You know what’s popping up more and more? Folks in their seventies and eighties—sometimes alone, sometimes as couples—chatting with me about their brand new puppies. These aren’t just “thinking about buying a puppy” conversations. These are “I bought the puppy, now what?” chats, full of hope and that fresh dog mommy or daddy excitement.
Their energy always tickles me. I’m a baby senior… turned 65 a couple of months ago. I’ve already noticed that a lot of things become challenging as we age.
I’m usually surprised, but in awe of some of the older seniors I encounter out on the walking trails, who talk about their new puppy. They’re not messin’ around. They wanna do training right and really help their new four-legged house guests settle into his or her new ‘forever home’.
I’ve noticed a lot of these sweet, well-meaning dog lovers are talking about their new buddy. Turns out, a purebred puppy has been purchased. I don’t encounter a lot of folks who save shelter dogs.
I won’t judge. Rescues, as we’ve noted, sometimes present challenges.
I try not to be too nosey about why that’s their pick, but I make sure to send a high five (and maybe a treat) to the ones who go the shelter route.
Here’s a part of the senior/puppy saga I didn’t know. After I heard the details, I learned why I hadn’t heard about rescue pups.
My best friend and I were just chatting about this. She told me about one of her older friends out in Nevada. This friend had always had dogs. Not unlike a lot of us, especially older people, this friend swore she’d have no more dogs after her beloved Rusty crossed The Bridge. Good luck with that, huh?
She tried to adopt from a shelter, but was turned down because of her age. 🫢
I was appalled when I heard that. This woman had experience with dogs, money for vet bills, and a younger backup person lined up. No aimless approach to the rescue. Quite the opposite, she was prepared beyond what the rescue was probably used to encountering.
That glowing set of qualifications didn’t matter to the shelter. So what did she do?
Bought a puppy from a breeder without age qualifications as part of the adoption agreement.
That friend talked two friends into getting puppies from the same litter. They all gather with their pups for playdates, as well as provide puppy sitting services for each other when someone’s at the doctor or off on an adventure.
That’s a great little support team for sure. This network serves everyone. No shortage of giggles, or smiling muzzles. (Yes, we can admit dogs smile). ;) The bonus round in this scenario is that nobody has to worry about a lonely dog or missing a walk.
But!
That scenario does nothing to help the countless dogs in the shelters, especially our little ones.
Plenty of older folks I’ve talked to about this situation tell me that puppy life isn’t the breeze it was at sixty. What is, right?
At eighty, chasing a puppy around the house feels pretty different. Marie, a woman who walks her little Bichon on a local trail told me she tried to rescue, but found only large, teeny-bopper aged dogs. That inspired her to look online to search specifically for small dogs. It just makes sense.
My neighbor’s grandmother was knocked over by one of her cousin’s large dogs. It was not a good dog encounter for her.
I know darned well, my 8 # Moe will never knock me or anyone else off of our pins.
Wouldn’t ya know, I happened across an article about this topic in a well respected dog newsletter.
That article inspired me to write this blog. I’m a senior and I’ve talked about this subject with a good number of senior dog lovers out on the trails. It wasn’t a coincidence that I ran across the newsletter topic. I felt the need to share this concept with you. I hope qualifications for adoption become broad enough to include senior adopters.
The article pointed out how seniors and dogs just fit together. Dogs bring happiness, a routine, and someone to talk to (who mostly listens). If shelters keep shutting their doors to older adopters, it leaves a lot of good people out in the cold, and a lot of dogs without a super companion in an older person.
There’s room for improvement regarding these restrictions. There are so many pups waiting to find their forever home. After Charlie and Tuco crossed The Bridge, I vowed to only rescue from that point on… and I have.
If you’re a senior thinking about welcoming a canine companion to your home, please consider rescuing one of the countless potential pals out there. I hope you can find a shelter who welcomes your big heart.
You might make eye contact with the one you were meant to save. That’s usually how it happens. ❤️ 🐕
Please think about the pros and cons of rescuing or buying a pup. If you decide not to, that’s fine, of course.
You can grab a bag of treats from the Nakery. Drop me a line or give me a call. I’ll create a gift card for you. Perhaps you want to send a birthday gift to a family member’s pup. :)
