Riley just turned 12 last month. He has slowed down a bit, wants to sleep in every morning and cuddle more with me, no longer initiates play sessions with the other dogs (although he still humps Kody before their walk in the evening and in the car before road trips
), and I think his hearing is going in the lower registers. But he is still in good health, with just a touch of arthritis in his back legs (especially the one that was broken a few years ago) that doesn't stop him from dancing around on two legs at dinner time and jumping up and down the retaining walls in the back yard at a run. Along with his daily dose of Cosequin DS we've added Zeel, a homeopathic anti-inflammatory that has worked really well for him and doesn't upset his stomach like an NSAID would. Plus he has finally made it to his target weight of 45 lbs., which will be a big boon to his mobility in his senior years. Due to his age, we have decided to do titers the next time he needs a booster and hopefully minimize any future vaccines he might need. We're keeping a sharp eye out for more changes, in both body and temperament, and hope he will hang in there with us for as many more years as possible.
