It almost never happens on a Tuesday. There is no day where he could and then he could not.
What happens is this. First he takes a run up instead of jumping from standing. Then he puts his front paws up and waits. Then one day you are lifting him and you realize you have been lifting him for a while.
What is actually going on
Back legs lose strength before front legs do. So the jump goes before the walk does, and the car goes before the stairs do, because the car asks for the most height at once.
He is not being lazy and he is not giving up. He is doing what he can still do safely.
What you can do this week
- Stop letting him jump down. Coming down is harder on him than going up, and it is the one that causes the injuries. Lift him down every time, starting now.
- Watch which side he favors. Stand behind him while he walks away from you. If one hip drops lower than the other, note it. That is worth telling a vet.
- Give him something to grip. If the car has a smooth plastic lip, a rubber mat on the edge changes more than you would expect.
The part nobody tells you
Lifting a sixty pound dog with your arms is how people hurt their backs. Get under him, keep him close to your body, and lift with your legs. If you are doing this several times a day, use two handles instead of your forearms.
Do this today: next time he gets out of the car, watch whether he lands on both back feet at the same time. That one detail tells you more than anything else you can see from home.
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