[Oliver Brooks]

My dog has been sleeping more and seems less interested in walks lately. He’s 9, so I’m not sure if it’s just age or something else. I don’t want to rush to the vet for nothing, but also don’t want to ignore something. How do you usually tell the difference? I’m kind of stuck on whether to wait a bit or just call.

[Tom Reps]

Mine slowed down around that age too, and it turned out to be arthritis, not just age. The thing that made me call was him not getting up for food, which he never skipped. Sleeping more alone I can shrug off, but losing interest in stuff he used to love is what tipped it for me.

[Mike Harry]

A week of changes is enough for me to call.

[Jenny Mel]

Nine is right around when my lab started sleeping way more too. The thing that got me to call was him not finishing his food, not the walks part. If he’s still eating normally I’d probably wait a few days and just watch, but that’s me.

[Lisa Hall]

Nine is not that old for a lot of breeds, so I wouldn’t just write it off as age. My sister’s dog did the same thing and it ended up being a thyroid issue, not arthritis or stress. That was worth a vet visit.

[Ella Riddle]

Age alone doesn’t usually kill interest in walks that fast. For me the tell is whether he still perks up for anything, food, treats, a specific person. If nothing gets a reaction, that’s less “just old” and more worth a call.

[Tom W98]

Anyone can say “call the vet” but that gets expensive fast. I waited on mine and it ended up being a slipped disc, not age, and I felt like an idiot for sitting on it for two weeks. Your gut already knows something’s off or you wouldn’t be posting here.

[Dani Moon]

Slowing down on walks is the part I wouldn’t shrug off at 9. That’s the kind of thing that usually means something hurts, not just that he’s tired. I’d rather make one pointless vet trip than sit around guessing for a month.

[T_Holloway]

At 9 I’d just call. Two weeks of sleeping more and not wanting walks is a change, not a personality quirk. Waiting to see if it passes is how you end up finding out it was something that got worse.

[Tom911]

Nine isn’t automatically old, so I wouldn’t bank on that being the whole story. My last dog had a slow decline that turned out to be arthritis, and the first sign was him getting picky about walks. If it’s been going on a couple weeks, that’s enough for me to make the call.

[Sarah]

Mine started skipping walks around that age and it turned out his nails were way too long and it hurt to walk on hard ground. I felt dumb but the groomer caught it, not me. So it can be a really small thing. A quick once over might give you an answer without a whole vet workup.

[PixelKevin]

I’d probably call now rather than wait. My buddy’s dog was around that age, and the “just slowing down” thing ended up being a heart issue that was manageable once they caught it early. A phone call costs way less than a guess.

[Zara W]

I think the tricky part is that stress and pain can look identical from the outside. Mine got clingy and slept a ton when we moved, but he also did that same thing when his teeth were bothering him. So I’d base it on whether the change came with something obvious or just showed up out of nowhere.

[Mike38]

I’d hold off on assuming it’s pain. My dog did the same thing at 9 and it was mostly him becoming a homebody, but a simple blood panel still gave me peace of mind. That’s the one thing I’d do rather than wait.

[Olivia_park]

Nine really isn’t that old for a lot of dogs, so I wouldn’t just write it off as age. Mine went through a sleepy phase around that age and it turned out to be a low thyroid thing that a simple blood test caught. Not saying that’s your situation, but the change in walk interest is the part I’d pay attention to.

[Emma Ray]

Call the vet if it’s a sudden change.

[Tom_Craig]

Mine got *more* interested in walks at 9, not less.

[Mike Reynolds]

Calling the vet isn’t “rushing” just because the dog is 9. Mine acted the same way and it turned out to be arthritis, not age. One exam and some cheap meds got him back to normal.

[Oliver Brooks]

Mine just turned out to be slowing down.

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