Sweet Moment Senior Dog With Dementia Forgets He's Already Greeted Owner

Seeing our four-legged best friends age and deteriorate is one of the hardest experiences to go through, because after so many years of love, they need us more than ever.

That's exactly what Dennis Gerard, 60, is facing with his rescue dog Piper, who turned 17 years old last year. The senior dog is now blind, deaf, and suffers from dementia. Gerard told Newsweek that he's "slowly getting worse," which is devastating to witness.

However, age isn't going to stop Piper from adhering to his usual routine, so he still loves to greet his owner with a kiss and a happy dance when he returns home. But Gerard, from Jacksonville, Florida, recently captured the moment Piper evidently forgot that his owner had already come back home, and he continued to wait in the hallway for him and got stuck as he couldn't see where he was going.

"I came home from work and Piper was waiting in the foyer by the back door for me. Once I entered and he smelled me, then he performed his usual ritual of kissing me and dancing and welcoming me home," Gerard said.

"A half-hour later, I was making a sandwich and watched him wander into the foyer and position himself for me to come through the door again. He was having a bad day and he forgot that I'd just come home. He was waiting for me again, it was so sad."

Gerard rescued Piper when he was 2 years old, and they've shared countless happy memories in the 15 years since. But it's been heart-breaking for the owner to watch the pooch's health slowly decline, especially this moment, which was the first time Piper had forgotten that his owner was already home.

Dog dementia is not uncommon in senior pooches, and it can also be referred to as canine dysfunction syndrome (CDS). One study revealed that signs of dog dementia increased to 68 percent in dogs aged over 15 years.

The American Kennel Club states that symptoms usually include disorientation, house soiling, a change in sleep patterns, and a change in activity levels. Owners may also see a change in their relationships, as a once independent dog may become clingier for example. Senior dogs may also develop new fears or vocalize more, which can be attributed to increased nervousness.

Sundowner syndrome is another sign of cognitive deterioration, causing a dog to sleep more during the day and then become restless at night, or they may pace or bark for no apparent reason during the night instead of sleeping.

Sadly, there is no cure for dog dementia or CDS, but the AKC recommends that owners help manage the symptoms, provide the dog with a schedule they can follow, and give them plenty of mental enrichment.

How Did Social Media React?

Living with a senior dog isn't easy, but Gerard documents his life with Piper on social media (@dennis.gerard on TikTok and @pipersdad3 on Instagram), to show that an old dog is no less important or loving. The sweet clip of Piper getting "stuck while sundowning" has been viewed over 2.4 million times and gained more than 186,900 likes on TikTok in just a matter of days.

"People can really connect emotionally with posts like this," Gerard told Newsweek after the video went viral. "I've had thousands of comments, and every one of them is positive and uplifting, people are sharing their similar experiences with their dogs both past and present.

"We live in a time of great division, but senior dogs like Piper can unite us around a common platform of love, empathy, and compassion. This is one of those things that's sad and cute at the same time, I love it and I hate it. I am his whole world, and it does bring me great joy seeing how much he loves me."

Despite his age, it's not just Gerard who loves Piper so much as the senior dog has earned plenty of fans through social media. And one thing is for certain, they can all agree that "Piper is a good boy" no matter how old he gets.

Many TikTok users were deeply moved by the video, and it's already gained over 5,300 comments. One person wrote: "Why does any of this have to happen to our babies."

Another TikTok user responded: "We are the keepers of their souls until it's time to cross the rainbow bridge."

A third comment reads: "So beautiful and sad at the same time."

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