Apricot-colored dogs... grow older too.

 

But they don't show their age in their facial hairs like say, a black lab with a greying muzzle.  Our Buddy boy is older now, cataracts and joint stiffness, but he is small and runs in spurts, and can be easily picked up when needed.  These are older pictures, but you get the idea.  Often, if they don't see him moving, he still gets called a puppy at the park.  He knows he's loved, and he's a happy boy with a good quality of life still, and a healthy appetite.  The senses are going (sight and hearing), but he has a strong sniffer still, and the heart and lungs -- from his boyhood days in Rice Lake chasing deer and squirrels and chipmunks, and just putting miles in our daily "walks" (me walking, him running ahead, sprinting back, and taking off in the open fields where I could always see him) -- are still strong.  All the internals too, excellent control -- when you can walk and are on your feet regularly, those parts are usually strong too. (Stay on your feet as much as you can, friends. Learn from the dogs and animals.)

They say, you'll know when it is "time" in how they look at you (if you accept putting old dogs down, and I'd never want him to live in pain, or prolong his life unnecessarily)... but at 14 or 15 now, he loves his life, is always up for a visit to the small river park now, loves to eat, has healthy elimination under control and always outside, just sleeps more overall. The vet estimated by his teeth he was about 5 when we found him collarless in RL, back in his "jumping out the car window when parked; take me with you! days, about 9 years ago.  Best we could figure, maybe he was visiting a local hotel or venue there with his "people", and the owners (not the right word -- look at that face; he can't be "owned") searched but could not stay to keep looking.  Or maybe his first home was with an elderly person, and when he ran, they just let him go, since he had so much energy in those early years, and responded well to our more active lives back then, in summer and winter.  

 Loved being out, running, sniffing and exploring. At one point, he "knew" about 6 or 7 local parks, trails and open fields, visiting regularly.  So healthy for us too. So much easier to go for walks when you've got a dog.  No response back then to our posted ads, no chip implanted in him -- still none, no "lost dog" messages left at county humane society or police stations.  Well trained, used to being groomed -- patient boy, always back then. God gave us a gift the day Buddy came into our lives...