Decision : to get an older dog or not ?

Thank you all for your information and suggestion ... now know a bit more about some breeds we were looking here at humane societies as well as rescue organizations ... thank you.

Older dogs rock! I'm NOT a puppy person whatsoever. We have two adopted rescues, Maddie and Kramer. Maddie was 2-3 when we adopted her four years ago, and Kramer was about a year old when we adopted him earlier this year (we were told he was older and were shocked when we found out he was still a baby!). In the past, I've adopted a 4 year old lab (he lived to be 11 yrs. old) and also a 9 year old Golden (who lived to be 17!), as well as several middle-aged to senior boxers (4-9 years old). We've also fostered senior dogs, and I LOVE them! The worst dogs we've had at the beginning are a young beagle/bassett and a 4-5 month old black lab (although the black lab turned out to be one of the BEST dogs we've ever had, once he matured, around age 4 and who lived to be 14.5 years old!).

I'd aim for a 12-30 pound dog, anywhere between 3-5 years old - perfect in my mind.

We got Sam at 2 years old after losing our Jack Russell.
We were in search of a puppy that would shed very little. Sam came along and we took him from deplorable conditions and he is the joy of my wife and I. He is a shipoo and he is so laid back and is attached to me. I think if you can find an easy going older pet, I say go for it.
We just never thought we would get a 2 year old but glad we did.

We have had 4 dogs - all older when they were adopted. All were a joy to have and we were the lucky ones to have them. 3 have passed away now and it sure did hurt, but we were blessed to be able to spend the last few years with them. They were 10, 7, 14 and 8 when adopted. We wouldn't change a thing of our experiences with them.

We lost our two large dogs last year (the 13 year old Golden in January and the five year old Lab/Chessie in April). They had camped with us all their lives. We managed to make it until June without a dog and started looking. We are both older (69 and 74), but knew that we were not at the point where a small dog was right for us.

The first dog that caught my eye was a rescue from the floods in Houston. I contacted the rescue, filled out all the paperwork, spoke with the woman on the phone, and was told that the dog was not right for us because we were "too old" for such an active dog (he was about 60 pounds). We were not amused.

The week after that I found a year and a half old, almost 90 pound, Lab at a shelter near us. He was completely untrained and had been returned to the shelter by the first family who adopted him because they thought he was "totally uncontrollable". We picked him up the next day. He was definitely a handful and didn't even know what sit meant. This past year has been devoted entirely to making Ollie into the best dog ever. He camps with us and loves it.

He is probably the smartest Lab we have ever had (and we've had several).

We found that when we had our old dogs, a ramp was the best way to load them into the pickup and for Murphy, who only had three legs, the best way to help him into the trailer. We use the ramp for Ollie to get in and out of the pickup, even though he is perfectly capable of jumping in and out. Not going to chance joint problems that can be avoided.

I guess what I am trying to say, is you will find the dog that is right for you, and when you see him or her, you will just know it's right. For us, a little past puppy stage was best, and even though he needs plenty of exercise, that's good for us, too.

I can't tell you anything about the breeds you mentioned, but I can say that getting a dog that's already housebroken and/or partially trained can be a lot less stressful. We have 2 Springer spaniels, Jake and Jesse. Jesse was 8 weeks old when we got him and we had to go through the whole housebreak routine. Long story, but Jake was 5 months old when we got him, housebroken and almost completely obedience trained. It was so much easier on everyone. Go adopt an older dog when you are ready. I doubt you will regret it.

RoadXYZ wrote:

Know that any dog has its issues .. but wondering how at our age how can we 'handle' a larger dog which needs assistance, whereby is a smaller dog like a Yorkie better .. or ? glad to get the responses about checking out those older dogs in Rescue Groups ... will continue to listen/read on with responses ... thank you

We've mostly had medium to large dogs. But our last addition was a Shih Tzu (four years old now). We're "only" 53 and 56, but I knew that in not many more years we wouldn't want to/wouldn't be able to be lifting an elderly, arthritic 30+ pound dog in and out of the RV multiple times a day when traveling. DH is a good sized guy, but helping our old Brittany (about 47 pounds) in and out of the RV got old fast. It's SO easy to scoop up the little Shih Tzu (who is actually on the big side for his breed). So I'd say you're on the right track looking for a smaller dog. A two to four year old should be perfect--settled down but still young enough to give you many years of companionship. Good luck!

With the exception of 4 years in the USAF and 4 years in college, I have never been without a dog. Never more than one but one none-the-less. I hold each one's memory near and dear to my heart. IMHO, our lives are so much richer having a loyal friend to come home to. Now, my better half? meh - not so much. I worked in a field where I seen death and mayhem on a constant basis. I got used to the inhumanity dealt out to men. When it comes to dogs? A whole other story! We have a mini-schnauzer. They are very smart and loyal dogs. Personality Plus! A rescue dog would be a great friend. Schnauzers have a history of digestion problems so NO human food - just a good quality dry dog food. Good luck whichever one choose.

If concerned about "handling" dogs with issues, I'd stick to dogs under 30lbs. I don't think you necessarily have to go to the smallest breeds. The smallest breeds tend to be more needy. A 15-30lb will be more independent (and more likely to be good about housebreaking) but still well within your capabilities for walking, controlling, etc.

Also, with an older dog, don't necessarily rule out larger. That's the great thing about adopting older - you can actually see how they are. I've known some 60+lb dogs that were perfect for folks who didn't think they could handle a large dog. The dogs were very calm and easy going, well trained on the leash, very obedient, and didn't have issues. Likewise, I've known small dogs who can and will drag a person through the streets.

I would worry less about the actual breed(s) and more about the temperament. One thing to remember is that dogs go through a "I wanna be adopted" phase. The first few weeks in a new home, the dog will be shyer, more easy going, etc. - they're trying to be really really good so you don't send them away. Once they get used to your home and they see you love them, they will stretch the envelope a bit trying to see what you'll allow. Their personalities will really start to show at that point. Remember this when talking to foster homes - how long have they had the dog in their home? If only a few days, then the dog hasn't relaxed yet and is on "especially good behavior". There are a few exceptions to this, but they are the more energetic dogs that you probably won't be interested in anyway. For most, the change isn't usually drastic but personality issues like not wanting to pee outside, stealing food, etc. won't usually show until they pass this point.

Also, don't worry if the dog seems attached to its foster parent. That's a good sign - it means the dog will attach to you. I had one foster dog who wouldn't even acknowledge a potential parent unless I left the room. Found a great guy to adopt her and he was really worried about that. I just kept reassuring him and told him to "give her a try". He got her in the car and drove home. He called me then to say "as soon as we turned onto the street from the driveway, she had her head cuddled up to me". She ended up full-timing in a 5er for the rest of her life and was the pride of his life (he even named her after his mother).

It's all good. Keep an open mind and listen to what the foster parents/adoption counselors don't say - if they don't talk about barking, ask; if they don't talk about housetraining, ask. And if you feel like they're pushing the dog on you, run away (yes, some folks will do that because they want to get the dog a home - even if it's not the right home). At the same time, if they try to steer you away from a particular dog, it's not that you're a bad home, it's that the dog is not a good fit for you. Trust them on that.