Would you adopt an older dog? My foster dog is "about"8 yrs old. I take him to the adoption shows at Petsmart on Sundays with the doggie rescue group. He shows well, a little on the shy side. He loves all the attention. People will sit with him, pet him, talk to him. Then they will ask me "how old is he?" I tell them his age. Most responses I hear are "Oh, we are looking for a younger dog".
Honestly, I do not know if I would adopt an older dog myself. Every dog I have had we got either as a puppy,or young. One of my dogs was a yr old, the other 2 yrs when they were adopted. I can understand if you have an older dog who has recently passed you may not be interested in adopting an older dog where you are not sure how many years they have left.
My first 2 foster dogs were both young , at 2 yrs old.They seemed more wanted, then my recent foster dog.
Honestly, I do not mind fostering him for as long as it takes.
The volunteers and I often joke about what these people are missing out.
I have a dog here who is housetrained, does not chew, good with kids, good with dogs,and rarely barks. What else could you be looking for LOL...

So would you adopt an older dog? Or have you adopted an older dog?

By Tayjar on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 09:56 am:

I would adopt an older dog for the reasons you mentioned. Housetrained, doesn't chew, etc. My plan is, when the two we have pass on to doggie heaven, I am going to adopt 2 more that are older. In fact, if our one dog chews up one more down comforter, we may have an opening at my house for your foster dog.

By Yjja123 on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 10:26 am:

It is a hard call. Losing a pet is so gut wretching. You want to have as many years with a pet as possible. I appreciate the qualities of an older pet and certainly would take one that was about to be put to sleep (the main reason I do not volunteer anymore because I can't save them all). It really breaks my heart to see people have an animal for 8+ years and then give it to the shelter!
I think that there should be reduced charges for adopting older pets. That might encourage people to adopt them. Older pets are often more expensive (medical care) so if there was an incentive to adopt it might help. JMO

By Jackie on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 10:36 am:

I never understood how a family could have a dog for 8 or 9 yrs and bring it to the shelter.
Our group does not euthenize the dogs. They are in our care for life, unless adopted.The foster dog we have now was picked up as a stray about 3 hours from here. Our rescue group works closely with a lot of shelters out in the country.Unfortunately, because of lack of foster homes, the group only has room for so many dogs.
Now my foster is a stray, but I "Know" he had a family at one time. He is completely housetrained(Of course there were a few accidents here and there)but not a lot. He is so laid back,he has house manners, knows sit and shake, and we did not teach him this. He is very gentle with the kids. So something tells me he was a member of somebodys family.

By Kaye on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 11:27 am:

I think part of what shys people away is, what happened in the first 8 years. Could somebody just not handle the dog anymore? Did it's owner die and it will never love the new one the same? Questions like that.

People tend to adopt young because they feel like they can have more influence over the behaviors.

I wouldn't of thought of the medical costs, because for me puppies are so expensive!

That being said, we just "adopted" (more like inherited) a dog, she is probably 5 years old. I haven't taken her to the vet yet. I don't think she would be adoptable by others, we wouldn't have picked her. But we got to know her first, she is the sweetest baby. Of course we are having adjustment pains

By Tarable on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 12:42 pm:

I would love to adopt an older dog. I know there are a lot of questions about the past but I want the ease of not having to house train and I also want a more mellow dog (which puppies aren't). My DDs both have ADHD and having a hyper animal in the house makes thing much worse. We tried a young dog for a while and ended up having to give her to a good friend, she is a great dog but with my oldest DD figiting all the time she couldn't sit still and that drove my DH crazy.

I hope your foster dog finds a new home. I would love to have a dog like the one you are fostering. I am having trouble finding a dog because I have to find one that gets along with my cat.

By Dawnk777 on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 03:41 pm:

My sister just adopted an 8yo dog.

The Life of Riley Dog

My sister tells great stories about Riley's life!

By Nicki on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 03:59 pm:

I would be inclined to adopt an older pet. I like the fact that they may be calmer than a younger dog. And as mentioned, I feel so badly for them being displaced as an older dog.

Yvonne, I think your idea of reducing the charges for adopting an older pet is excellent.

By Yjja123 on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 04:12 pm:

Jackie it is is great that your group does not euthenize the dogs! Here they DO. There are a few rescue groups that save the ones on death row but they cannot save them all. The volume of strays are unreal here!
I have been lucky with our younger dog not costing much in medical expenses. Our older dog has medical issues and we take her to the vets often. Chow was the same. So, in my experience, the older dogs have been more expensive. Granted, WELL WORTH IT!

By Jackie on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 04:48 pm:

Yvonne, are you talking about dogs in foster homes get euthenized if not adopted? Our group pulls some dogs off of "Death row" and puts them in foster homes. They try to get the dogs who they think are more appealing. I mean they wouldnt get a dog who is in the pound because of biting somebody. Most of the foster dogs in the groups have been strays picked up and brought to the pound..
We soley work out of foster homes.

By Yjja123 on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 05:02 pm:

Sorry I am referring to ASPCA. The foster homes generally keep an animal until it is adopted. The problem is they cannot save the amount that are euthanized at the ASPCA.

By Ginny~moderator on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 05:52 pm:

We adopted Sascha at age 5 - and Rotties have a life span of around 10 years. I don't know if that qualifies as an older dog.

If I were to adopt a dog, I don't know if I'd adopt an older dog, because it is so hard to lose them. I would want an adult dog, age 2 or 3, but an 8 year old dog ... I just don't know.

I've had a lot of experience in having to have family dogs and cats put to sleep, and it is always so hard. I don't know that I would want that to be so much sooner, as it would be in adopting an older dog.

By Hol on Monday, January 22, 2007 - 07:33 pm:

I totally understand those who would not, and the reasons (especially the gut-wrenching experience of losing them). However, I would and HAVE adopted older dogs AND cats. My little pocket Beagle that I adopted a couple years ago is older, maybe 10. She was found by a very kind lady (who happens to be a dog groomer for a living) sitting on the side of a farm road. No collar; shaking. Terry stopped at some of the neighboring farms and no one recognized her. She took her to the local shelter. My girlfriend is the animal control officer and called me because she knows I LOVE Beagles. This little girl is SO cute and tiny (fifteen pounds). She looked so forlorn and scared when I met her, and her little nips were distended, like she had just weaned a litter. She was unspayed. My vet said that she thought that she belonged to a "puppy mill", backyard breeder who probably dumped her after the last litter. She had some bad habits. She wasn't house trained and had an insatiable appetite. We housebroke and crate trained her. She PREFERS to sleep in her crate, since we leave the door open during the day. My vet said that she probably lived in an outdoor cage. Once she was convinced that food would be a regular, daily occurance, she stopped hoarding. I don't know how many years she has left, but whatever she has will be happy, and she is loved.

In 1997, we adopted a Cocker Spaniel who looked so forlorn at the shelter. I think she was dumped when someone had a baby because if a baby cried on TV, she would put her ears up and look around. She panicked if she couldn't see ME. If I went donwstairs to wash clothes, she would be lying at the top of the stairs with her chin on her paws, waiting for me. (Too cute). She had "old age" warts all over her, and a very grey muzzle. She died from bloat four years TO THE DAY that we adopted her. I think she had other issues, like cancer, because she was starting to develop an odour. However, I don't regret it, and I would do it again. If I made her last four years happy, I'm glad.

I feel like Nicki...they must be so scared when they are displaced due to the death of their owner, or just not being wanted anymore. I'm happy if I can fill that gap. My friend, the ACO, tells me that you wouldn't believe how many dogs are tossed out by boyfriends or husbands, to get back at the girlfriend/wife. A person told her that on Christmas Day, they saw a man stop on the interstate and drag a Basset Hound type dog out of a car and drive away. The person was so concerned about the dog, who ran off the highway, that she didn't get a license tag number. She did, however, call animal control, and stayed in the area, hoping to catch him/her, but the dog dissappeared. The person who did that will someday, maybe not in THIS world, experience the same fear and lonliness and confusion as that poor dog. What goes around comes around.

By Nicki on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 - 05:57 am:

Hol, you have such a kind heart. Your stories about your little Beagle and Cocker Spaniel are heart wrenching, yet both have happy endings because of you. I can't imagine anyone dumping an animal on the interstate as you describe. I know it happens, but who could do this? I hope the poor Basset Hound found someone like yourself to care and love him.

By Hol on Tuesday, January 23, 2007 - 11:32 pm:

Oh, Nicki, thank you for the compliment. You would do the same thing. The joy that you get from providing happiness to another creature far outweighs the joy that they get, I think. Animals have so much love to give, and we can learn so much from them. I think they make us better people.

And, yes, to the others who have correctly stated that older dogs generally have good manners, are housebroken, many times already spayed or neutered, and are calm. As cute as puppies are, it is like having a human baby. You have to teach them everything. They cry and chew things, and can ruin your carpeting. LOL!

By Jackie on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - 08:54 am:

Last night, a 25 yr old man came over to the house to look at "Remi". He spent about an hour here. He is a single guy who lives in an apt.That would be fine, because Remi loves to go for walks, and I cant walk him on a daily basis. We have a fenced in yard, so the dogs dont get walked regularly.He said he would be able to take a dog to work with him sometimes. He said another lady in his office brings her dog in sometimes as well.
He works 5 minutes from his apt, and comes home for lunch everyday. So Remi would only be left for 4 hrs at a time.
I "think" the man was interested, but not really sure.
I emailed the adoption coordinator my thoughts and feelings about the visit, so we shall see.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - 10:35 am:

I don't understand how someone can just dump a dog. Poor things. Jasmine was picked up as a stray, so who knows why she was out loose. She is my velcro dog and I don't think she would ever run away, because she is too bonded to me and she loves her warm house, with cozy beds to sleep on, plus her crate. She firmly believes that nothing can hurt her in this house. When she hears firecrackers popping outside, in the summer, she makes a beeline for the door!

We took Honey in, when she was 5, after the neighbor broke her hip. We only had her for a little over 4 years, but I know those were happy years for her, too. The next door lady was elderly and didn't always feed her properly, so she was wandering the neighborhood, sometimes, searching for food. When we took her in, that all stopped. The neighbor's nephew said that Honey sometimes went potty in the house, but I don't think Edith let her out enough, because she only rarely went in the house. (Okay, one time she didn't want to go outside because it was raining too hard and I don't think I had time to push the issue, that time.)

By Dana on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - 07:27 pm:

I prefer older dogs. Puppies are just like having a baby. I wouldn't want a 12 yr old, but 8 is good.

By Tink on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - 08:43 pm:

I have to admit that I'd be hesitant to adopt an 8yo dog. I'd be worried about training that should have been done during puppy- or early adulthood or bad habits that could have developed. There are also health issues that could crop up and a shorter time spent with our family. The last three dogs we've owned have been 12-18 months when we've gotten them and I really prefer that age.

By Dawnk777 on Wednesday, January 24, 2007 - 09:48 pm:

Getting a 5yo dog was nice, because we didn't have to housetrain! LOL! We weren't quite so lucky with Jasmine. You also get dogs who are past that chewy stage. Neither of our dogs has been a chewer. They have only chewed on the bones that were provided to them.