Old Dog

So you have a 17 year old dog? Wow! What kind of dog is it? When I was a little girl we had a basset hound who never left the yard, we did not have a fence but he never went out of the yard. Anyway, suddenly when he was very old, he would leave the yard and my mom would have to go find him. The last time she went to find him, he had collapsed and died. One thing that really bothered me then was that he died alone when he had a family who loved him. I have heard that dogs will do this when they know the end is near but there may also be some dementia with your dog. Maybe she just doesn't know anymore that she is not supposed to run off. Poor old girl.

It is a known fact that dogs want to go off somewhere and die alone. That is probibly why you fear it is a sign that she may be at the end.

You could try a harness that fits over her entire chest. These are almost impossible for a dog to get out of. You can get one at Petsmart or even Wal-Mart I think. We had a dog that could get out of almost anything, so we got a chest harness and she never once got out of it. You just hook the leash on the top and you are good to go.

Good Luck and I hope you have more time ahead with your dog.

I agree w/ having her checked out. If she's ok then the harness is a good idea for keeping her in the yard. If she is having trouble hearing or seeing in her old age she could be frightened very easily & be trying to hide. If she's losing her vision then she probably can't see at all in the dark anymore & tries to hide elsewhere. Unfortunately, she could also be trying to find a place to 'rest in peace' in her old age too. Good luck w/ everything. Seventeen is very good long life for a dog. She's very lucky!

Take her to the vet and have her checked out. There are a number of physical ailments she could have that cause her to get disoriented... You may be able to give her some meds to help her.