"Be gentle, I know my dog is old"

[Scarlettsmom]

Since so many of us have had, or have senior dogs, I thought I would pass this along. It's a very touching piece, and one that we all know too well.

Be Gentle: I know my dog is old | The Bark

[msvette2u]

“Do you know your dog is losing his hair?”

I've never had anyone say anything like this to me. Or any of the other things even.
I thought the article was...odd...I definitely could not relate, and I've had plenty of seniors come our way (and owned our own seniors too!)

I've had Holly out and about, her eyes are full of cataracts, it's hard to miss she's a senior. I even took her to church with us last Sunday and all people did was rant and rave about how cute she was! When Napoleon, very obviously a senior, was with us still (rest in peace) nobody commented about how old he was or asked if we should put him to sleep.

[Emoore]

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

[mysweetkaos]

Yep we are there and it is amazing some comments we have gotten. Thanks for sharing.....although it made me cry

[Stevenzachsmom]

Some people are totally lacking in the ability to make appropriate comments. They have no clue that what they have just said is inappropriate and offensive. (There is a phrase to describe this. Somebody help me out here.)

Sadly, it doesn't stop with old dogs. When my daughter was four and started wearing glasses, an older woman told her that she looked like a little old lady. When my son had to start wearing glasses at two, an old man called him "four eyes." Seriously? Who calls a two year old four eyes?

Most recently, my husband ran into an ex-coworker. The man was aware that my son has achondroplasia. He asked my husband if his son was still vertically challenged. And....at a Christmas parry a few weeks ago, a woman commented to my daughter about her choice of majors'. She said, "Oh, So you're going to be one of those people who can't get a job and spends the rest of her life living with her parents."

I don't know - My family must attract them. At any rate.... I do have a senior GSD. She is almost 14 years old. I don't get too many unkind comments. I tend to beat people to the punch. I tell them how old she is and then say, "She is already past her expiration date."

I think we should round up all the socially inept people and crate them until after Christmas. That way, we can enjoy the holidays in peace.

[msvette2u]

Originally Posted by Stevenzachsmom

Some people are totally lacking in the ability to make appropriate comments. They have no clue that what they have just said is inappropriate and offensive. (There is a phrase to describe this. Somebody help me out here.)

Sadly, it doesn't stop with old dogs. When my daughter was four and started wearing glasses, an older woman told her that she looked like a little old lady. When my son had to start wearing glasses at two, an old man called him "four eyes." Seriously? Who calls a two year old four eyes?

Most recently, my husband ran into an ex-coworker. The man was aware that my son has achondroplasia. He asked my husband if his son was still vertically challenged. And....at a Christmas parry a few weeks ago, a woman commented to my daughter about her choice of majors'. She said, "Oh, So you're going to be one of those people who can't get a job and spends the rest of her life living with her parents."

I don't know - My family must attract them. At any rate.... I do have a senior GSD. She is almost 14 years old. I don't get too many unkind comments. I tend to beat people to the punch. I tell them how old she is and then say, "She is already past her expiration date."

I think we should round up all the socially inept people and crate them until after Christmas. That way, we can enjoy the holidays in peace.

Good post.
Maybe I just don't let the rude people "get to me" so it doesn't make a huge impression.
People everywhere are idiots and always will be.

[Diana.B.]

Originally Posted by Stevenzachsmom

I think we should round up all the socially inept people and crate them until after Christmas. That way, we can enjoy the holidays in peace.

Amen.

People don't even think sometimes that they could be further fracturing your heart or stomping on your dreams with the things that come out of their mouths.

[msvette2u]

Originally Posted by Diana.B.

Amen.

People don't even think sometimes that they could be further fracturing your heart or stomping on your dreams with the things that come out of their mouths.

This.
To me, a couple insensitive idiots saying things about a senior dog seemed to pale in comparison to so many other things.
Sorry.

[Emoore]

. . . and then they start in with the "just a dog" line. "I wouldn't spend that much keeping a dog alive. It's just a dog." "She ought to go ahead and put him down. It's just a dog."

[mysweetkaos]

Originally Posted by Emoore

. . . and then they start in with the "just a dog" line. "I wouldn't spend that much keeping a dog alive. It's just a dog." "She ought to go ahead and put him down. It's just a dog."

That gets me more than anything. We've heard that and a few comments as to "he's lucky he's not my dog" to which I reply yes he is. We had someone at one of our sons soccer games state that if the dogs needs cost more than to buy another dog it would be so long....to which I almost puked One of our neighbors was asking questions about the cost of Kaos' medicine and I know him well enough to know it wasn't a question from his heart but rather his rudeness....to which I replied "if I don't ask for your help, I certainly don't want your opinion"