You treasure the dog you have; it is your chance to repay them for all the love and loyalty they`ve given you over the years, so accept it gratefully.
Old dogs have a charm of their own - blithely ignoring the windy emissions that clear the room, developing snores that vibrate the floorboards, happily indulging in grumpiness that has the other dogs running for cover.
And old dogs love their sleep - they dream of past explots and juicy bones, reliving their good times, as you should.
And hope someone will show you the same love when it`s your turn.

I was speaking to Hali about this last week.

Watching Reah at 16 getting slow and her front leg buckling, I know its her legs that are going to let her down before her faculties, but Hali reminded me that without all the operations on her legs 12 years back she wouldn't of had the last 12 years.
Still I wish I could turn back time

I think watching a dog get old is a double edged sword, its one of the saddest, and most endearing things you can be part off.

You can only make life comfortable for your old friend, remember all the "frustrating" experiences from their youth with a smile, cherish the time you have had, and the time you have left with your loved pet.

I love my olders, past and present, they melt my heart in so many ways,

Its awful, but as others said caring for your elderly dog, is your way of thanking them for the love, pleasure and devotion they show you during their younger years...
With Tess, we never saw her get old, she had an accident and the vet thought she has the startings of arthritis, then she collapsed in my grandads garden, she was rushed to the vet and the xrays revealed cancer of her hip dysplacic (sp?) hips, she was put to sleep the next day, I wasn't allowed to say goodbye...
With Remy, well we adopted her just before her 10th birthday so she was already getting on, she was so different from my mad young boys, gentle and calm with her mad moments... then she got ill and the vet diagnosed extensive muscle wastage in her back legs, heart murmur and bloods revealed a tumour was growing somewhere, then she got a really bad virus and we so thought we were going to lose her... she battled back, though she was so slow and like an elderly old lady Then within short months, she developed a hacking cough and she was revealed to have fluid or tumour on her lungs, but then she got worse and they discovered she had a massive stomach tumour, they think her ill health had accelerated its growth, she had a week to live after that diagnosis Watching her decline was the saddest thing I have ever had to do, popping pills into her (which she hated), trying not to blub in front of her, spoiling her rotten and then the day we had to say goodbye... feeding her toast on the sofa as my heart broke... she died just 3 weeks short of her 11th birthday. I had her just 14 months and I don't regret it for a second, I miss her every day and talk to her every day, she meant that much to me.
So watching them age and knowing their time is getting nearer, is awful and sad, but they are worth it... treasure them whilst you have them, as they are never here long enough and are gone far too quickly...
Made myself cry now!!

If heaven could open its gates & give me Rosie back for one day more, young & fit, we would walk (she would run) along sun soaked beaches, run to the sea, stand there, water up to her belly, to her that was sheer bliss. Gathering long strands of seaweed & carrying them back to the car to take home. I can still remember the sea smell of the wet dog how proudly she'd carry her "prize" into the house

for those 24 hours i'd tell her how much we loved her, gently caress her, tell her how we miss her but how glad we are she is young, fit & free again

go now & hug your dog, tell him/her how glad you are they are still with you & every day from now on give them extra strokes, hugs & love...

Each time you lose a dog you are a bit older, it never gets easier, your heart still ache uncontrollably at times but always you know the time you had together was such bliss & how empty your life would have been otherwise without them to share it

Fable is having stuff for his joints but i must admit, their hasnt been a massive improvement, hes still getting stiff ect.
I knew you would all understand what i meant, If i told my friends this they would look at me like i was mad 'its only a dog' buts hes more than a dog, we have shared so much together and some people dont understand how you get attached to your pets.

Everyones stories are so heart touching, I know its something we all go through, but its not nice seeing them change, because we know we cant keep them forever.

I to hope he has a few more years in him yet scorpio, none of us are any where near ready to let him go and i know hes no where near ready to want to go. I hope you have your boy for a few more years yet to

velvetboxers, I am glad we have him and what we can do for him, he comes and rests his head on my knee and just looks at me, until i pat his head or invite him up for a sneaky cuddle on the sofa, and i can tell it makes his day.

ClaireandDasiy, Fable has started talking in his sleep i often sit here and wonder what he is dreaming/thinking about.

Thanks everyone for your posts, i like it that i can come on here and you all know how im feeling because you have all been their yourselves and can offer advice, it almost makes it a little easier! xx