In this week’s issue, here’s what we are sniffing out

Acceptance Is Just the Starting Line

Last time we talked about the importance of accepting your dog for who they are today - letting go of who they used to be in order to savor who they are… where they are right now.

But if we truly meet our dogs where they are today, does that also mean we are essentially giving up on them? That we shouldn’t also advocate for the needs they have now?

The answer is no. Acceptance is not giving up. We’re just getting started.

What Acceptance Actually Means

In senior dog care, acceptance means seeing reality clearly. It means acknowledging - and honoring - aging, not fighting it. It means adjusting expectations to fit current situations, not lowering standards of care. It absolutely means letting go of who your dog WAS without disengaging from who they ARE.

Acceptance is emotional clarity - not resignation. You can accept that your dog is aging without accepting unresolved symptoms and discomfort, or gaps in the care you receive. This is not normal aging, and it’s not good care.

Awareness Is the First Skill - Not the Last

Awareness is where the best caregiving starts. It can be things like noticing changes in comfort, recovery, tolerance, or flexibility.

It’s learning to observe without panic - and also without denial.

But awareness is not the end of the process. Noticing something creates responsibility. Not necessarily urgency, but responsibility. Your responsibility as your dog’s primary advocate is to make sure what you’re seeing actually gets addressed and followed up on.

Observation opens the door. You have to start there. But follow-through walks you through it.

Where Thoughtful Caregivers Often Get Stuck

Many of us who care for older dogs hesitate here. Not because we don’t care, but because we care SO deeply and at the same time, are struggling to be reasonable. We lose sight of priorities, we don’t trust ourselves, we feel overwhelmed and helpless, and struggle to make decisions.

We can get trapped thinking:

• This is probably just aging.

• I don’t want to be difficult.

• If it mattered, someone would have told me. They are the experts, after all.

These thoughts are rooted deeply in a trust of the systems in place, and in some cases, a lack of understanding of what normal dog aging looks like. But sometimes they delay clarity and action.

Senior dog care is complex. It’s ever-shifting, it’s a rollercoaster. And we can be overwhelmed into complacency, thinking “this is normal now” - especially when everyone involved is trying their hardest.

Trust Your Gut

This is where learning to trust your gut matters. That lingering feeling that something isn’t resolved can get brushed aside in attempts to be reasonable. But that instinct is built from years of a life shared with your old dog. After all that time, you are bound to notice some changes and patterns no clinic appointment ever can uncover. Learning to trust your hunches isn’t overreacting or reading into something. It’s a really important part of responsible care.

Calm Care Still Involves Action

Following through does not make you unreasonable, demanding, or impractical.

It means:

• Asking for clarification when something doesn’t fully add up

• Revisiting a concern that hasn’t resolved with current treatment/management

• Confirming that findings and medical plans were clearly completed and communicated

• Making sure information doesn’t get lost over time or across disciplines

This is not aggressive care. This is caregiving. Your dog cannot connect the dots for themselves. They rely on you to notice patterns, and to act on their behalves so their needs aren’t dismissed.

Reclaiming What Acceptance Is For

Acceptance isn’t about forfeiting the race. It’s about staying the course. It allows you to let go of comparison but it doesn’t absolve you of responsibility. It properly grounds you, so you can advocate clearly, not reactively. And it gives you direction, and takes away the helplessness.

Acceptance is not giving up.

It’s choosing care that fits reality.

And making sure it continues to do so while you’re on that rollercoaster.

🐶 Sniffing Out Senior Dog News 📰

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📁 Olby Leads Successful Effort to Define Diagnostic Criteria for Dogs with Dementia 

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Senior Dog Meme of the Week

How did we do with this week’s newsletter?

• High Paws

• Pooped in the House