The kindest, most important thing you can do for the older pet in your life is to stop thinking of old age as a disease. Stop feeling sorry for yourself by anticipating your pet’s death and your subsequent loss. At the same time, don’t try to make your "old friend" change its lifestyle just because you think he or she is getting too old to keep up the pace.

Consider the way you would react if everyone kept saying things like, "Oh, be careful, you shouldn’t be exerting yourself," or "You’re not as young as you used to be," or "You need to slow down at this time in your life." Don’t you think all these little sayings would be pretty depressing to you as a person? I would probably begin to act pretty badly if I were treated this way.

Similarly, the older animal may begin to exhibit rather strange behavior as a result of our attitudes and actions. Remember, this is the same dog that once ran by your side when you jogged, chased a ball or toy for hours with great delight. We all get older, but we really do act only as old as we feel. The same applies to dogs. If your old friends could talk, they would most likely say something along the lines of: "I get so bored just lying around all day. Couldn’t we go for a walk, or romp in the park and play a little ball? I could roll in the grass and chase a few grasshoppers and you could put a blanket down, and when we get tired we could lie in the shade and take a little nap. Maybe we could just go for a walk in the neighborhood and you could let all the people stop to pet and admire me the way they used to. We could go for a little ride in the car and when we come home, we could have a few of our favorite snacks and watch a little TV together. Maybe we could even get some new toys."

If we treat our sweet older pets differently, they will begin to act differently. Your dog does, in fact, mirror your emotions. If you act sad, it will feel sad. If you act happy and carefree and excited, your pet will reflect these same emotions.

Our society pressures us to be forever young and beautiful and to try to avoid getting older because older is uglier. Do you really want those special friends in your home to feel old and ugly? If not, start treating them the same way you treated them during the first few years of their lives.

Make old age the best time your dog has ever had. Now is the time to grant some special favors––let your older pet do some things it has always wanted to do, such as sleeping on your bed or sitting in a chair with you while you watch television. Give it a few bites of your food (nothing unhealthy) when you’re having a snack. These are the perks given only to older pets––after all, these animals have given you the best years of their lives.