I'm not quite sure where i'm going with this, but hear me out as it's been something i've been mulling over this evening.
All their life my dogs have gone to training classes - obedience, agility and gundog - but they are no longer young dogs. The collies are coming up for 7 and Flynn is the youngest at 5.5 years. Recently i've had some unexpected things to pay out (car, vets bills etc) so their classes ceased temporarily which has given me time to think. I always thought that my dogs would be going to classes until they departed this earth but recent activities are kind of changing the way i'm thinking.
A dog gym has opened up local to me and they offer hydrotherapy. It's something I wanted to do previously to try and shift some weight off one of my dogs but I went on a waiting list and never heard anything back, I dont even think they made any note I was on the list. So, when this new place opened up I started going there. All my dogs go now and the place also has a visiting chiropractor which one of my dogs has had a session with (i'm not plugging this gym, honestly!)
At the age my dogs are, they know everything I need them to know, plus a whole lot more, they dont need to be learning to look left or right or stand on a chair or anything else that will never be of any use. However, now is probably a good time to start to concentrate on activities which are benefiting them in terms of longevity and general good health, and concentrating my efforts there. After all, I only have very limited finances and I need to decide what is going to benefit my lot the most.
Have any of you lot found that as your dogs age, your priorities with them change? I guess when they are young, it's all about training but when that is in place, it becomes about health and quality of life. I'm kind of in a bit of a pickle because I love going to training, the dogs love it and it's something they've always done, plus it's important to keep their socialising up and their brains working. On the other hand, i've noticed signs of them ageing and I have to remind myself they arent adolescents anymore and it's important to preserve their mobility, weight and health.
I'm also having a tough time deciding about vaccinations. It seems once I decide not to have them boostered, something comes up which panics me. Last year it was a pup at class which died of parvo, this year it's a friends dog which died of lepto. Flynn has poor skin, atopy and his 'funny turns' which I think are caused by heat exhaustion, I dont want to compromise their immune system by over vaccinating but neither do I want to put them at risk by not vaccinating. But this topic has been done to death, it's up to me to decide what I believe is best for them re boosters. It's just such a difficult thing to decide and the more I read about vaccs, the less I actually like them.
I dont really know the point of this thread, I guess I just wanted to sound it all out! I'm certainly giving myself a headache thinking about it all! But anyway, thoughts or opinions are welcomed!
All their life my dogs have gone to training classes - obedience, agility and gundog - but they are no longer young dogs. The collies are coming up for 7 and Flynn is the youngest at 5.5 years. Recently i've had some unexpected things to pay out (car, vets bills etc) so their classes ceased temporarily which has given me time to think. I always thought that my dogs would be going to classes until they departed this earth but recent activities are kind of changing the way i'm thinking.
A dog gym has opened up local to me and they offer hydrotherapy. It's something I wanted to do previously to try and shift some weight off one of my dogs but I went on a waiting list and never heard anything back, I dont even think they made any note I was on the list. So, when this new place opened up I started going there. All my dogs go now and the place also has a visiting chiropractor which one of my dogs has had a session with (i'm not plugging this gym, honestly!)
At the age my dogs are, they know everything I need them to know, plus a whole lot more, they dont need to be learning to look left or right or stand on a chair or anything else that will never be of any use. However, now is probably a good time to start to concentrate on activities which are benefiting them in terms of longevity and general good health, and concentrating my efforts there. After all, I only have very limited finances and I need to decide what is going to benefit my lot the most.
Have any of you lot found that as your dogs age, your priorities with them change? I guess when they are young, it's all about training but when that is in place, it becomes about health and quality of life. I'm kind of in a bit of a pickle because I love going to training, the dogs love it and it's something they've always done, plus it's important to keep their socialising up and their brains working. On the other hand, i've noticed signs of them ageing and I have to remind myself they arent adolescents anymore and it's important to preserve their mobility, weight and health.
I'm also having a tough time deciding about vaccinations. It seems once I decide not to have them boostered, something comes up which panics me. Last year it was a pup at class which died of parvo, this year it's a friends dog which died of lepto. Flynn has poor skin, atopy and his 'funny turns' which I think are caused by heat exhaustion, I dont want to compromise their immune system by over vaccinating but neither do I want to put them at risk by not vaccinating. But this topic has been done to death, it's up to me to decide what I believe is best for them re boosters. It's just such a difficult thing to decide and the more I read about vaccs, the less I actually like them.
I dont really know the point of this thread, I guess I just wanted to sound it all out! I'm certainly giving myself a headache thinking about it all! But anyway, thoughts or opinions are welcomed!