[SnikPlosskin]

My sweet Hanna is almost ten years old. She is showing signs of dementia. Starting a few weeks ago she gets nervous, inconsolable. She tries to get as close to me as possible and it’s never close enough. She is driving me nuts. It’s like when a dog is afraid of a storm, but there is no storm. She paces, pants and tries to crawl in my lap when I’m working.

She has never been afraid of anything. It’s obvious that she is often confused.

I tested her eyesight today and it is clear that she is losing her sight as well. She can see, but it appears she only sees shapes. I told her to get her collar tonight (one of her favorite games) and she walked right past it as she searched. She made a half hearted attempt to play with it when I showed her where it was. Usually she goes ape shit with it, whipping it around to the point we worry about her putting her eye out with it or breaking the TV.

She can find that collar no matter where we hide it. It’s her sole possession.

She has been an incredible companion. She is unbelievably empathetic and maternal. She knows when I’m sick before I do. This is going to be hard.

She isn’t ready to go yet. But it’s coming. I will post photos later. She is absolutely beautiful. She used to look me directly in my eyes, as if she could read my mind and understood EVERYTHING. Now she seems vacant.

She is my ninth GSD. I’ve been here before. It’s going to be very hard on my wife and son. I’m tempted to import a puppy but it’s not a good time.

**** I hate this part of dog ownership. She will live like a queen as she always has. Usually when I see this, it comes fast and they degrade in a matter of a couple months.