# More "opinionated" as they age?



## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

Brooks will be 10 years old next week.

We have noticed him starting to let us know more what HE wants. Say, if we were on a walk, when he was younger, it was OK with him wherever WE wanted to go.

Now, he will turn toward a certain route and look at us, and if we want to go a different way, he will keep looking back at the route he wanted to go, or in some cases even lie down and refuse to go the route we want to go! ( we usually let him have his way, I mean, we are going on the walk for his enjoyment and benefit).

Another thing we have noticed is how for his whole life he ate his glucosamine tablets along with his food. About a year ago, he started taking it out of the bowl and laying it on the ground ("hey you guys, I don't like this!"). So we now crush the tablet, add some water, and put kibble on top.

Anyone else's senior have opinions?


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

My Bridge boy got so incredibly stubborn before I lost him. 

If he wanted to do something, there was no stopping him and if he didn't want to do something, there was nothing that was going to get him to do it. 

He lived to be 15.5, I decided he earned the right to be stubborn and let him be.


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

My hound boy is now 13 1/2 and all he wants to do is be outside and there is no changing his mind. He'll stand at the back door for an hour scratching every two minutes or so until I give in. Rain, snow...he doesn't seem to care or even notice. 

He was always an independent guy, but he's definitely gotten more obstinate in the last year.


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## LUCKYme (Mar 29, 2015)

YESSS!!! My boy (11) is very opinionated nowadays. Like yours, when we go for a walk, if he wanted to go another way, he refuses to move which is totally unlike him. I say, he's 11 and if he wants to go another way, then I will follow  

Also, yesterday at the vet, he quite likes our surgeon but HATES the student we have been seeing. She is very sweet but I guess not his type. He refused to go with her, just laid down and wouldn't move. Then his doc came out and he jumped up happy as can be and followed him. 

These pups, I love to see their personalities


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## MagicGlade (Jul 2, 2015)

very true about being opinionated. My 12 year old is the same. She will lie down if you don't go the direction she wants to on a walk, she will take the tramadol (for her arthritis) out of her breakfast and sit it down beside her and will bark at you as soon as it gets near 6pm (dinner time!)


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## GoldensGirl (Aug 2, 2010)

How I laughed at the title of this thread! 

My Joker is so opinionated that I call him the "Super Coot." He will look at food that he gobbled yesterday and tell me, "Mom, do you really think I would stoop to eat _that_? Really?" He has selective hearing down to an art, too; he hears only what he wants to hear. Then again, he will be 15 soon, so I guess he's entitled. He certainly thinks so.


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## katharry1958 (Nov 27, 2014)

*All senior owners*

I'm looking for another golden, I hear some living beyond 12 yrs. Can you guys tell me the breeders you got your dogs from? if they are still breeding or of siblings in a breeding program. Also tips food, toys not to give pups, vinyl , opinion on smoked bones?


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## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

katharry1958 said:


> I'm looking for another golden, I hear some living beyond 12 yrs. Can you guys tell me the breeders you got your dogs from? if they are still breeding or of siblings in a breeding program. Also tips food, toys not to give pups, vinyl , opinion on smoked bones?


You may want to start a thread in the Choosing a Golden Breeder and Puppy Section if you haven't already. 

I see you're in PA, several members have Goldens from Harborview Goldens. They are located in Erie, PA, beautiful dogs with longevity in the lines. 

The Breeder is a member here. If you do a Search for Harborview Goldens several threads will come up you can read through. 

Here's one that a member started, you can look at pictures of the Harborview Goldens.

http://www.goldenretrieverforum.com...ll-harborview-goldens-relations-pedigree.html


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Fiona has started to show her selective hearing and takes the paths SHE wants to walk now. It is all fine with me, she has earned the right to train me now 

I think it pretty much normal having see it happen with many other senior dogs I have known. It is surprising at first when it happens but soon enough we learn to shrug our shoulders and smile at the new terms they give us.

I think we are all quite lucky to see this stage. It is an honor.


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## swishywagga (Nov 13, 2012)

My boy was born bossy, but he's got worse with age, only today he's been barking at the treat box insisting on just one more . He literally digs his heels in if I try to walk him in a different direction from where HE wants to go. All of our seniors seem to have such wonderful golden personalities, it's heartwarming to hear about them.


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## Mel (Sep 9, 2008)

Dear all,
I´m so glad my mom read this feed because she now knows that it´s not just me. I might have liked my chewy medications before but not anymore. I used to follow her on our walks but now I prefer to go my way. There are days when I want more cookies than usual and I WILL let you know and make a point of it. Afterall, I am lot order than my mom now and who is the boss around here anyways.
Love Mel


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## katharry1958 (Nov 27, 2014)

What is your theory for longevity of your goldens? I have been hearing 11 to 12yrs that cancer comes on.


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## mygoldengirl (Jan 10, 2014)

My bridge girl Shelby was set in her ways. At the end we pretty much let her have whatever she wanted. Her favorite was to get a ice cream cone at dairy queen. I miss that girl


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## mana (Feb 20, 2012)

Thanks for this thread! I thought something was wrong with my dog! At 10 years old he is getting more stubborn on which direction he wants to go. Once I let him choose his route and we ended up walking around the same block 3 times. Sometimes he doesn't want to come into the house. Cracks me up at times but frustrating at times.


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## Rookie's Dad (Feb 19, 2014)

When Rookie's cancer was starting to effect him, our morning walks changed. He would be all excited to go for a walk, get about 1/3 rd. of the way and start to slow down, then just stop. At first I didn't know what was going on, later we would start our morning walk and get to the end of the driveway and he would go no further. He was only 8, it broke my heart that his time was growing short and our together time was coming to an end. This was a special time and I really miss it.


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## katharry1958 (Nov 27, 2014)

From all the information I'm reading about older dogs "getting opinioned". I think even for humans our aches and pains give us trouble. If we don't feel good, we don't want to do something. Fear may be another factor, knowing you can't do the same physical things anymore. Our dogs can't us they have a belly ache or they feel stiff getting up. They may not see as well, forget something is in the way. I feel as they get older as owners , caregivers of our beloved canines was must be more aware of physical changes and emotional changes they are going through. Let's give them extra time, more pampering, massages and lots of love. You will see it in their eyes the love they will return to you.


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## GoldinPNW (Jun 23, 2015)

Too funny My Riley that just went to the bridge 6/6 did exactly this the last few years, we lost him just 6 weeks shy of 11. Every note from the dog walker said "we went exactly where Riley wanted to go". Even when he was having bad days and I told her to take a small walk no hills, she'd say that he threw a fit and was not really pleased with her. Yes asked to go out all of the time, in and out really, my every minute was spent doing exactly what he wanted. He wanted to go everywhere and actually got a whole lot of energy the last year before he passed, personally I think he knew his time was limited and he had a bucket list, he seemed much more urgent to do exactly what he wanted. We planned every weekend around him.

Still so sad thinking about how I believed the vet that he was OK when he wasn't. I knew it too so plenty mad at myself for not getting him better help.

Makes me smile a bit thinking of all these other Goldies with the same stubborn personality. The fact that seniors run your lives makes it so much harder to loose them.


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