We all get older and so do our dogs and I would like to make you aware of life changes in their lives. They get so used to the same routine , the same people,the same environments, but one day bags are packed there’s a lot of Hussle and bustle and a car ride to a different house and boom, mum and dad are gone and the dog is in a different place, now when they are young its a great time lots of new adventures but as the years go on the senior dogs do not cope so well with change of any kind. We at Rosiesretreat know what this means and we do all we can to love and care for your dog when they come, but sadly there comes a time,normally from 11 years old onwards where your senior dog just doesn’t cope at all with change. The things we notice are dogs that pant around our house ,that don’t settle,that howl and constantly sit by the door,no matter how much coaxing we try to comfort them it doesn’t work, they don’t sleep ,they don’t eat . We have on many occasions asked the owners to collect their dogs as it is not good for their hearts to keep in such a state of anxiety and the owners accept this. You need to go on holiday but your dog needs to feel safe so be aware of your dogs needs, we will do trials to see how they are coping and we will ask for a plan B to be in place to take the dog back home. It snot the dogs fault be aware of that and be aware that anxiety in dogs is very real, I often use the example of putting your 94 year old elderly grandmother into a strangers home and saying bye, they would be upset for sure and so is your senior dog, my suggestion always is to move to the next level and get a house sitter so your dog can stay in its own environment. Getting older means giving your dog a comfortable,enjoyable time if you have to go away, so do not be upset if we say no to your older dog be aware they are saying no and as we have advised people to do this they say it was the right decision and they came back to a happy dog.