The Stud has chalked up another year!
Yes, my little buddy made it to 13 years of age on April 11, 2000. He's on both thyroid medicine and arthritis medicine, but he seems to be feeling fine. Yes, he trots along very slowly at my side, but at least he still trots along. As I have stated before, I have always felt that his good health and long life have been due to several important factors:
- Daily Exercise Exercise is one of the most important elements for good health in humans and I believe that it also applies to dogs. Unless I am on a trip somewhere, Vito gets a walk or run every night. We have been out together in blizzards with temps as low as 40 below. Doesn't matter. He gets out. Vito doesn't like the heat, so in hot weather areas we usually walk after midnight, when it is cool.
As you may notice from his pictures, Vito has a rather beefy muscular structure. This is a result of years of sprinting, which I got him to do by having him sit at one end of a football field and then calling him to me from the other end. He could haul buns! I would have him do this several times a session. He also got a lot of power by going on hikes up mountain trails or out along rivers on fishing trips with me. Vito can't run much anymore because he is a lot older now and has a touch of arthritis, but he will pick up the pace when he sees something to chase or when he's heading towards the kitchen for food.
- Good Food Vito has never had access to human junk food. He gets brown rice or spaghetti every day with his dry food, along with a dab of Pedigree canned meat. Sometimes I give him the trimmings of the chicken and steak that I eat. Though Vito has had skin problems (as many Shar Peis do), his skin is extremely good with the addition of a special fatty acid supplement added to his food. I believe that it is not wise to skimp on the dry food. Make sure it is good quality. The few times I have fed a less expensive brand of dry food to Vito, I could somehow sense a difference. Just as with humans, DIET does makes a difference.
- Love and Praise (Hugs and Kisses, too!) The love and praise you give to your dog can make a big difference in the disposition and life span of your pet. Though I have been a strict disciplinarian with Vito, I have loved him like a dear child his entire life. Some people have told me that they can tell how much I care for him and love him by the way he acts around people. He's very gentle, mellow and loveable.
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