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Is nine old for a dog?

I was wondering how old big/large dogs live to be.<br>Everyone in my family is making me upset because they're saying, "Molly's getting old... look, she's already thinning out."<br>She has thinned out a little bit, and that worries me, but she's still eating lots.<br><br>She's currently nine years old (just turned nine in May, '09). She's a big Muttie (Pit Bull/Rhodie cross) <3<br>Other than thinning out, she's as active as usual... besides the fact that she won't play fetch (she never did play too much of fetch), tug-of-war (she loved tug-of-war) with me or anyone else. Not even with her dog brother, Max. D: She still loves to fling around her teddy bears and kong toys by <span style="font-style:italic">herself</span>, though - but rarely. Not sure why.<br><br>So... is nine old for a big dog?<br>Most Recent Photo of Molly (ummm... 2-3 months ago):<br><a href="http://i28.tinypic.com/rr4d1k.jpg"; target="_blank" class="bb-url">http://i28.tinypic.com/rr4d1k.jpg</a>;

Comments

  • <span style="font-size:75"><span style="color:blue">She is 63 in dog years. . . I would say she isn't old but certainly not young.<br>My dog who was bigger than Molly lived to be 16. :)<br>It really depends on the dog and when they believe its time to go. . .<br>But I'm no vet. If she stays healthy like she is, she could live to be 14 or so! :D </span></span>
  • Meg is 11 a meduim sized dog and isnt old.
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  • mine is a 12 yr old Akita Inu and she fine
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  • <span style="font-size:75"><span style="color:blue">She is 63 in dog years. . . I would say she isn't old but certainly not young.<br>My dog who was bigger than Molly lived to be 16. :)<br>It really depends on the dog and when they believe its time to go. . .<br>But I'm no vet. If she stays healthy like she is, she could live to be 14 or so! :D </span></span>
    <br><br>Wow, sixteen?! That's a long while.<br>She's always been healthy, never had a problem with health at all. (:<br>I sure hope she can live to be fourteen or longer!
  • Wheaton wrote:
    Meg is 11 a meduim sized dog and isnt old.
    <br><br>That's good. Gives me lots of hope now. (:
  • mine is a 12 yr old Akita Inu and she fine
    <br><br>That's also great. I hope she stays happy and healthy for many more years. (:
  • her only problem is has trouble with her back hips going up and down stairs
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  • My shelby is 14 1/2 right now ^^ Shes a fairly large dog.<br><br><br>My smallest dog, who is medium sized, is 11 I believe. Its hard for me to see them getting older, but with Abby, you can hardly tell xD
    All good things must come to an end. All endings will begin new good things.
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  • depends on the dog I had a golden who lived til he was 22 if she is in good health I wouldn't worry about it :D
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  • My dog is part Great Dane and she is already 11 in about a month. She is definitely not as energetic as she was as a puppy but is not acting "old" at all. She doesn't have too too much interest in fetch anymore either..<br><br>I don't think that just because a dog is getting older it should "thin out." I know lots of FAT OLD dogs. Perhaps she needs her food to be supplemented with something else.<br><br>I don't think 9 is that old for a dog, but it depends on what she's eating. A dog that's on crappy to mediocre food, yes, 9 is pretty old. A dog eating great above average-type food, 9 is not that old.
    "war cry" presas canarios, aryan molossus, and cao.
  • My old dog (shadow) she was a black lab/collie cross and she lived to 14 before we put her down about a year ago because she wasn't happy and had very bad arthritis
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  • Not only how you're feeding it, but the health care and whatnot will also play a role ^^ Also how active the dog has been its whole life could potentially make them more healthy as they age.<br><br>My 11 year old setter, we were told she has an 'athletic heart' by my vet about a year ago, so I take that as a good sign xD She still runs around the yard, and would continue to run for hours, if you let her. <br><br>And no, not all dogs thin out. my dog, tiffany, about a year before she passed away, she got fat for the first time in her life. <br><br>Age depends a lot on the dog, I think. Also depends on the breeding and the dogs in their lineage as well. My two setters have the same dogs way back in their lines, so... Im thinking these lines have some benefits as far as aging goes :P
    All good things must come to an end. All endings will begin new good things.
    mini_nickel_vere_roan_quin_by_evlonarts_d6ih13_by_jaded_night-d775ero.png
  • Big dogs usually live into their middle teens. My Chow Chow/German Shepherd cross lived to be 16. I miss her so much! But then again, my Boston Terrier only lived to be 9. <br><br>Honestly, I'd say for a big dog, nine is getting up there but isn't too old yet. She's still got some years on her. Mutts are usually healthier than purebreds too.
  • Thanks, guys. (:<br>All the stories help a lot.<br>Molly hasn't been a fat dog because of how active she is. She's only thinned out a little bit, not a whole lot. She's eating the same amounts...<br>I've heard Mutts are usually healthier than purebreds, too... like, survival of the fittest for a litter of Mutts.<br><br>And I'm sorry to hear about all the dogs that have had to pass on and that you miss so much. ):
  • Mutts aren't healthier than purebreds. In many breeds, purebreds have been so overbred that there are numerous dogs that have health problems and it's hard to weed them out after so many generations of dogs that carry the genetic problems. BUT, the handful of reputable breeders that breed ONLY health-cleared dogs are producing healthy purebreds.<br><br>Same goes for mutts. Some people breed them on purpose -- health test, and some don't health test. Most mutt breedings are random, which can cause a big problem. Imagine the sire of the litter carrying hypothyroidism, bad nerves, anxious, and fear-aggression. Then the dam is perfectly healthy. There is a 50-50 chance of the ENTIRE litter developing these problems, not to mention hip, bone, heart, and a myriad of other etiologies.<br><br>My mutt happens to be quite healthy, with nothing other than bladder incontinence due to being spayed. I know a girl who had a great dane puppy that developed hip dysplasia at 8 months that had to be put down, and now she has 2 great danes with hip dysplasia at 2. <br><br>So it really depends on the lineage of the dog, no matter if it's a mix or purebred.<br><br>>hijack<
    "war cry" presas canarios, aryan molossus, and cao.
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