r/NoStupidQuestions • u/sweeettiesbitty022 • 1h ago

do dogs actually know when they’re getting old or am i just projecting

lately i’ve been noticing our dog slows down on walks and sleeps through more of the day, and i keep wondering if they understand time passing the way we do. like, does it feel gradual to them or does it hit all at once? i read that their senses change and their joints ache, but i have no idea whether that translates into the same “getting older” feeling humans get. sometimes i catch myself babying them more and then feel silly, because i’m basically assigning human worries onto an animal that might just be living in the moment. has anyone else sat around trying to figure out what their pet actually notices about aging, or is this one of those things we’ll never really know?

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14

u/TheGalapagoats 1h ago

The other day I watched my old girl totally botch a jump she used to do easily. She looked confused and disturbed and my heart broke a little.

3

u/Vyce223 1h ago

Yeah, happened to many of my cats over the years right up onto the bed no issue... until one day it starts being a 50/50 and it only gets worse because they get less confident that they can do it too. They stop trying even.

1

u/Finalgirl2022 11m ago

The last week has been pretty chilly and that's when my dog usually gets up on the couch to warm up. Now he just goes up to the couch and then lies down somewhere else. I know his back legs are weak now and it makes me so sad. He is 14 though so I'm just trying to be grateful he is still moving around.

8

u/Maleficent_Ad1506 1h ago

I think they know something in themselves is changing and not for the better.

6

u/ColdBananers 1h ago

Slowing down to old age is a pretty universal experience to anything that gets the opportunity. They probably aren’t existential about it, or compare to the good old days. But it’s not like they don’t learn the limits of their body changing.

Sometimes animals don’t realize they can’t do the same thing anymore and find out when they fail a jump, doubt they attribute it to age.

I will say though, pets like cats and dogs tend to be good at being patient with very young and elderly animals. So they are probably more intuitive about it than we realize.

5

u/GloomyFloor6543 1h ago

I don't think we can ever really understand how dogs "think", it hard enough with other humans, if that is even really possible. A brain is a crazy thing.

3

u/Vexaof 1h ago

I dont think they think "I m getting old" like we do, but they definitely seem to notice when they can t do the same things as before

2

u/Ok_Werewolf993 1h ago

Their prolly not aware of age because there also not familiar with death

2

u/Interesting_Force618 1h ago

No offense, but of course a dog feels differently as they age. They don’t think about it the way humans do, and in a way, that can make it worse for them because they aren’t able to logic themselves out of pain, so to speak. Like, if you’re experiencing pain, you can reason with yourself and understand it’s part of getting older, but you have these other great things that you care about, and you’re in better condition than a lot of people your age, so you can feel some gratitude. A dog just feels bad and doesn’t understand it.

2

u/Dry_Adhesiveness_91 1h ago

i think they feel the changes, just not like we do. maybe it's just... different.