When Your Dog Ages Old age and its inherent problems are things that we share with our canine companions. Aging brings about arthritis, impaired eyesight and hearing, heart disease, and even senility.
Dogs enter old age at different rates.
Typically, big dogs age faster than small dogs. Most larger breeds begin to show age-related diseases by the time they are 9 years old. Smaller dogs may not become senior citizens until they are 12 years or more. Usually, the large the breed, the faster the dog will age. A Great Dane at 10 is ancient.