My longest lived dog was a Border Collie mix, she lived to be 18. I also had a Shepherd mix who lived to be 16. At that time we only fed our dogs table scraos and they only received their vaccines when they were spayed, nuetered and then never again. They were healthier than most dogs I see now a days.
Oh, meant to mention we have a client with a mixed breed terrier which is 21 years old
still going strong...and the scary part is the dog eats the cheapest dog food, but gets tons of table scraps as well...the table scraps must balance what is missing in the Ol Roy dog food.
Oh, meant to mention we have a client with a mixed breed terrier which is 21 years old
still going strong...and the scary part is the dog eats the cheapest dog food, but gets tons of table scraps as well...the table scraps must balance what is missing in the Ol Roy dog food.h2304, Oh my...I had to laugh at that when I read your post
I have to say that I have seen the dogs that get top notch foods, Vet exams on a regular basis etc have short lived lives...and then I see these people who just feed what ever is on sale and vaccinate once in the dogs life...and these dogs live forever. We could learn some thing from these people. For instance, over vaccinating = bad...shorten lifespan...?
Feeding only kibble foods = bad...shorten lifespan....?
doting on the dog and making it feel unhealthy, when a redneck would just say...'get up and get to it fido"....haha
I have to say that I have seen the dogs that get top notch foods, Vet exams on a regular basis etc have short lived lives...and then I see these people who just feed what ever is on sale and vaccinate once in the dogs life...and these dogs live forever. We could learn some thing from these people. For instance, over vaccinating = bad...shorten lifespan...?
Feeding only kibble foods = bad...shorten lifespan....?
doting on the dog and making it feel unhealthy, when a redneck would just say...'get up and get to it fido"....haha
My aunts schnauzer made it to its twenties too. It was fine untill its last year when it started going blind.
Our oldest was eighteen and she was a yellow lab. Or it could have been the black one,I don't really remember,I'd have to call my dad and ask! Thats why he is having such trouble finding a lab breeder. they are all telling him average age is ten to twelve.
Our oldest was eighteen and she was a yellow lab. Or it could have been the black one,I don't really remember,I'd have to call my dad and ask! Thats why he is having such trouble finding a lab breeder. they are all telling him average age is ten to twelve.
I have seen the same, and it's not just hicks that do this to dogs...unfortunately even people with money can do awful things. I have seen so much from maggots eating dogs alive from the inside (nice old lady owned this dog, she just didn't know you had to brush the dogs). A dog with it's collar grown into it's neck- this from a person who didn't realize the neck of the puppy grew when they got older this lady had a good job and education to a university level. I have seen dogs/cats/birds etc confiscated from people who work with animals and give OTHER people advise on how to look after their pets...the list goes on and on.
this lady had a good job and education to a university level. I have seen dogs/cats/birds etc confiscated from people who work with animals and give OTHER people advise on how to look after their pets...the list goes on and on.
When I was a kid, we had an 18 yr old Beagle mix and a 15 yr old son of that dog mixed with Lab who was 15. He got hepatitis or he probably would have lived much longer...was healthy otherwise. They ate Purina Dog chow and a little bit of table scraps. But of course, different breeds have different life expectancies. I'll be lucky to get 10 years out of my Dobe and my Chi's, if nothing goes wrong can live to be an average of 15-17 yrs old. Wow....those dogs that made it into their 20's!!!! Wow!
My family got a dog when I was younger and he lived to be 17. He was a mutt, we don't even know what he had in him. Once I left for college, my parents really worshiped him. He would eat at the table with them at every meal and eat whatever they did and drink coffee (from a mug) with them every morning. I don't think he ever went to a vet until he got older and had arthritis.
I never had a dog that lived with me until it died. I think the closest thing to MY dog would be my grandparents old dog, Smurfy. The got him when he was around 6 months old (he was a stray). They had him before I was born and I was 15 when he died (so he was 16). He loved me so much though (my grandma thinks more than her and my grandpa) he would sleep with me when I spent the night share my food with me (especially icecream cones) and act like I was the only person on the face of this earth whenever I was around.
Wow, hearing these stories of long lived dogs being fed commercial-type food and table scraps.. makes me wonder if I should still be feeding mine Canidae, lol.
None of the dogs in my family ever died, because we never got to keep them long enough. long stories. But our oldest to date is a 5y/o GSD we had since he was a puppy.
None of the dogs in my family ever died, because we never got to keep them long enough. long stories. But our oldest to date is a 5y/o GSD we had since he was a puppy.
