u/Zookjaeger

I’m struggling with a decision about my 11-year-old Labrador who was recently diagnosed with arthritis and would really appreciate advice from people who have dealt with senior dogs and major moves.

My dog is extremely attached to me, and as he’s gotten older he’s become noticeably more needy and wants to be around me a lot more.

I’m moving from Berlin to London. The issue is that because of university/classes and work, I know I’ll be away from home for fairly long periods of time.

I have two options:

Option 1: Take him to London with me.
He would be living with me permanently, and he’d be allowed on the furniture and could basically continue his normal lifestyle with me. However, I’ll be gone for several hours at a time on many days because of school/work, and London would be a completely new environment for him. But we will be living a 4 min walk to the vet. I am hyper sensitive to any changes in his actions or body and will take him to the vet immediately with I sense he needs to be checked. I am able to prioritize his comfort and forming a routine for him so that he is walked 3 times a day. I also will exercise him at home and provide mental stimulation. But he could be alone for up to 5-6 hours a day.

Option 2: Send him to Pennsylvania to live with my parents. I will move there too after 9 months when my degree is done if he is there.
He has actually lived in their Pennsylvania house before, so the house itself is familiar to him. He knows and loves my parents, and someone would be around to monitor/care for him essentially all the time but they will most likely not be as attentive as I am to any changes in his actions or body. They also are a little bit more of a mess and may leave tissues, food etc. around that he may eat. But he will have the company of another dog he has also lived with before and is familiar with. The flight would be a private pet-friendly charter from Frankfurt to Teterboro, so there wouldn't be a normal commercial airline/cargo experience.

The downside is obviously that I wouldn't be there for those 9 months, and he's very attached to me. My parents also don't allow him on the furniture, whereas with me he would be allowed everywhere like he is now.

I feel incredibly guilty either way. Part of me thinks that taking him to London is best because I'm his person and he should be with me. But another part of me wonders whether it's actually kinder to let him stay somewhere familiar with people he loves and have someone around almost constantly, rather than taking him to a new city where he'll spend long periods alone while I'm at school/work.

Would it be selfish to send him to the US, or would that potentially be the better choice for him?

For those who have senior dogs, especially dogs who became more needy as they aged, what would you prioritize: staying with their primary person or having constant companionship in a familiar environment?

I’m trying to make this decision based on what would genuinely be best for him, not what would make me feel better. ❤️

Graduating soon, and would like to get my art history professor a gift. For reference I am interested in Indian art history and he’s a Renaissance specialist. He’s been very helpful and pushed me to study art history so I would like to get him something he’d like. I will be writing him a note but am having trouble thinking of a gift that he would appreciate. I was thinking about getting him a print of the Madonna and baby Jesus done in a Mughal miniature style or a print of a Raja Ravi Varma work. Although I am not sure if this is stuff I would enjoy more than he would. would love to hear some thoughts