My Dog’s Day – A Day in the Life of Teddy!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

 #BrightMind #CollectiveBias

Before I let Teddy “speak”, let’s just say he does not have the most exhausting schedule on the planet.  Here’s what Teddy had to say.

Hi guys!

My day begins at 5:45 am when my human Mom gets up. First thing I do is run to the couch to conduct my “neighborhood watch.” Someone’s gotta do it, right? I usually spot a squirrel or cat, growl, and show them who’s the boss. Honestly, I don’t get all worked up unless another dog visits our front lawn. I am not ok with that.

While human Mom makes coffee and breakfast for the boy, I take a short nap. Mom doesn’t believe me, but Neighborhood Watch can be a bit exhausting. This neighborhood is full of stray cats.

Once the yellow bus arrives and the boy gets on, it’s my turn to use the bathroom and read every single pee-mail on our street. 

Between 7 and 8 ( once the morning chaos has settled) is my breakfast time. Mom has been feeding me a new food which I really like. She got it at Pet Smart- my favorite store. Mom said now that I am seven years old Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind is the right food for me. She’ll explain to you why.

After breakfast I have to investigate the rooms in the house. There is always hope that someone dropped a crumb or left a pair of underwear on the ground for me to chew up. A dog can dream too, you know!?!

After checking everywhere ( and not finding anything substantial) I am ready for a long nap. I like to sleep on the couch or kitchen chair. Sometimes I like to “tan” by the French door. Fall sunshine feels great on my skin.Around 1 pm, Mom takes me out for a quick bathroom break. We usually walk to the mailbox and back. Better than nothing, I guess. I shouldn’t be complaining; I am lucky my Mom works from home most of the time. She always makes time to rub my belly . Or she says things like “Whatcha doing, Teddy?”

At 3:30, the boy comes home and I greet him enthusiastically. I do this for all humans. The boy tells me how much he missed me at school  (awww… kiddo!) so I follow him to his room and keep him company until Mom gets her shoes and grabs the leash.Yipee! We go up a steep hill and sometimes she runs with me.

Soon she’ll start dinner and if I am lucky, she’ll drop a thing or two. I like to watch her cook from the hallway. 

At 6:30 I take one more walk with mom and the boy. I like going outside when it’s cooler and the sky looks pretty.

At 10 pm, Mom and I am ready for bed. I like to push my body against her back but she doesn’t like that. She tells me she can’t get comfortable and pushes me to the foot of her bed. YAWN!

Thanks, Teddy. Great recap of your day.

In my recent Meet Teddy! post I introduced our dog and talked about the way Teddy used to be when we brought him home at age two. Teddy was playful, a bit of a rascal, alert, and he always followed us around the house.  Teddy is a senior dog now and this past year we’ve noticed some changes in his behavior.  He keeps more to himself, sleeps more, and doesn’t care about any of his toys.

Here’s why. According to experts at Purina Pro Plan, around age seven, the glucose metabolism in a dog’s brain begins to change, which can affect memory, learning, awareness or decision making. Purina Pro Plan discovered a way to promote alertness and mental sharpness in senior dogs through nutrition and has introduced BRIGHT MIND Adult 7+ formulas. Owners who feed their senior dogs Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind as a daily diet may notice differences in owner-dog interaction, interest in play and the ability to adapt and cope with change. Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind contains enhanced botanical oils shown to promote alertness and mental sharpness in dogs seven and older with visible results within 30 days.

Wow! I wanted to see this for myself. If you want to try out the food,  PetSmart has a special deal right now. If you spend $10 on any Purina Pro Plan Dry Dog or Cat Food* between 8/31 and 10/4, you can save $10 on your next Purina Pro Plan Dry Food purchase, 14-lb. or more, on or before 11/1.*Subject to availability. Transaction total is after discounts and before taxes.

Teddy has been eating Purina Pro Plan Bright Mind for more than 30 days now and I have noticed a few changes.

Teddy is much more excited to go on walks again. The minute he sees me put on my shoes he comes running. When I grab the leash, Teddy jumps on me and makes happy sounds. Prior to switching to Bright Mind I had to “beg” him to get off the couch.Teddy used to have a favorite toy he always played fetch with. Then one day he lost all interest in all toys, including his favorite, which made me sad. Last week I came home and saw that he had carried his favorite toy to the couch and put his paw on it. It was almost as if he remembered the toy again. This was an emotional moment for me because I know how much he used to love this toy. I tried playing fetch with him but he wasn’t up for it, though.

Teddy appears to be more “curious” about his family members. I have noticed that he wants to spend more time near us. When my son comes home from school, Teddy hangs out in his room and plays with him. A month ago, Teddy wouldn’t even budge from the couch when my son came home. Because of this, my son is once again more attached to Teddy. This really makes me happy. A boy and his dog…

Teddy also “checks” on me now throughout the day. He comes in my room or the kitchen, looks at me and walks away. I usually ask him what he is up to. If he could answer he’d say ” Not much, I just wanted to check on you, Mom.” Thanks, boy. I appreciate it.

So this is my honest recap of the changes I’ve noticed. Teddy likes the food and we are all enjoying the small changes.

What is your experience with senior dogs? I’d love to hear from you.