Has your dog’s personality changed over time? I’m not just meaning the usual old age grumpiness, or the middle-aged mellowing, but a drastic change in personality.
My cocker spaniel, Buffy, used to be a real b…. She’d attack her brother, Chipper, anytime she felt slighted or frustrated. Buffy was so mean toward Chipper that she was even growling at him when he had no energy and was about to be euthanized—weeding him out as unfit to be in the pack, I guess. I also couldn’t let people pet her, afraid she might bite them. She just seemed crabby all the time.
Buffy is now ten years-old and I’ve owned her since she was four, when my mom passed away and both cockers came to live with me, my husband, and my aging springer spaniel, Cassie. Buffy knew Cassie was my favorite and the dominant dog in the house. Buffy and Cassie only fought a few times even though they were both dominant females. They mostly tried to stay out of each other’s way. Cassie died after I owned Buffy for a few years and I didn’t notice any changes to Buffy’s personality at that time, probably because she still had Chipper to pick on.
I’ve had many old dogs in my lifetime, and none have had a total personality reversal. Buffy is now the sweetest dog, anyone can pet her, the more the merrier.
What changed?
Chipper died.
Buffy also went blind from glaucoma and had her eyes removed—but I don’t think that affected her personality. I would have thought blindness would have had the opposite effect, making her more tentative, not wanting strangers to pet her.
When Chipper died at the age of twelve, Buffy had very little vision left in her remaining eye. It seemed like stress brought on her glaucoma attacks, so I figured I’d wait to get another dog until after she had lost her remaining vision, which her ophthalmologist told me would happen soon.
In the few months when she still had some vision, her personality started changing into a nice dog.
Buffy loves being an only dog—a first in her lifetime. I thought with her blindness she would want another dog to assist her guarding of the house, but she didn’t.
Age-Related Changes in Personality
- Older dogs can get grumpier due to arthritis, soreness, or just being afraid of getting hurt. This can lead to unprovoked aggression.
- Some dogs may become more restless especially at night. Sometimes it’s due to pain, sometimes they need to go potty more often.
- Anxiety issues, separation or otherwise. Dogs may start to lose vision or hearing and get spooked by things that didn’t
used to bother them.Thunderstorm / fireworks anxiety may increase with age.
- Inappropriate elimination as they have less control over their bladder.
- Buffy, as an older female, is starting to wet herself when left alone for long periods. I’m hoping longer walks and restricting her nighttime water availability will help.
Has your dog changed as he / she has gotten older?
For more information, please see the following links:
https://www.petmd.com/dog/slideshows/training/how-dog-behavior-changes-with-age
https://www.animalwised.com/why-has-my-dog-s-personality-changed-251.html
All my cats have become sweet when they got old. It will be interesting how that goes with Katie Baby. She’s the Queen B around here and everyone learns not to cross her. She’s only 5 though so she has many many years of meanness ahead of her 🙂
I’m glad that Buffy is enjoying her life as an only dog! Our 3 dogs are roughly the same age, 10-12, and although I never want to be without a dog, I think I’ll have to let all of these go before adding a new one to the family. Hopefully, that won’t be for a long time!
I’ve noticed Truffle and Brulee’s personalities changing as they’ve gotten older. They are becoming more lovable with me, but a little less tolerant of each other.
Your comment made me laugh.
No, I couldn’t say that any of my dog’s demeanor has changed with age. Bruin slowed down when his heart was failing, there were some pain-associated changes with Jasmine but through all that, they all remained the same.
Great post! I’m going through something a little similar…my senior and alpha Husky of the pack is 14.5 and has been deaf for two years, she is now in her decline with painful arthritis (this breaks my heart as I type it as I know our days together are seriously numbered). She once was the spark of the pack…the alpha “queen”…with so much sass and pep, up until just a short while ago, you would have thought she was just a young Husky. She has been dubbed “snarley Harley” as she would snip and, yes, has nipped, over her years when she did not want to be bothered…now that she is very senior, very arthritic, deaf, and starting some vision issues…she is the sweetest…most gentle girl! I know she has built a trust bond with me…but I thought with her aging issues, she would become very grump. Instead, she is an absolute love!
Good to hear she has mellowed a lot. Yours went deaf and mine went blind – I wonder if the personality changes have something to do with loss of one of their senses.
My dog Princess surprisingly hasn’t changed much as she’s gotten older. I’ve had her since she was a puppy, and although she is approaching twelve, she has no idea she’s that old.
I mean, sometimes she can be a bit lazier than she used to, but she still can be energetic and full of excitement.