Signs Your Dog Is Entering Its Senior Years

Ageing in dogs is gradual, which can make the early signs easy to miss. Here's what to look out for.

Whether your dog has reached the general senior threshold for their size (see our life stages guide) is a useful starting point, but individual dogs age at individual paces. These are the signs worth watching for, regardless of exactly what age your dog has reached.

Physical signs

• Greying, especially around the muzzle — often one of the earliest visible signs, sometimes appearing well before other changes.
• Slower to get up, or stiffness after resting — can indicate early joint changes or arthritis, which is very common in older dogs.
• Reduced stamina on walks — needing more breaks, or slowing down earlier than they used to.
• Weight changes — either gain (from reduced activity) or unexplained loss (worth a vet check, as this can signal underlying issues).
• Cloudy or bluish eyes — a normal age-related change called lenticular sclerosis, distinct from cataracts, though both become more common with age.
• Duller coat or drier skin — a common, usually benign, ageing change.

Behavioural signs

• Increased sleeping — normal in moderation, but a sudden dramatic increase is worth mentioning to your vet.
• Reduced interest in play or exercise — though this should be gradual, not sudden.
• Increased anxiety or clinginess — sometimes linked to sensory changes (hearing or vision loss) making the world feel less predictable.
• Confusion or disorientation — for example, getting "stuck" in corners, or seeming lost in familiar places. This can be a sign of canine cognitive dysfunction, sometimes described as the canine equivalent of dementia.
• Changes in house-training — accidents in a previously reliable dog can have several causes, from mobility issues to cognitive changes, and are always worth a vet visit.

What's normal ageing vs what needs a vet check

Gradual, mild versions of the changes above are a normal part of ageing. What's worth flagging promptly to your vet is anything sudden — rapid weight loss, sudden lameness, a new lump, disorientation that comes on quickly, or any behaviour that's a sharp departure from your dog's normal pattern. Gradual change is usually ageing; sudden change deserves attention. See our guide on when to take your senior dog to the vet for more detail.

Related reading: Caring for an Ageing Dog · Do You Need Pet Insurance for an Older Dog? · All guides