springer spaniel

[TeddyW86]

i know this is nothing to do with deer dogs or tracking but i took my 12yr old springer beating with me yesterday and he seemed to have lost nealry all interest. over the summer he has lost condition in his coat and has kept a substantial amount of wieght on. he seems to be deaf to the whislte and at the end of the last drive he went straight to the end of the covert and just sat there watching the guns. my father who was shooting called him and he jsut sat there and looked at him. he has never been like this and i am quite worried any thoughts on what this could be would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Roedinator]

teddy i am no expert so just my opinion
12 years in dog terms is getting on a bit as you say
hes kept his summer weight on etc he may just be
feeling his age and has had enough i know for a spaniel
this may seem strange they work till they drop etc
i would say take him to a vet and get him checked out
if your really concerned especially if he starts to go back
any more
my wife has a 11 year old lab she will only take her picking
up once a week now with the other dogs and give her a couple
of retrieves she would go on all day but she wouldent be able to
move for two days afterwards '
old age mate it catches up with all of us eventually pete .

 

[TeddyW86]

i think that may be what it is, its just upsetting.

 

[ash243]

my thought are the boy needs some time in front of the fire and at 12 years old he has more than earned it.


i have only ever worked one dog after 9 years old and she is just doing odd days in the pigeon hide or she comes with to steady the pups up

hell 12 x 7 =84 years old i would want to stand with the guns and not chase birds

mind you at forty odd if i caught a bird now i would not know what to do with it

 

[Briarquest]

Hi,
thats just what happened with my cocker bitch. She has retired by the fireplace now. She has earned it.


Ian

 

[stone]

Teddy
this is such a sad day
if you had read the signs earlier you would of realised your dog was already in retirement stages
just the loss of conditioned should of told the story
as some one who has owned springers almost aslong as i hav been shooting i hav been in this position many times before
just a shame it took this such day to bring it home
as from past experience it not a nice feeling
atleast now you hav gained that little extra for next time
don't be saddened by this but more rejoiced about how your springer has lasted so long and in such good condition
12 is a good age and not many can work to their full potential once passed the age of 10
looks like you may need a replacement as this ole bugger may go on for ever , just not out in the field
ATB

 

[BuckarooUK]

Teddy,

Retire the old boy - he's earned it. By all means take him along to the shoots as he probably wouldn't accept you leaving him behind, but accept the fact that he's there to trail along with you and not to work.

Enjoy his company and invest in a new one for the work ... just be careful not to make his life miserable with a young pup running all over him.

Lastly - have you changed his diet? Changing his diet now will add years to his life.

I;ll be very happy if i get 12 years before retiring my chessies.

 

[243varmint]

A sad day mate.
I have a ten and a half year old and his son who is nine and a half .
I won't be working the old man any more as he has gone deaf.
I didn't relise for ages because they go everywhere together so when the son heard the whistle and turned the old man would turn and come back aswell.

I will take him along just as a peg dog and the missus couldn't stand the constant howling when they are seperated.
I am going to have one hell of a problem when one of them goes off chasing pheasants in the 'sky'

Find him a nice place by the fire mate

Jonathon

 

[finnbear270]

spaniel

Sometimes we cannot see what others see, he will never grow old for you, time for his pipe &slippers mate.Steve

 

[TeddyW86]

your all right boys. cheers X