Hello - i have a beautiful old boy who is 16 years old. I got him when I was 20 so he has been with me for all of my adult life. Homer is a staffy-x whippet. As a young boy he was the most hyper-active destructive little bugger but has chilled out considerably over the years.
He has been my best friend and constant companion for so long that i will be very lost when I inevitably loose him.
Old age has well and truly set in now. He sleeps all day, walks very slowly and has arthritis.
Just recently I have noticed the dementia setting in and I read your article with interest. Homer has taken to pacing at night-time (thankfully not every night), but this involves waking me up so that he can pace outside. Initally i thought it was because he had an upset stomach, but now i am not so sure. Its hard because when he wakes you 3 times in one night, you can't get angry with the old boy because he can't help himself - and its too cold to leave him outside and its not safe to leave door open (because the old boy is also getting a bit deaf and is not much of a guard dog anymore).
I will be very surprised if i still have him this Christmas so the only thing you can do when your best friend is slowly fading is to make him as comfortable as possible and put up with his old age habits.