|
|
|
|
 |
| Golden Oldies – The
Joys of a Grey Muzzle |
It
is a sad fact of life that older dogs are often overlooked by potential
rehomers and are left in rescue, while pups and younger dogs get
all the attention and forever homes. These older dogs, so often
overlooked, are in desperate need of a home in which to enjoy their
final years.
Of course most people find puppies and young dogs irresistibly
cute, with their huge eyes and boundless energy.
Personally I melt at a greying muzzle and gentle gaze as much
as others melt at puppy eyes. Puppies require a lot of hard
work if you want to end up with a well behaved and balanced
companion. Yes, raising a young pup has its rewards but rehoming
an oldie has many rewards too, that should not be underestimated. |
|
Sadly many older dogs in rescue are there through no fault of their
own. Many have had elderly owners who can no longer care for them,
owners that have passed away or have had to leave their homes, unable
to take their beloved companion with them. Sometimes the older dog
can end up homeless because of divorce, a new baby, or other changes
in home circumstances. Even more upsetting are the cases of dogs
who end up in rescue simply because they are old and the owners
trade them in for a younger dog. These poor dogs have committed
only one crime, to grow old.
Adult dogs and oldies are great for people who want to bypass those
crazy puppy years. Many people forget or do not realise how much
hard work a young pup can be. Depending on your experiences or circumstances,
you may not have the inclination, time or energy to go through all
that puppy lark.
| Older
dogs can be such fantastic companions and can be very suited
to families that might not otherwise be able to take on say
a younger dog. Older dogs are often content to have a cosy
warm place to sleep and relax during the day. They don’t
need intensive full on care and attention, socialising and
toilet training. They won’t be teething so are unlikely
to chew everything in sight, they won’t demand your
constant attention and they won’t need long walks twice
a day. Of course there are exceptions. Some older dogs are
still fit and active. There really is an oldie to suit anybody. |
|
Golden oldies will most likely have benefited from some kind of
training in the past and they tend to be calmer and more relaxed,
content with quiet companionship. And again, it is important to
bear in mind that these older dogs are often in rescue for reasons
other than behavioural problems or faults of their own.
Imagine the shock of finding yourself in a rescue centre after years
of life in a family home. These oldies are often confused and pining,
in unfamiliar surroundings. It is so heartbreaking.
Taking
on an oldie does not mean that you will only have a few months or
years with your new friend. Many years of happy companionship can
be yours, together. Do not fear if your rescued oldie comes to you
with a few bad habits. You most certainly can teach an old dog new
tricks. In the confusion of a new home, toilet training can sometimes
be temporarily forgotten with an oldie, as it can with any rehomed
dog, but this is only part and parcel of upheaval and is often easily
sorted out with kindness and a little time.
Oldies
do of course come with an increased likelihood of age health problems.
If you speak to the rescue organisation you may find that that can
offer some assistance.
| Do
not write off the oldies and do not underestimate the feel-good
factor that comes with rehoming a previously overlooked dog.
Oldies are so grateful for a loving home and they will show
it. There is such joy to be had from witnessing their transformation.
Puppies, like children, often take you and their loving home
for granted. You really cannot underestimate the pleasure
you get as an adopter of an older dog, knowing you have given
this elderly animal a warm, loving home during their final
years. The love they will give you in return cannot be bought
in a pet shop or from a breeder. |
|
If
you already have a younger dog and are considering a companion for
them, an oldie could be the perfect choice. An older dog can make
a great companion for a younger dog who might be insecure or excitable.
The maturity of an older dog can have a calming and reassuring influence.
In fact, the older dog can have a similar affect on his human companions.
It is very relaxing to sit quietly, enjoying the sedate company
of your golden oldie.
An
older dog can be the answer if you yourself are getting on in years.
Older age need not mean the end of dog ownership. In fact, dog ownership
has so many health benefits and is great for a persons well being.
You can slow down and grow old together. Studies strongly suggest
that companion animals significantly improve the lives of older
people and pet owners are often shown to be more satisfied with
life than non-pet owners. The benefits of caring for a pet are physical,
psychological and social. Getting older should not have to mean
giving up things that are important, such as dog ownership. Paring
oldies with OAPs can have great benefits all round.
Some
people understandably worry about only having their adopted oldie
for a few years. The thought of heart ache looms. But try not to
let that put you off adopting an oldie. Even a dog who is 8 years
old at adoption can live for another 6 or so years, depending on
breed. Those years you do have together could be the best the dog
has had in his or her life, and possibly yours too. Concentrate
on the good times you can have together and the happiness you have
given to a deserving dog. The oldie will never have those last few
blissful years without your help.
Charities
Some dog charities are devoted specifically to finding homes for
the older dog while other large dog rescue charities have a high
amount of oldies in their care.
|
Dogs Trust, the
UK largest dog rehoming charity, has approximately one fifth
of their dogs over the age of 7 years. Rescue dogs love you
more, rescue oldies love you even more, says Dogs Trust. The
Oakfield Old Dogs Home is a Dogs Trust retirement home for
OADs (old-age dogs). The Oakfield Oldies are available of
course for adoption but also for sponsoring. |
|
|
Of particular note is the Oldies
Club, a dog rescue run solely by volunteers that specialises
in rescuing and rehoming older dogs aged 7 years plus. |
|
To find
out more about Oldies Club visit www.dfordog.co.uk/charities_oldies_club.htm
“Although
often overlooked, older dogs make great pets” says the club’s
publicity officer Jules Haworth.
UK national dog adoption and rescue dog rehoming website Dogs
Blog feature rescue dogs from more than 60 charities and
rescue centres across the UK.
|
|
On their
website you can specifically search for dogs 6
years plus.
How you can help
Next time you consider a rescue, think seriously about adopting
an oldie. Help spread the word about what fantastic companions oldies
make.
Consider helping by fostering an older dog. Older dogs need and
deserve to be in a loving home environment and you really will be
helping them to find new homes. If you are not in a position to
foster or rehome an oldie, you can still help by offering your time
or by sponsoring a dog. |
Real Life - Owner Stories
In
March 2006, we adopted two SBT X oldies to join our SBT Tess, then
nearly 6. Tammy was 10 and Tyson, 9. They had been rescued from
a flat where they had been living in a bathroom. Because of the
conditions they had been kept in, we had to toilet train them. It
required patience, but after about 3 weeks they were clean. They
were also very fearful when out in the street, but in time, they
realised that nobody was going to hurt them. During this time, they
would always welcome anyone who came to visit, with love. None of
this was their fault, it was the way they had been living before.
Tammy died in January 2009, aged 13, and I truly believe that her
last 3 years were the happiest she'd ever had. They showed us unconditional
love from day one. Tyson continues to do well, and lives happily
with Tess, who, at 9 1/2, is an oldie herself now. Would
I adopt an oldie again. YES, in a heartbeat.
Submitted by Sue - London, UK
Bud
came to live with me when he was around the age of 10. During the
previous 3 years he had been in and out of Dogs Trust 3 times -
surely there must have been some major problem with him??? No!!!!!!!!!
He had lived on the streets for a while so his scavenging trait
was strong to start with but he soon realised I became upset when
he wandered off and stopped.
Alice was around 8 when she came as a short term foster for the
Oldies Club. Within a couple of days she had persuaded me that in
fact she was in her forever home.
Toastie
was at least 10 when he was dumped and taken to the safety of Dogs
Trust. In fact the vets think he could have been up to 4 years older
than that.
All
of these dogs settled beautifully into life at my house, mixed with
my other dogs (large and small, young and old) and ALL of them passed
their assessments to become Pets as Therapy dogs, bringing unconditional
love to lots of people who they visited. Toastie (along with my
greyhound) was involved in therapy for a little boy who had been
scared by a dog, who went on to become confident enough to stroke
calm dogs.
Submitted by Georgina - West Wales
Sadly
no longer with us we adopted Kim aged 10 years. Her older owners
had passed away. One of our collies had died suddenly looking for
a rescue dog and border collie rescue passing comment we will not
be able to rehome this dog because of her age. We drove from Hessle
where we lived to Sheffiels to visit this girl in her temporary
home. All she wanted to do was bring us her ball, did we want to
play... yes we did. We had 5 happy years with her, she taught us
lots of games. Kim loved our other collie Blue. I would say she
was a joy and we are happy to have shared our lives with her. No
regrets and yes we would do it again.
Submitted by Mary and Steve Jefferson - Isle of South
Uist
We took
in an oldie Zack he was the most adorable labrador. Alas we only
had him 6 months but he had a great 6 months and so did we. Then
we took on an old cat we had her for 4 years we lost her last week
she was grand old lady of 16, and yes I would still have another
oldie.
Submitted by Maureen Wilkinson - Spennymoor
In June
of this year my two and a half year old Staffy pup died from an
undiagnosed congenital heart defect. As dog lovers and owners I
do not need to describe the pain and loss we felt. Following Lolly's
death I vowed 'never again'. I packed Lolly's things to donate to
the dog rescue centre. I liked the thought of her things going to
dogs in need. When I was there I thought I would just have a little
look at the dogs ...... The first pen I looked in had the most comical,
most grey, most endearing and adorable Staffy face looking back
at me. That is when Arnold decided he would own me. I cannot begin
to describe the delight he has bought to our house. Arnold was found
as a stray with a terrible wound on his leg. He is estimated to
be 10 - 11yrs old. I am currently looking for a suitable elderly
lady friend for him - Oldies Rock!
Submitted by Claire - Hampshire
We've
adopted five Oldies from Dogs Trust in the last three years.
The first was Dixie, still with us and now 16 years old, then
a few weeks later we adopted Missy. She was a sad case - had
been kept in a garage because she smelled. This was true,
she did, but the smell was caused by a skin complaint. Treatment
helped her a lot and she gradually changed from being a sad
itchy dog to one that loved her runs, playing ball and swimming
with Dixie. After she died we adopted Candy, aged now 13 who
is still going strong, and Deano (about 14) who unfortunately
died after we had only had her six weeks. Next dog was Ted,
(a big crossbreed) who had been a stray. We guessed his age
as about 14. He was a very loving old boy that we had for
18 months. So - to sum up - taking on an Oldie is definitely
worth it. It's very sad when a dog dies, but we recognised
from the beginning that we would probably only have them for
a short time. I would still definitely recommend adopting
an Oldie - they're Special!
Submitted by Chris McGrath - Blackpool
Gizmo
was one of the 186 dogs that was taken from a house in Manchester
after being caged for three years. He was thankfully taken
to the Dogs Trust Merseyside. He was homed twice and returned
to the Dogs Trust as there was no interaction. We had not
long lost another 'oldie' dog and when we saw Gizmo we knew
he was for us.
As we had so many dogs from Dogs Trust they agreed we could
take Gizmo home. For many months we found him very hard work
as he was traumatised from being caged, so we had a behavourist
come to him for nearly a year, and working together we could
see a way forward for Gizmo, it was just going to be a lot
of hard work and oh so much love.
We really adore him, even with all his problems. The slightest
noise he would run and hide, this would have been great if
it was for fun but it was sheer fear. At this time Gizmo was
five years old and we were offered a shit-zu, who was going
to the Dogs Trust. We thought this may be our answer to Gizmos,
having another playmate to be with. It took time but they
really turned out to be the best of friends, Gizmo doing everything
Benson did, they were wonderful watch. We were lucky to have
Gizmo for another 10 years but sadly he had heart failure
last year and we had him cremated, but we think it is time
to look for another oldie for Benson and ourselves. We have
so much love to give and it has to be an oldie for us. I know
we will soon find a little dog to love, it's just having to
travel halfway round the country if we see that special dog,
but we understand the reasons.
Submitted by Wendy Austridge - St Helens, Merseyside
|
| ©
D for Dog www.dfordog.co.uk |
|
|
