My friend has a seven yr old female rottie and she as asked my advice,the thing is my rotties that ive had have only lived up till 5yrs of age so i thought id ask you guys.Have any of you seen a change in your older dogs?Shes put on a lot of weight and i have advised her to watch how much shes feeding her,she has got very over protective,barking and going nuts when shes in the house if she hears the slightest sound,she never used to be like that,very protective when they walk her if shes off lead she will only go a few feet in front off her then keep checking and if theres any one walking by shes really aleart more than usual and very very wary of the person walking by....can any off you rottie guys have ant ideas to why shes like this!!ho vet said shes well and ok!

Hi Guest why dont you join so we can establish if theres been any changes in her routine or health? :)

It sounds like senile changes, her eyesight and hearing are probably not as sharp as they used to be, causing her to overreact. I lost my rottweiler bitch last year at the grand old age of 13yrs, in the last few years of her life she suffered a few of these changes. The best way for her to cope would be to keep her on the lead and on walks that she is familiar with. My girl also went over the top when someone came to the door (as an older lady)  They must try not to excite her more by pulling her away or raising their voices ( although I'm not saying that they do ) I used to let her have a little bark then say "thank you, that's okay etc. so she knew I could take it from there, if you like. They should also take care not to put her in situations that make her feel vulnerable. As for her weight, as she is getting older she will be utilising less calories so reducing her food or changing her to a light or senior diet may be beneficial, being overweight won't be doing her any favours healthwise. Of course, I wouldn't do anything without having first making sure she had no medical problems. It's not the end of the world as my bitch lived a full, fun life until a few months before I had to have her PTS.

Angela
RIP Jerusalem 1991-2004