When I was looking for a special dog at the shelter, like many people, I considered adopting a puppy or young dog. I thought that I would be able to bond closer with a young dog and shape it's character as it grew through training, attention, and lots of love. But for some reason, my mind shifted gears and took a different path: perhaps I should adopt an older dog.
Why, I asked myself? Well, I tend to root for the "underdog" (no pun intended). And, the older dogs are often overlooked. There are many myths people have about adopting older dogs such as: Could there be medical problems? Could there be re-training issues? You will have less time with them because of their age. Well, bottom line for me was that all those myths could be connected to any dog of any age, not just an older dog. I wanted to debunk those myths.
The value and beauty that I saw in an older dog was that it would be more relaxed, settled, and accepting of change. I've seen just as many younger dogs with health issues as I have with older dogs. And sure, an older dog might need to be retrained in some areas; however, many puppies and young dogs often require lengthy and ultra-patient training. It really depends on the individual character and temperament of the dog, not the age of the dog.
As for having less time with an older dog, while you may not have an extra 15 years of life as a puppy might, you gain a lot knowing what a precious gift it is to give to an older dog -- a loving, safe, stable "forever home" where it can live out the rest of it's life in comfort, security, and warmth. Isn't that what we humans would want when we get elderly?
With that logic in mind, I searched for an older dog. And I found one at the Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV). Within minutes, I knew what to name her -- Sweetie. And she lives up to that name in every way, every day.
Sweetie was estimated at 8 years old because her chin was already gray. She was just a little "plain Jane" dog lying in the corner of her kennel quietly snoozing. Sweetie is a black lab mix, gentle, relaxed, mellow, and very accepting of change and life. She is wonderful around children, cats, and other dogs. She likes to groom kittens by licking their ears and is loving and docile.
Everyone who meets her calls her "sweetie" without realizing that is her real name because she loves to greet people with wagging tail and "dancing spirit". Upon touch, she automatically rolls over for her tummy to be scratched. It seems like she wears a constant smile on her face!
I'm so fortunate to have Sweetie in my life. Her mellow temperament, older age, and maturity fit perfectly in a house with cats and with visiting friends and children. But, I am the one who has benefited the most from having an older dog in my life. She truly has brought calm, balance, and unconditional love into my life.
In 2006, we celebrated Sweetie’s sixth year of being part of my family, making her 14 years old. Sweetie has been my best friend, through thick and thin, and always greets me with an excited wagging tail and sparkle in her eyes. I told her she has to stick around another 14 years as my best pal. She just looks at me with a doggy smile and wags her tail. I'm taking that as a "Yes, I'll be around". I'm so happy that we found each other at HSSV.
By: Tonya