Your Humane Society Dog
Why would you want to adopt an older dog?
You may be considering an older dog from the humane society for one of the following reasons:
- Perhaps your coworker or neighbor is begging you to take the wonderful dog that they can’t keep, like the cocker spaniel that was advertised recently in my company’s Intranet bulletin board.
- Or your child would love to have a dog, but you don’t have time to housebreak and train a puppy.
- Or there just seems to be something missing in your home since your last canine friend passed on to the great beyond. You need an older dog like the one you lost.
- Or you feel vulnerable in your home without a dog to guard your property or your person.
- Or you already have a dog, and it needs some company while you’re at work. Your present dog wouldn’t accept the antics of a puppy, but he would appreciate an older canine friend.
- Or you would like to become involved in the local agility trials and need a dog who will be a winning partner.
There are hundreds of reasons why you might want a dog for your household, and there are many reasons why that dog should come to you full-grown. Admittedly, puppies are cute, but puppies aren’t housebroken, they’re full of energy, they need to chew, and they’re frightened and lonely while you’re away at work. They cry in the middle of the night, piddle on your carpet, and eat your best shoes. If you have the time and energy for all this, you’ll love your puppy anyway.
In fact, if you work at home or if you’re retired, a puppy can be a perfect choice.
On the other hand, an older dog is often a better choice, for a number of reasons.
If you are older, the rambunctious energy of a puppy could be so overwhelming that you simply won’t be able to tolerate it. And a puppy underfoot may not be safe if you have any physical limitations. A senior dog will have many years of love left, and will enjoy sitting in front of the fire or lying at your feet. For an older person, an 8-year-old dog (or even older) may be the only rational choice.
Even if you’re younger, fully-grown dogs have much to recommend them. For instance, if an adult dog has been properly socialized in his previous environment he will come to your home pre-housetrained and civilized. If you have children to care for or if you work during the day, potty training a puppy could be that one extra job that you simply don’t have time or patience for. Some older dogs are not housebroken, though, so this is something that you should ask about when you’re picking out your dog.
If you’re looking for a partner to help you train for the marathon, you’ll need an older dog. A puppy takes time to grow up, and your race will be over before he’s old enough to help you train. Here in Portland the Humane Society volunteers take the shelter dogs running with them, and they score the dogs’ behavior to help future owners choose the perfect fitness partner. Your local shelter may have a similar program. If you buy an older dog today, he can accompany you on your run tomorrow morning. You can’t do that with a pup.
Even if you aren’t an athlete, walking has been shown to be one of the best exercises for weight loss and health. Unfortunately, we don’t get out and walk very much – and our waistlines show it. If you need some motivation to get out and walk, an older dog will provide this on the first day he comes home.
Many older dogs have been trained to walk on a leash and come when called. In fact, you may find a dog with even more specialized training in hunting, agility, or other pursuits, even at the pound.
My Border collie, for instance, was a master tennis ball fetcher with 9 years of experience in the trade before I brought her home from the pound. She also knew how to sit, stay, come, roll over (but only half-way), and was willing to learn new commands when she moved into my house. The idea that old dogs can’t learn new tricks is only true of those dogs who didn’t have the opportunity to “learn how to learn” when they were younger. Like people, most dogs can go on learning through old age.
If you need an older dog with specialized skills, you may want to contact a local breeder or breed rescue organization to see if they have the dog you need.
Even if you just want a friend or companion, an older dog may be a better choice than a puppy. If you choose the right dog, he’ll meet your needs immediately, without the fuss and bother that comes with a pup.
Many people have found that an older dog can offer wonderful emotional support, exactly when you need it. A dog (or cat) can help you through a depressing time in your life, stand by your side while you recover from a major illness, or give you someone to care about when you need to take your mind off your own problems.
Dianne found her perfect companion in the local animal shelter. Oscar, an Airedale-wolfhound cross, gave Dianne the companionship she needed after the loss of her husband, and then happily re-adjusted when Dianne met and married my father. A puppy could not have done the same job because Dianne works, (as most of us do), and she would not have had the time or energy for a puppy. She needed a friend, and a partner – Oscar was ready and willing to play that role, right from the start. Characteristics and temperament- one of the best reasons to get an adult dog
There is another very important reason for finding an older dog, rather than starting from “scratch” with a puppy, but if you aren’t a professional dog handler you may not have thought of it.
As Lora Goode, an animal care technician for Multnomah County Animal Control puts it, “With an older dog, what you see is what you get.” That cute little puppy, on the other hand, may grow into a dog that you didn’t expect, and may not want – he may even become an animal that you can’t afford to keep.
No matter how carefully you raise a puppy, much of his behavior and temperament is “hard wired” by his genetic makeup. We don’t want to believe this – we want to believe that our pup will grow into a perfect dog if we just love him enough. And we also want to believe that the snarling or cringing beast we see at the local animal shelter got that way because someone was mean to him. Or maybe the poor dog just needs some more training. But it just ain’t so.
Sue Sternberg, an author, shelter owner and dog temperament expert, uses an excellent analogy in her book Successful Dog Adoption. She points out that Theodore Kaczynski was raised by loving parents and educated at Harvard before becoming the serial killer known as the Unabomber. Some people, and some dogs, are not safe.
When all dogs were working dogs (even those dogs working as pets in a palace), dogs were quite often sold or traded after they were fully grown and their talents and personalities had already become apparent. A pup that was raised to adulthood had to show his stuff, and had to be safe, or he never lived long enough to breed. Unfortunately, many people now believe that every dog should find its way into someone’s loving home.
No back-yard breeders (and few “professional” breeders) are willing to destroy unsound or unsafe puppies before they’re sold. In fact, they are usually sold at such a young age that it would be impossible to tell if they will grow into excessively dominant, aggressive or fearful dogs.
These changes in our attitude towards dogs has given our country’s animal shelters two of the jobs that used to be in the hands of farmers, hunters, and the people of every village –
1. Shelters must cull the animals that are not safe.
2. They act as a trading post where people can come to purchase ready-made dogs that can be tested for temperament, people-orientation, and personality.
Many people worry that an older dog will have medical problems, or require more expense than a younger dog. It is true, obviously, that dogs that have lived for several years, or who have even reached old age, will have a greater likelihood of chronic illnesses. This is just as true for dogs as it is for people. Some genetic illnesses, however, such as hip dysplasia and other joint abnormalities, may actually be less likely if you get an older dog.
For an excellent overview of the health requirements of older dogs, and what you can do to give your older dog a long and happy life, I highly recommend Complete Care for Your Aging Dog, by Amy D. Shojai.
And just for fun - how to draw dragons, gryphons, unicorns, and the three-headed dog from the Harry Potter Books.
older-dog.com
© 2004 Jonni Good
Published by Wet Cat eBooks
4556 NE 98th Ave.
Portland, OR 97220