Sorry to say kind people but doggie dementia is a real thing. My person Danyel who I own, tells me it is a real thing and that I shouldn't be sad about it and just accept that it will happen without much to do about it. How he knows these things (cause he isn't a dog, so how would he know?) I have no idea, but I sense it is pretty common in older dogs because I see it and feel it in some of my friends like Maidame a little old gal I see at parties and things, we're buds.
What happens to me is I can phase out and become unresponsive. This shouldn't be confused with when I let my nose get the better of me and get so absorbed in sniffing that I ignore my person who is calling me, then I'm just being a dick! Certainly in crowded places or where there is a lot of noise I get overwhelmed and need to stay close to my person, I should explain: currently that is Nikee or Patrik or Jaad who all live where I live, Danyel seems to have disappeared from this realm, like Zikee and Kahseem and Siseel who I used to live with in a place where they spoke another language. Sometimes my person goes to the market where there are other dogs, many people and imagine, there I am down at ground level, mostly pre-occupied with the zillion smells and the noises, it can be a bit much and I look up and its all legs and things, and I lose my person. Thats why I don't mind being on the leash in such places because then I know I am safe and being cared for, connected to someone.
When I go down to the small pueblo (I hear it called Vilcabamba) close to where I live I love to walk down the trails and meet up with my friends and I appreciate not being on the leash so that I have time to sniff about and get a sense that I am on familiar territory. I think I am well-liked by the dogs along the way, mostly if they bark when I pass they are greeting me, sometimes they are frustrated because I am not behind a fence and clearly having a good time being free to roam. But in town, especially if my person is walking too fast or if they disappear into a shop and I'm occupied with sniffing, it can be difficult. I look up and they are not there? I can't figure out where they went so I continue on my way and I lose my person. If my person just lets me know they are going into a shop, then I know where they are. Again, if I am on the leash it is better for me. It's good where I live, dogs can go into shops and restaurants everywhere, from my own rather well-travelled experience (see https://daddyoh-daniel.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-karma-chronicles-i-chose-them.html) this is not the case in many places I was often left alone at home, here is much better for me.
I'm one lucky dog though, first I always know my way home, it is never far away, and when I do lose my person I can find my way back no problem. Mainly though I live in a place where I am well-known and well-loved. People see me and greet me and know me like Dewreck and Daany, they know Danyel belongs to me and sometimes they send him pictures or videos of me being cared for. I have a couple of hangouts where I can rest without worry, like the warm place with the fire in an oven that makes pizza, they are so nice to me, and they sometimes have great music, La Casssetta or that place down on the corner where people sit around drinking from cups, Marisells, or that place where they let me sit in the kitchen and get all dreamy with the smells, Eeden I think it's called. They think maybe I am waiting for my person and maybe I am but mostly I just feel safe so hang out.
Danyel seems to have gone away again, Nikee is feeding me so she is my main person for now, and I know she loves me and I hope she knows I love her back, like Dr. Bob, like Viktoria who have also disappeared, and like Patrik and Jaad. Frankie is one of my favorite people and he is around where I live! I have lots of friends, and this helps me stay grounded to know I am loved and forgiven if I lose my way or seem otherwise out of touch. When I seem dazed and confused I am actually in another dimension, fully conscious but not in this realm. I stand there facing the wall, or lie there with my eyes wide open. Thats why when I am called I don't respond, I'm there but not present. Other times I am very present but in a 'space holder' kind of way and not responding. Sounds a bit weird I know but rest assured, I guess thats what we are calling doggie dementia moments. It could be though that I am an ascended being, like that meditation guy... maybe thats me?
There are times when I forget to eat if I spend much of the evening sleeping and then am woken up, I have to be dragged to my food bowl, I am very grateful when that is understood by my feeder person, thank you Nikee. One of the best things for me is exercise. I love to run, running fully engages me in the present moment and gets my whole body/mind complex focused into one thing and I am at my best in those moments. Danyul used to take me for runs with him on his 2 wheeled thing or let me chase the noisy thing with 4 big wheels that he gets in and it takes him places far away, he calls this thing Squeaky Mitsubishi. These days I go with Patrik when he goes running along the canal road and I love that so thank you Patrik too.
Oh I have to mention those darn big things that fly, way up in the sky vulchurs I think they are called, and then they come and sit on the roof of MY house like they own the place...the nerve of them, I OWN the place! I don't know if they are going to attack or what, I just know they annoy the heck out of me and I go off running around barking like all get out... that gets in my head and I really don't know how stop it until someone chases them off...if only I could throw rocks or better still, fly, sometimes I dream of flying! At night I can also be a bit of a pain it's true, if sleep doesn't find me in a deep meaningful way, often it happens when I haven't been running and so am not physically tired, I react noisily (sorry about that) to any noise outside, and I may not be fully conscious of where I am and to be honest I may be scared. If someone was coming in and disturbing the house and shouting and being violent I'm not going to take that crap from anyone and I will protect my person, I can be quite ferocious!
Anyway, I wanted to unpackage doggie dementia from my experience for you so that people know it isn't me being difficult it is just me being old dog. This is not only my experience, other dogs have it too, apparently 60% of dogs my age (70yrs old) have this (Danyel added that bit, I'm not good with statistics) and it gets worse, so be kind to us please. Thank you for caring for me and understanding. It's a dogs life.
