Dogs have fairly short lives compared to humans and other animals. For example, horses live to about 20 to 25 years and often older. Dogs on the other hand have a life expectancy of 9 to 16 years. The larger the breed of the dog, the shorter the life span. So giant dog breeds like the Great Dane will only live to about 9 or 10 years old max.
The average dog will start to hit middle age when the hairs on their muzzle start to turn gray. For most breeds that will be at the age of 7 years. A few years later the dog will start to slow down and not be as active as before. At that time their joints will begin to stiffen and it will hurt them more to move about. It is at that stage most people start giving their dogs joint supplements, but what they should have done was to start giving them supplements a few years before the damage to their joints was done. I have found that the best joint supplement for dogs contains yucca, which is an anti-inflammatory.
Older dogs might also have bladder problems so an older dog must be allowed access to a place where they can pee at a moments notice. Older dogs are more intolerant of temperature changes so they will need to be kept warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Keeping those things in mind, there is no reason that your dog cannot live a long an comfortable life.
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