Place Senior Dog Rescue in Sugar’s name.
We will all miss Sugar so much. It’s hard to watch dogs getting old. It was heartbreaking to see our Katie deteriorate last year, but we still did everything we could with her and she loved that. Now I’m the senior in a house with two younger dogs. I get my special treatment, and we always cherish every day because for every creature, the only guarantee is the current moment. Life is short for everyone, especially dogs, so make the most of it. Very good post!
Emma, I think you and Zora need a special seniors outing 😉 You are so right about living in and enjoying the current moment, a lesson we can definitely learn from dogs! Thank you for that reminder.
We loved Sugar and our hearts go out to her parents. I will miss her Golden smile ♥
Our hearts are with yours in sending Sugar’s family lots of love and peaceful thoughts as they grieve her loss.
Zora is my first dog and as she enters her senior years I’ve been lucky to grow up with her and am very glad to be home as she grows older.
I’m so glad that you get to be home during Zora’s golden years. I know she loves having you around for snuggles and belly rubs.
What a sweet post you put together to honor Sugar. She’s definitely a pup we’ve looked up to in our blogging journey.
Thanks, Tori! Sugar was a sweet love and she leaves a big hole in the pet blogging community.
This was the perfect post for Sugar and your donation is so generous. I love the idea of you working on Sugar’s Bucket List. Sugar will be greatly missed. Also, thank you so much for your kind words on our post.
I’m so glad you liked the post. As Zora gets older, I keep thinking about how so many senior dogs are abandoned as they start slowing down and showing signs of aging and I just can’t imagine missing out on her golden years.
Oh Maya has known Zora since she was 7 years old – now I’m about to cry. How did our dogs become seniors. Time has gone by so quickly, I’m sick about it. And then Maya’s comment above is too much! I love all these pics but I especially love the pic that Bryn took. There is something so special and soulful about old dogs. You’re right – it’s about stopping and smelling the roses. XO
It is so hard to believe how quickly time really does fly! I wasn’t kidding about a seniors road trip 🙂 Bryn is an amazing photographer! She totally captured Zora in all her senior glory 🙂
What a special tribute to both Zora and Sugar. We love our furry family member so much and it is heartbreaking to watch them age as well as leave us!
Denise Gruzensky recently posted…Snapshot Sundays March 2017
Thank you! It really is hard to watch them age. It seems incredibly unfair that they have to leave us so soon.
Having lost 2 seniors 2 years ago and now having 2 seniors in our pack, this post really hits home. Make the most of every day and don’t ever put off until tomorrow!
You are so right! Zora had a seizure/vestibular event on Friday and I know that we are definitely going to need to make the most of the time we have left with her.
What a beautiful way to pay tribute to Sugar and show the love that a senior dog like Zora still has to give. I have to admit, I also said “no dogs on the furniture”. I say this as Edie is sitting on the couch and my cat Lloyd is curled up on my bed 🙂
Ha! I suspect we are not alone in the unenforced “no pets on the furniture” rule! 😉