There is something special and beautiful about the love of a senior dog. Although it's said often that they are the ones passed over in shelters, I wonder how many really understand what having an older dog is.
Fifteen years ago we brought home a puppy, an exceptional girl that became a therapy dog, teacher, friend and a truly special part of our lives. She is the one we said goodbye to the day after Thanksgiving; the one that took a piece of my heart along with her. Recently I realized I'm still looking for her and missing something....I think it's the love of an older dog.
This past week, stuck inside during the cold weather, I endlessly removed items not designated as toys from the "pups". They aren't babies at all, one is three and the other four years old, yet they are into everything. Both rescues, for the first time in over a decade we have a pair of young dogs. I'm a teacher again, working with lively, curious young ones....and I'm thinking back in time.
Bringing home our Princess in 1998 was magical for us as young, new dog parents. And stressful. We worked on house training with little success for almost a year, consulting everyone we knew, asking for advice. Turns out basset hounds may excel in the stubbornness category but once they learn something, they have it. Seeing so many available dogs in the 8+ category, how different might it be to bypass the puppy stage and instead rescue an older pet we wondered.
We came to know of a woman who took in senior basset hounds. Many she kept as her home was a retirement facility, a calm, loving place for older, unwanted dogs. We viewed her pictures and posts about the hounds, as young and perhaps clueless owners we now learned the truth that people can and do dump their animals just because they get old. We wanted to offer a good home to a senior too, so a few years later we adopted an 8yr old.
Daisy was challenging, had been abused, was food aggressive and defensive towards other dogs. We consulted rescues and behavior experts, trying to understand and manage her issues, then we adopted again, a beautiful 10yr old whose owner was terminally ill. We became a substitute mom to give someone peace of mind that her baby would be loved and cared for. Things work in strange ways and nine months later when her owner passed, Brittany was gone within 24 hours.
Since then there have been other amazing dogs who came to us much later in their lives - the "Golden Girls" we called them. There is something about the wisdom of their eyes; they see life differently and perhaps are more grateful for love. These dogs, it's my belief, know they were chosen over younger and perhaps more "fun" options. They "get" it. Louise was another incredible hound that at 12yrs old marched to the beat of her own drum, but in a prickly kind of way still loved us. She didn't mingle much with the rest and would retire to the bedroom early each night, perhaps as her former owner may have? But the love in her eyes was there....she knew she'd been picked over a puppy.
They aren't perfect. There are accidents, more frequent trips outdoors during the night, medications, vet visits. And somehow they merge into your life - watching from the sidelines as the younger dogs wrestle and play, yet always there to make sure they are noticed and loved. You learn new languages with the older ones; perhaps hand signals when they go deaf, or gentle shoves from a nose rather than a bark. Some of my favorite moments I can remember is lying with my seniors as they placed their face to mine with wordless love.
They do everything young dogs do, just maybe a little less. We'd go for walks sometimes with all ages, dragging an empty red wagon for the return trip. They celebrate our arrival home every night and when they take longer to leisurely munch their food we just offer them a separate dining area. It's not hard. It's just a little different.
Someone I knew said it perfectly upon the passing of her dog; "the wisest soul I ever knew". With age comes wisdom and we've had some of the best. No home should be without an older dog, and watching children learn respect for pets of ALL ages, in my humble opinion is critical. If we show kids that only a puppy is worth getting, perhaps that silently sends a message that not all animals are valuable. And they are. In our home the younger dogs learn to sit and allow the older dog to go in and out of the house first. The seniors are taken outside to meet friends and family before the other dogs so they have "their time". They've earned it.
Back to this week. I miss my girl. What I wouldn't give to look over and see a face white with age, take a separate slower stroll just to match her pace, lie nose to nose once more. We are blessed to have younger dogs in our lives now; it was something we said we wanted, having lost several elder dogs far too close together to bear. Too many losses we agreed were hard; we'd adopt younger next time, and we did. And for the first time in so many years, there's no wise senior in our home. It's too soon for us to consider another one just yet as saying goodbye to our Princess was heartbreaking. But we will.
I hope you'll consider saving an older pet. Until you've seen the gratitude in their eyes you have not lived. And everyone of all ages can benefit from seeing life through their eyes. I know this is long, and it is written through tears, but if one person reading this opens their home to a senior it will be worth it. It's not to have people offer condolences on a loss but rather about love of all ages, sometimes overlooked.
Thank you for reading. 💛🧡🩷
