I think this is just a moan 😞

[FTEngineerM]

My old dog keeps lying in doorways/at the bottom of the stairs and doesn’t move when asked so you step over him and as your foot is mid air and you start moving your weight forward he gets up... so that’s the 7th week in a row I’ve fallen over trying to get passed him.

He’s 10, a very large 60kg, I feel like I’m at the end of my tether. But he’s so old and slow I feel bad for getting frustrated.

How do you manage an old dog that maybe not as with it as he once were?

I guess he is geting a bit deaf so may not hear you and also stiff so takes longer to get up.

Is he lying on carpet or hard flooring?

Carpet is easier to get up from for an elderly dog.

Has he always lay in doorways or is this a new thing? Can you encourage him to a really comfy bed (where he can see where things are going on) that is not in the way?

Horrid for you both though to have you falling over him - hope you are ok?

Thanks for your suggestions, I try and throw myself forward to avoid landing on him. I’m not light and I really really don’t want to end up breaking any of his bones I’d never forgive myself.

His ears prick up, maybe I’ll see what he can/can’t hear and if that’s a cause maybe pat him on the butt or something instead of asking him.

He used to see you coming and just get up. Such a great dog, I feel we’ve been very lucky.

Doorways seem to be a new thing, does that mean something? Yeah we’ve got a super cosy mattress for him that we take upstairs for bed then bring down in the morning and put in in the corner in the day.

Could he by in mild pain? I wonder if it's because he can't get up quickly he doesn't want to feel trapped in room?

@RandomMess that’s a good thought, he’s more achey after walks so we’re limiting those to two short ambles a day. Todays happenings were before his walk so unless he’s in pain constantly now😬 yikes, maybe the vet should take a look.

We put our elderly arthritic cat on YuMove supplements the change in her is amazing.

Absolutely worth a go, look at their website. There may be a prescription only one for dogs that your vet can give you a couple of months free sample of.

A vet check would be a good call.

Sometimes dogs lie in doorways if they want to know what is happening around them, so he can see into all the rooms at once or at the bottom of the stairs so he knows where you are. Again quite common for a dog that may be losing their hearing a bit.

Does he use the mattress in the corner in the day or before the doorways?

Ah, @PollyRoulson thank you in that case I’ll definitely do some recall with him tomorrow to see what he’s like. Currently snoring away so won’t bother him. I probably should point out it’s not a human sized mattress I drag about the house🙊it’s a doggy one but very thick and obviously big to cover his whole body.

I’m not sure if there’s a pattern, he sleeps on it all night (unless the baby is crying, then he escapes to a back room) then if he gets up whilst I do in the morning I take it down and plonk it behind the sofa in the ‘dining’ area it’s quiet but he can see everything. Id say half and half.

I’ll see if I can find a pattern.