Best senior companion may be a senior dog

My older dog died and now I have a new one. However, this time I didn't look for a pup, I took my time and selected an older animal. A number of my younger friends have asked me why I didn't select a puppy; especially since there are practically no dogs in rescue in the breed I have trained and lived with for over 35 years.

Yes, I could have had my pick of pups in my favorite breed, but I felt that an older dog would be best. As it turned out, it was not only good for me, but it was good for the dog that went directly from one home to another. A little confusing to the dog, but nothing like being transported to rescue headquarters, then to foster care, then out to a potential home where it may or may not stay.

Why was it a bit confusing to this dog? Because I went directly to a groomer who gave him a bath and comb out, trimmed his nails, checked his ears and emptied his anal glands. He arrived at my house in this pristine condition only to be driven to the doctor for a complete check-up. With his clean bill of health, he finally settled in and I found that he was already housebroken, had manners, and knew the commands "Sit" and "Down" although he is a bit rusty on the "Stay" command.

Puppies require lots of care

Now if I had selected a puppy, guess what I would be doing? 1) Potty training; 2) cleaning up mistakes; 3) teaching the various commands. Yes, I miss the puppy antics, but the ability to leave the room and return with everything in place and not chewed is reward enough for selecting an older dog.

When planning this column, I went on the Internet and looked up some articles on senior dogs. There was one called "Senior Dogs Living with Senior Citizens" by Pam Bishop, 1994. One comment I had not thought of is, "Any puppy requires a lot of time and training. Their lives are moving at a different speed from a senior."

Bishop feels that "both the human and the dog need someone in their lives." She also points out that even though it is traumatic for a human to lose a canine companion of many years, it is devastating for an adult dog to lose his life-time owner. Bishop feels that "often the best decision is to put these two seniors together."

This brings to mind a study reported on the Internet on WebMD Medical News. The study consisted of groups of seniors in nursing homes given "animal-assisted therapy" for their loneliness, using a specially trained dog. Another group of seniors was also given the same amount of time with the dog, only theirs was individualized. The results: "The residents found a little quiet time with the dog is a lot nicer than spending time with a dog and other people," a surprise to the researchers.

Reference: www.amnews.com

Return to the index...

This article has been viewed 4875 times.