No signs of slowing down: Senior dogs make great canine companions

Each year, thousands of dogs over the age of seven land in shelters. While some arrive as strays, many senior canines are dumped by their families.

The Grey Muzzle Organization, a Raleigh, N.C., group that rescues homeless senior dogs, reports owners commonly cite moving, the inability or the unwillingness to take care of medical issues and the death of a caregiver among the reasons these older dogs are abandoned.

Once they arrive at shelters, their age, medical condition and sometimes temperament make older dogs appear unadoptable and at high risk for euthanasia.

To draw attention to the problem and the potential senior dogs have to become great pets, animal advocates have named November Adopt-a-Senior-Dog month.

Even at the young age of 28 herself, New Mexico resident Paula Johns has a sincere appreciation for senior canine companions.

In 2009, Johns was in optometry school in Alabama, a few states away from her family in the Bayou State. Her demanding schedule and the uncertainty of a post-graduation locale made her hesitant to commit to a puppy or young, high-energy dog. However, on a visit home, Johns met Abby, a dog her family was fostering for Gulf South Golden Retriever Rescue (GSGRR). Over the break, they bonded. Soon after, Johns officially adopted Abby.

The nine-year-old female golden retriever had been relinquished to the rescue by her New Orleans owner. She is one of 31 senior goldens the non-profit has rescued and rehomed since 2009. Typically, seniors make up 10% of GSGRR’s rescues in any year.

“It breaks my heart that it’s harder to get [older] dogs adopted,” says Johns. “They’ve been through so much. They’re so sweet, and you can tell they appreciate what you do for them.”

Like other senior dog adopters, Johns is quick to extol the virtues of owning an older dog. First, most seniors arrive with house manners—completely housebroken and well beyond the chewing and jumping stage. Generally speaking, they are much calmer and require less intense exercise than their younger counterparts. That’s attractive to families with full schedules who don’t have an hour to exercise their best buddies and don’t want the guilt of plopping on the couch after a long day with an active animal awaiting excitement.

With older dogs, what potential adopters see is pretty much what they get. Besides the potential adopter’s personal experience with the dog during an adoption event or visit, reputable rescues are delighted to provide an honest assessment of the dog’s personality. That means senior dog adopters avoid playing puppy roulette: trying to guess the personality and size of a dog based on a few visits with a beguiling, but still developing baby animal.

And, while some old dogs may be set in their ways, others are delighted to learn new tricks such as to sit and shake.

“[Older dogs] take people cues very well, [because they have] spent more years around people than a younger dog,” explains Paula’s mother, GSGRR Adoption Coordinator Diane Johns. “Toby [her current 11-year-old foster] will do anything for a treat and [is] so easy to train. I have taught him not to go out the front door when it’s open, to sit waiting for his food and to be gentle taking pills from my hands.”

Of course, the same traits that make senior dogs such wonderful pets can also be their greatest disadvantage. For example, while it’s great to adopt a dog who doesn’t take the owners grass skiing on every outing, a slow gait could be just the sign of maturity, a little arthritis or a sign of spinal stenosis or hip dysplasia. So, adopters need to be prepared for medical expenses. Once a diagnosis is made, some health issues can be easily and inexpensively controlled with medication.

In addition, “You realize that this dog won’t be around as long as a puppy or younger dog,” says Paula Johns. “So you have to be prepared to make some tough decisions sooner rather than later.”

Still, Abby lived to 11 and, John’s current golden, Bogey, shows no signs of slowing down at age 13.

“If anyone is thinking of adopting an older dog,” Paula Johns says, “I’d say go for it. They have so much love to give. The benefits outweigh the disadvantages.”

For more information about adopting a golden retriever, visit www.gulfsouthgoldens.com.

YelpBR! offers adoptable canine companions in a variety of ages and sizes including:

Rosetta is a gorgeous, lanky female hound mix.

Famous is a beautiful adult male Springer spaniel mix.

Margie is a small female adult beagle.

Shaq is a large adult male terrier mix.

London is a young male poodle mix.

Buster is a large adult male German shepherd mix.

These great dogs have all been vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped and heartworm tested.

Many other puppies and dogs are available at Yelp!BR. yelpbr.com, Facebook.com/YelpBR.