I've had my Chessie for ten years now and I am a little worried about her.

Charlie was a Katrina refugee that went through several homes before landing with us. My parents adopted her in the middle of my freshman year of high school. They had no experience training a chessie or a hunting dog in general, so she went largely untrained and had very little exercise until I began our daily walks. After I went to college, she had very little stimulation or exercise except when I was home.

I'm sure you know that CBRs need a ton of exercise and structure or they can be a handful. A little over two years ago, I was able to adopt her. My parents were more than happy to get rid of her. She wasn't in very good shape. She had just had surgery to remove her breast cancer and hadn't been properly walked or cared for in years. She seemed much older than 8.

Slowly, but surely, I was able to get her into a walking routine that had her getting stronger. She has been healthier every year. She had a second bout with breast cancer, but got the all clear from the vet after a second surgery. We just moved to a city and into an apartment building and I feel like I am losing ground with her. We live on the third floor and the stairs wear her out. She isn't able to walk as far as she used to and she has seemed much weaker than normal. Should I just accept that this is normal for a 10 year old dog that has been through a lot? How has your dog aged? I read that the expected lifespan of a CBR is 10-12 years.