Adopting an older dog.

l have had Jrt or Border Terriers all my life. We are in our late sixties and don't feel we could give a puppy all the exercise these breeds needs. My old BT girl is 15 hale and hearty so a pup could take us to 85+. When Dottie does go over the rainbow bridge we will hope to adopt an old dog via Border Terrier Welfare.

I lost my precious Jack Jack of 17 years on Dec 10. He died here at home and we buried him in the garden. I cried for days and the empty feeling in this house was overwhelming. On day five I browsed the local shelter for dogs online just to see what was out there, made an appointment for the next day to go look at all the little cuties needing a home. I thought definitely a female young dog this time to ensure many years together with no marking in the house. When the time was right and just to “look.” Well, I ended up coming home with the sweetest little 4-5 year old male chihuahua mix that had just wrapped me around his little paw within 10 minutes of play in the looky yard. He immediately filled the hole in my heart and made me laugh in the days to follow, and even sleeps in the same spots on the bed and couch where Jack did. It has nothing to do with replacing Jack Jack or dishonoring him, and everything to do with me needing a dog for comfort and companionship, and this little doggo needing a home after sitting in the shelter for almost a year. Welcome little Oliver, “Ollie.” You are already loved! Making room for life’s next adventures after loss helps ease through the pain.

I adopted an oldie and its the best thing I ever did.
She is 12, diabetic and had an eye removed recently so on paper sounds a bit of a crock. Far from it, she is lively, happy, very loving and great fun to have around.
Had a few hiccups on the way but I have no regrets, she has improved the quality of my life and I like to think I have with hers

We adopted an 8 year old Maltese after losing our 2 previous Bichons 3 years ago. My husband didn’t want anymore dogs but I happened to see him online 5 weeks after losing my girl Bichon and read about his past, badly abused, never seen the light of day in 8 years, kept in a rabbits cage, just used for breeding but must have bitten these vile puppy farmers as they’d removed all his teeth with pliers etc, he was in a very sorry state and I just wanted him. I knew I could give him a good home, and the love and care he needed and I hoped he’d live another 8 years so I could spoil him and so he knew what a loving home & life was all about. We lost him in July this year unfortunately, and to be honest although I adored all my other fur babies I’ve never felt loss like losing him, it’s been truly awful. I don’t regret having him though, not for a minute. He was thoroughly spoilt and never left alone for one minute in that 3 years, he came wherever we went and he loved the car. He was ill when we got him with Guardia (parasites in his tummy), awful ear infections etc but although we got him better, because he’d been neglected previously he never enjoyed 100% full health but he was happy enough, he loved being held and cuddled. He had a massive stroke early one morning in July. I would say if you can give an elderly dog a few years of love do it, trust me it’s rewarding. Yes it breaks your heart sooner than you’d like but think what the dog gets out of it more to the point. It would have broken my heart worse if I’d have known about him and knew he had spent his last days in a rescue kennel in the cold because no one wanted him. I’m looking at the moment for another Maltese rescue preferably a bit younger this time I must admit but nevertheless a rescue.

We adopted a 13 year old cross bearded collie who had cataracts,ear troubles and had lost a lot her fur due to mange. She had been badly abused and left outside in a cage. Her owners were taken to court. She was the sweetest dog, becoming a real character and refusing to sleep anywhere except our bedroom which we didn’t mind. She lived till 17 and was a joy. Travelled well ,stayed in hotels with us and never caused us any problems. Very gentle with children . I hope you find an oldie to suit you.

I would adopt an older dog, if I could, especially one who has had an owner who was no longer able to care for him/her. I feel so sorry for dogs that are put in a kennel after living their lives in a loving home.

BueDaisy

Your post has made me cry.

What an awful life he led and how wonderful that you were able to give him some years of love.
He looks such a sweetie, rather like one of my DD's dogs.

Sorry, Bluedaisy, spelt your name wrong (dripping tears!)

I got a 7 year old rescue collie mix, a very clever girl who made training her very easy. I got 10 wonderful years with her, but her heart gave up in the end. My heart was broken, it's been 5 years and I still think about her a lot, but I rescued again to give another a chance. She is 9 years old now, I've had her 5 years, a stray found roaming the streets who was starved and frightened of everything. She also has epilepsy, I found that out after her first seizure after having her a fortnight and maybe the reason she was chucked out on the street like rubbish. When this little lady leaves me I know I'll do it all over again and I'll definitely be getting one with a few birthdays behind them.

We have been adopting end of life dogs for over 20 years. Our hearts break every time we say goodbye to a pup and they all have a place in our hearts.
We took a mother and daughter in May and sadly mum passed away last Wednesday, Lola the baby at a mere 10 years old is taking it badly but we are giving her lots of love and snips of roast beef and she is getting back to her old self.
We do it because we worry that no one else will take them, we have plenty of room and lots of love to give them. We are lucky to be in a position that we can afford the medical bills that usually come with older dogs. Our neighbours love that we take in these dogs and give them a happy ending, now that it’s Christmas they usually start turning up with lots of treats for them.
I would recommend an older dog to anyone, they just want a warm home with love and a soft bed and a short walk. (lots of treats too)

We take on older Irish setters, yes you go through the hurt more often but the love you get outweighs everything

I have been fostering dogs for a while, last dog I fostered was 8 years old, she was put up for adoption, nobody wanted her as she was elderly, gues what I've now adopted her and she is delightful and such a comfort as my husband passed away in April. If you are not ready to adopt please try fostering there as so many lovely dogs out there.

Always adopt never buy whether dog or cat! A lot of people only want cute babies & as the animal grows & loses the cuteness so the owner loses any love for the poor animal! We have always adopted & usually middle aged dogs & cats as too many are ignored for the younger pretty ones. Older animals have more personality so please think of adopting an older dog?

That’s why I recommend the Cinnamon Trust. They are a brilliant charity and , because of the risk of high vets bills with older dogs, will pay them provided you discuss it with them. Their vet nurses are brilliant and so supportive. My Bichon was diagnosed with a heart problem so his medication was over £100p/month plus regular scans. With my Milly they are so supportive and will do anything to make her comfortable. I didn’t mention that she also has cancer so they will sanction anything to make her comfortable. A lot of vets are familiar with dealing with them as well.

We have always rehomed or rescued dogs of varying ages. Losing them is horrendous and I can’t compare the pain to anything else. However I’ve always managed to rescue another one within days or even weeks of a loss. We usually have more than one dog in our home but the last one we lost was a feisty toy poodle who was a very difficult little dog and wasn’t very friendly towards other dogs. After we lost her I was bereft as it was the first time we’d been without a dog in the house and I couldn’t bear it so for the first week we had other peoples dogs to stay. It was August and everyone was going on holiday and grateful not to have to spend out on kennel fees.
Then we were put in touch with a Romanian rescue centre and have never looked back. We currently have a 10 year old large black Romanian rescue who is the most lovely natured dog we’ve ever had. Then we took on a 13 year old terrier from the same rescue centre, he had originated from a dog warden not from abroad. I love giving older dogs a second chance, the heartache will always be there when they go however long you have a dog.
Also bear in mind older dogs are usually calmer and have probably had training at some point in their lives.
Please let us know what you decide!

Over my lifetime I’ve had 12 dogs, six straight from the breeder as puppies. Every one of those pups, from my first Border Collie when I was 9, became a wonderfully well mannered pet and a joy to live with.

The other six were already adults, all those were previously owned by friends or family, eg when MIL died her dog joined our family, some friends moved to unsuitable housing and I took on their Goldie, when my old dog died suddenly his breeder gave me one of her adults.

All the dogs I took on as adults had inadequate education and nothing I did with them compared to the joy of working from scratch with a puppy.

Now with small grandchildren around, I’d never take on a ‘rescue’ with uncertain history. There may be ghosts in its past and you’d never know what might trigger it until it’s too late. Dogs that were picked up as adult strays and then rehomed by a rescue kennels (eg MIL’s dog) may well always be escape artists with an uncontrollable urge to run away. Dogs that have been surrendered to a rescue charity are often just not nice dogs to live with.

I probably have my last dog now, another puppy would likely outlive me, but I wouldn’t take on an adult unless I knew it and its history very very well.

We’ve almost always ( had one wonderful puppy, thought I never could face another dog after she went but we did) “rescued” young-ish dogs but always with “problems” and we’ve loved all of them and been sad when they went. We always take older cats or cats with health problems and it is 100% worth it. Some have “lasted” only a short time but the happiness has always been worth the heartache. When you feel ready go for it!

I am very lucky in that although I don’t have a dog myself as circumstances don’t permit me making such a permanent commitment, BUT both my daughters do so I get the interaction, the dog minding and the walking with the younger dogs. The best bit though is the fact that my younger daughter’s older dog who is 14 now comes to stay for several days each month as her other dog, a French bulldog puppy of eight months does tend to tire her although they generally get on well. Lady, a lovely, gentle staffy, enjoys her stay with me and gets thoroughly spoiled! She is a very picky eater now, having had stomach problems, but the (human quality) food I make for her seems to have a good effect on her appetite. She certainly has a good effect on my mood and I am looking forward to spending New Year with her as her ‘mum’ is away (with puppy) and otherwise I would be alone as I don’t think there is much going on with the rest of my family this year.

Oh this rings home with me I’m huge dog lover they bring so much joy. I lost my staffie 9.30pm Xmas eve 2 years ago the pain is immense. However I’m now starting to think of getting another one but 100% I’ll go for older rescue dog, kennels are full of dogs needing homes and I don’t want the puppy stage I want to give an old dog some love. However I’ve not made the move yet due to knowing the pain of loosing them. I will when I’m ready.
ADOPT DONT SHOP 🐶🐶

I’m afraid I don’t agree with adopting dogs from abroad. There are too many dogs in British kennels who need to be re homed.

My DD got a dog from the dogs trust. The dog was about 2 years old. After a few years she found herself with a toddler and found telling the baby off was upsetting the dog, so she asked my husband to take her in. The dog became part of our family, but my DH was her hero, she'd do anything a dog can do for us. We both loved her and were very sad, and still are when she died 10 months ago.. DD is thinking of getting our DGD a dog as a pet, so we will undoubtedly have our share oof caring for it!

We took on my mum's two small dogs when she went into care. They were both lovely dogs and we ended up having them for longer than my mum did. They died within months of one another at 16 and 13.

We said we wouldn't have another dog as they are too tying.

A couple of years later were were asked if we would consider taking on a small dog whose owners had died. At first we said no (for the reason above). No other potential owners were forthcoming. I don't know why because she is so cute. We said we would foster her until another owner could be found.

We had seen pictures of her but the minute she set foot inside our home we knew she was here for keeps. She is a lovely little dog, not a bit of trouble. She is eleven now and currently in good health. I wish she was younger. We will be so upset when she dies.

I agree with other poster about taking in a rescue dog if you don't know the history of the dog, especially if you have young children around.

We have just adopted a rescue dog from the rspca, JR terrier mix allegedly 12 years old. And he is lovely, wonderful for the grandchildren and company for me.
We can't commit to a young dog as we are both in our late 70s so are very happy with this little fellow.

I watched that show and thought hoe good it was. Saving dogs in Shelters in USA is my passion but i also adopted Molly 13 and Marcus 10 when tbeir owner died. Mollly did 2 weeks ago but Marcus is 13 and he is just a pleasure and he is with me day and night. I know that older dogs are hardly ever chosen by adopters at shellterd and often. Heartless own erscnust abandon them. I write daily
On Facebook pleading for fit seniors with the time and the homes suitable for a dog. A dog brings so much love and loyalty and do mot need as many long walks as younger very active.dogs.
I work for the local dogs shelter but at my age is it via donations and publicity. J love Paul Grady and never midd his shows from Battersea. I thought Camilla did a great job on that programme and it helps that she is a real dog lover. I read Gransnet daily and know that many of you have dogs but if you feel lonely and your family are not close by
having a dog brings so much love snd happiness and some resesrch says it is good for your general heath and well being to have a dog to love. My son had 5 Jack Russells when i first came here and they lifted me out of my deep grief when my husband died. Now only Marcus is with me and gets losds of love and affection. So please adopt an older dog if you can.

I’m a cat lady and hadn’t had a cat for 15 years because my OH said he didn’t like cats - then after lockdown I really felt that needed a pet. OH now treats our little cat as a baby (yes even to cradle him in his arms!) and has taken over. Oh course we’d be heatbroken if anything happened to puss but I would get another for the companionship. I think dogs are more people oriented but if there is a little dog shaped hole in your heart, get another one. Loving inevitably involves loss and we’d miss out on happy times if the fear of loss takes over