Years ago, when all our family were young, it was hard to imagine a time when we would have seven dogs in double figures but now there are two of our boys and five of our girls aged between 10 and nearly 15 years old. Aoife is the eldest at 14 years and 8 months and, despite a diagnosis of a Grade 6 heart murmur three years ago, she has remained active, enjoying her trips out and managing a run every so often at the dog field with the family. As she had no obvious signs of a heart issue at the time she was diagnosed we did not go ahead with the offered medication but added some nutritional supplements to her food and, more recently, a homeopathic remedy which seems to have kept her strong. She does have an intermittent cough but nothing to prevent her enjoying life still.
Aoife and a dandelion clock
At the cafe in York for her 14th birthday
Enjoying an ice cream with her great granddaughter
Our second eldest dog is Trilby who was one of Magic’s first pups. She has lived with us for her whole life and is a sweet gentle girl like her Mum. She has been well throughout her life until, a few months ago, she suffered a minor stroke which has left her with a slight head tilt although nothing to interfere with her getting around. She does like help to be lifted on the bed and to get upstairs but seems to manage getting down just fine. Although she enjoys her bed much more than going out, she does love a stroll round the field and breathing in all the scents of the garden here too.
Trilby in her bed
And enjoying a run in the field
Raven and Saoirse are siblings from Aoife’s first litter and they will be 12 years old at the beginning of December. They are quite close with each other and Saoirse tends to be the dominant one of the two and will often spend time cleaning Raven’s ears as if he was a puppy rather than a senior dog now.
Saoirse ❤️
Raven 💙
Trilby’s daughter, Pip, is the next eldest by several months. She was born in 2014 and has always been very bonded with her mother. The two spend time mutually grooming every morning before breakfast.
Pip sleeps with her younger brother Archie in their own bedroom. Trilby used to share the room but suffered greatly when her Mum, Magic, passed away. At that time, she began to sleep on my bed at night for comfort and has continued to do so ever since. Pip is a more self contained girl in many ways than her Mum and still very fit and active, loving a run at the field with the other dogs.
Born in the same year as Pip but at the very end of December, Frida is another of Aoife’s daughters but from a different father to Saoirse and Raven. She has always been a sturdy and self assured little affen and another one who despite her years has remained fit with no health issues at all. She is a typical little monkey girl and always ready to assert herself if needed.
Frida ❤️
The two senior boys: Archie (10 years old) with Raven at the dog field.
Archie is 10 years old now. He was one of Trilby’s sons and half brother to Pip. He came back to live with us in 2022 and settled well again with his grandmother, Mum and half sister although he does find the affens to be strange creatures which of course they are 🤣 He is a fit, healthy boy and loves his walks in the village especially meeting people with dog treats in their pockets!
