By senior citizens I of course mean those senior dogs that come into rescue. Those that people say are too old, or worn out to be good pets anymore. Well let me tell you about one such boy. Tyger came to our rescue from an elderly woman who was no longer able to keep him in the retirement community she lived in. He showed some signs of aggression and was not welcome there. His so-called aggression turned out to be a reaction to anxiety that he was being over medicated for while nothing was done to address the roots of it. With behavior modification and time to wean down his meds this has largely disappeared. Tyger was eight and a half years old when he came to us, and he has been my dog for about 6 months. Yes I am a failed foster. While Tyger presents a few challenges, he also brings gifts that only the older ones can give. He does not jump and bounce, he does not need house breaking, and he does not chew everything in sight (or reach of his mouth). These are just the most obvious benefits to adopting older dogs. The biggest benefit is companionship.
Older dogs, say those over the age of 7 or so, are happy to just be with you. They want to sit with you, walk with you at YOUR speed, and they still have that willingness to play when you initiate a game of fetch or tug of war. They are not ”boring”, they are not “set in their ways”, and they are not unable to learn new routines or tricks. Tyger quickly learned to sit for his dinner; he learned to respond to us and to adapt to our household very quickly. But we did not have to teach all the manners that a puppy needs to learn. He came with those mostly already part of his behavior.
I have met many of these “seniors” in my time with rescue and have found again and again that they are well mannered and sweet creatures who want nothing more than to be your companion and friend. Some will argue that they won’t get enough time with these dogs, but consider this; a 7 year old dog still has many good years of life ahead. With modern vet care and good diet they can live 15 years or more. I look forward to Tyger being in my life for years to come sharing my couch during TV watching and sharing the path during walks. He is a joy, to have with me, and even with a few quirks left over from not having the best upbringing is a member of the family that I can’t imagine doing without.
Failed foster,
Tracy Dudlik
Schnuazer Rescue Cincinnati has many older dogs in foster that would love to be your new friend! Be sure to check them out at our PetFinder site at: http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/OH447.html
