My dog Fritz is one of my heroes.  He is now 15 and a half years old, and going strong.  🙂  He can’t hear or see much anymore and has trouble with his back legs, but he doesn’t let that stop him.  He does laps around the house, “working out” as we call it.  He still enjoys his food to the maximum.  He still gets playful at nighttime.  And yesterday when I took him for a walk, I almost had to run to keep up with him.  Excited, sniffing, eager….and when we got to our final hill of the driveway, he was bounding and pulling at the leash going up the hill.  What an inspiration and joy he is to us.  My husband and I look at him all the time and say that he is what we want to be like when we get older.  Loving life and loving us.  What more could you ask for in a dog and a friend.  Have a blessed day, and bound up a few hills!  Slainte, Lisa