Retirement with Dogs

[ziggy29]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dawg52 When mine moves on to doggy heaven, I'll probably do without for a year or two so I can do some traveling without worrying about my buddy. But I will get another at some point. My golden retriever helps motivate me to go walking and is just a good companion.

This is probably close to what we'll do. There are trips we'd like to take, often on short notice, but it's difficult rounding up someone to stay with the dog. (We're going to take her with us when we go to NM in a couple weeks.) We may want to go dog-free for a little while to make it easier for us to do stuff for a while, but eventually I'm sure we're going to miss the love of a dog in the house too much and adopt another.

[Martha]

Our last remaining dog is 15 years old now. She has traveled all over the US and Canada in the motorhome. That is now getting difficult for her because of her arthritis. When she goes I won't have a dog for quite awhile so it is easier for me to do the short little trips to the big city, which I enjoy. Now I need to have someone sit the dog, she no longer does well in a kennel.

She really is showing her age this summer. Last year she was still running ahead on walks and swimming forever. Now she trails behind and I have to shorten the walks.

[Lakedog]

When my previous lab died (3 yrs ago), I went without for almost two years but decided I preferred having a dog around so I adopted my current black lab (Coal) about a year ago. I'm sure living alone is a big part of my preference for a dog -- they can be great companions. The lake at my back door has been a perfect place for a water-loving dog.

When I take road trips (sometimes up to three weeks if going west), the pup goes with me. He is great in hotels, and sometimes we camp when visiting national forests for hiking, etc. If I fly or do something that is not dog friendly, I usually offer my house to friends that want to enjoy the lake for a few days with the only requirement being dog sitting duties. I also have friends that are usually willing to keep him at their home for a few days at a time. I have never had to board my dogs at a kennel, and having a dog has really not been a stumbling block for travel.

[bbbamI]

No more pets for me after mine are gone. My oldest is almost 18.

I probably won't outlive another pet.

[Kroeran]

thanks for all the insight. I guess the reasonable thing to do would be to take a pause and test the tradeoff between freedom and dead house syndrome.

I think the next dog should be small enough to fit into carry on (15 lbs). Our King Charles Cavaliers are supposed to be that light, but with oversnacking, they are closer to twice that weight.

Anyone have a phone number for overfeeders anonymous? (so I can send my DW there!)

[TromboneAl]

The list I look at when I think about how much fun it would be to have a dog:

1.Gets up at 5:15 AM and needs to go out.
2.Trouble getting the dog back when he goes out at 5:15 AM
3.Loud barking (Just when you are falling asleep)
4.Pee on the rug
5.Vomit on the rug
6.Can't go to the county fair and stay for the fireworks
7.Can't go to parks or beaches where dogs are not allowed (most)
8.Scratches when playing
9.Dog slobber
10.Diarrhea on the rug
11.Run out of carpet cleaner while cleaning up the diarrhea
12.Dog hairs in car
13.Dog hairs in house
14.Car smells like dog
15.House smells like dog
16.Barking alienates neighbors
17.Tie him up outside and rope gets wrapped around things, tangled up
18.Muddy paws which must be cleaned or which make marks on the carpet
19.Food attracts ants
20.Step on water bowl, spill water on floor
21.Average annual costs $600 to $1,500
22.Have to find something to do with him when you go on plane trip
23.Have to take him for a walk even if you don't feel like it
24.You'll be very sad when he dies
25.He could have a disease or injury that is very expensive to treat

26 (added today) lose fingers when save dog from alligator.

[Sarah in SC]

T-al, I have that list, but for children, Yuck!

DaveMartin made a great suggestion--fostering can be really a wonderful experience. Check with your local shelter or favorite breed rescue group.

As for me, no way we could live without animals. 6 dogs, 6 cats right now.

[cashflo2u2]

This is the way my dogs greet me after just going out for part of the day. I don't think I would want to come home without this:

Dogs greeting their owner, returning after 14 months in Iraq • videosift.com

[Martha]

From Al's list:

1.Gets up at 5:15 AM and needs to go out.

My dog gets up a 7:00 am and has for the last 15 years. I used to be long gone for work before she got up.

2.Trouble getting the dog back when he goes out at 5:15 AM

Fenced yard.

3.Loud barking (Just when you are falling asleep)

Only if someone rings the doorbell.

4.Pee on the rug

When she was a baby. Cleaned up quickly with an enzyme cleaner.

5.Vomit on the rug.

She has started to hurl a few times, managed to get her outside or at worst, on the wood floor.


6.Can't go to the county fair and stay for the fireworks

Left her at home where she could hide under the bed.

7.Can't go to parks or beaches where dogs are not allowed (most)

Around here most allow dogs and we regularly go walking in city parks with the dog where she can swim as well.

8.Scratches when playing

Never noticed this. Trim the nails.

9.Dog slobber

Weiner dogs and standard poodles don't slobber.

10.Diarrhea on the rug

Never happened.

11.Run out of carpet cleaner while cleaning up the diarrhea
12.Dog hairs in car

Black dog, black upholstery.

13.Dog hairs in house

Dark upholstery. The little weiner dog just doesn't have a lot to shed. The dh seems to shed as much. Our old 75 pound poodle didn't shed, but you had to keep him groomed.

14.Car smells like dog
15.House smells like dog

Does not!

16.Barking alienates neighbors

It was almost impossible to get our standard poodle to bark. He was very quiet and very obedient. The weiner dog will bark furiously when the doorbell rings. It is irritating, but it stops as soon as she sees someone.

17.Tie him up outside and rope gets wrapped around things, tangled up

Don't tie them up outside. Dogs belong inside.

18.Muddy paws which must be cleaned or which make marks on the carpet

The weiner dog is not a problem. Little feet and slippery hair that doesn't hold dirt. This was a problem with the poodle and if he was out where it was really muddy he had to get washed. We lived on a sand bar when we had the poodle so it wasn't much of a problem. However, he did carry a lot of sand into the house.

19.Food attracts ants

Never has been a problem here.

20.Step on water bowl, spill water on floor

Not a problem here, but my grandnephew is crawling about and the first thing he heads for is the water bowl. We used to let our poodle drink out of the toilet and he didn't have a water bowl. At least the toilet got flushed all the time.

21.Average annual costs $600 to $1,500

Probably.


22.Have to find something to do with him when you go on plane trip

Yup.

23.Have to take him for a walk even if you don't feel like it

The wiener dog can go out in the yard. The poodle needed a lot of exercise even if it was 30 below zero. I was much more fit when we had that dog.

24.You'll be very sad when he dies
25.He could have a disease or injury that is very expensive to treat

Yes. But why have them unless you love them?

26 (added today) lose fingers when save dog from alligator

Yup.

[Martha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC T-al, I have that list, but for children, Yuck!

From an unknown source:

Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they

(1) eat less,

(2) don't ask for money all the time,

(3) are easier to train,

(4) normally come when called,

(5) never ask to drive the car,

(6) don't hang out with drug-using people;

(7) don't smoke or drink,

(8) don't want to wear your clothes,

(9) don't have to buy the latest fashions,

(10) don't need a gazillion dollars for college and

(11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children .

[vicente solano]

Dogs are very compatible with our lifestyle. We are daytrippers. During our last trip to London I worried a lot about her wellbeing. I´tend to personalize the dog assigning it human feelings.
Many times I´ve thougt what would happen to my dog if -as bbb says-we don´t outlive it. Taking this in consideration I don´t think I´ll have another one, but my wife doesn´t agree on this.

[Kroeran]

our couch is getting reapoulstered...fabric samples were checked against the rug, against the wall, against the curtains....against the dogs!! Felt like I was looking at a New Yorker cartoon.

In my previous house had a walk out basement with a dog door to a closed-in dog run. Dogs just let themselves out whenever they wanted to go outside.

If we do have a dog post FIRE, it will be one instead of two...half the vet bills.

[Purron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflo2u2 This is the way my dogs greet me after just going out for part of the day. I don't think I would want to come home without this: Dogs greeting their owner, returning after 14 months in Iraq • videosift.com

This is so heartwarming!

[Purron]

Why Dogs are Better Than Men

Dogs do not have problems expressing affection in public.
Dogs miss you when you're gone.
Dogs look at your eyes.
Dogs aren't threatened by a woman with short hair.
Dogs feel guilt when they've done something wrong.
Dogs don't feel threatened by your intelligence.
Dogs understand what "no" means.
Dogs don't brag about whom they have slept with.
Dogs do not play games with you -- except fetch and they never laugh at how you throw.
Dogs are happy with any video you choose to rent, because they know the most important thing is that you're together.
Dogs understand if some of their friends cannot come inside.
Dogs think you are a culinary genius.
Dogs are nice to your relatives.
Dogs don't mind if you do all the driving.
Dogs don't step on the imaginary brake.
Dogs admit it when they're lost.
Dogs don't weigh down your purse with their stuff.
Dogs do not care whether you shave your legs.
Dogs aren't threatened if you earn more than they do.
Dogs mean it when they kiss you.
You are never suspicious of your dog's dreams.
You never wonder whether your dog is good enough for you.
You can train a dog.
You can force a dog to take a bath.
Middle-aged dogs don't feel the need to abandon you for a younger owner.
Gorgeous dogs don't know they're gorgeous.
The worst social disease you can get from dogs is fleas.

Geared for dogs, but applies well to cats too

[JanF]

Neither I or my DH had a dog until we were 41 years old. We lost both of our elderly dogs this past winter and were spending a lot of time being sad-but then I agreed to foster a dog in need and well, after 2 days decided to keep her . We just got back from a long weekend trip with our dog and lots of places allow pets that didn't used to. Also more options for doggy day care while travelling if there's something you want to do that you can't take the dog. I travelled a lot when I was younger and don't feel the need to go on any extended trips. But I didn't have a dog and didn't know what I was missing. Having one dog makes it easier to take them with you, having two dogs makes it easier to leave them at a kennel-at least they have each other. I think a lot of people buy RV's because of their pets!

[Kroeran]

I suspect dogs are part of getting back to our anthropological roots and things we give up in the pursuit of filthy lucre ; - )

Denying our primal hungers sets up a level of background stress and neurosis which we try to paste over with vice "overshoot", consumerism and media overload.

Add to dogs the old time pleasures of: gardening, fishing/hunting (is golf a hunting substitute?), socialising, old time religion, social gambling and so on as means to get back to a world our inflexible DNA "firmware" recognizes.

[Orchidflower]

Motel 6 will also take animals.

[Zoocat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cashflo2u2 This is the way my dogs greet me after just going out for part of the day. I don't think I would want to come home without this: Dogs greeting their owner, returning after 14 months in Iraq • videosift.com

Thanks for posting this, Cash! No doubt about it for me.

And, Purron, I loved your list!

I believe that dogs do have emotions, although different from humans of course but they do LOVE their humans. My dog is one of my best friends. When I adopted him as a puppy five years ago I realized that he would be my companion into my elderly years. Goldens live until about 14, so we'll be together until I'm almost 70. If I'm still in good health when he passes, I don't know that I will get another dog companion. I would be fearful that my health might deteriorate suddenly and I wouldn't be able to care for the dog.

[cashflo2u2]

Oldbabe, I completely understand. That is a consideration. Getting old sucks in a lot of ways. But the dogs keep us young and I think I read that people with pet companions live longer.

[Glo]

DH and I have been married almost 40 years and we've always had dogs. Along the way we added a few cats. Before we retired, we had two dogs and three cats. One dog and two cats died within a few months of each other. (They were all old.) We moved from a large city to a small town and were down to one dog and one cat. Our son decided to move in with us. The second week he asked "Can I get a dog?" We said OK but no puppies! Next thing he comes home and hands me a 10-week-old pitbull. Once its in my arms, its too late to say "take it back". That was a year ago and I love this new dog; very smart and loving not at all aggressive. (Pitbulls have a very bad name due to their owners!!)

2 weeks ago I went to a golden retriever rescue and applied to adopt one of those. Let me tell you--I think it would be easier to adopt a child! We went through the phone interviews and home visits and we passed. Now we're waiting for them to pick a perfect match for our family. So, we'll be back up to three dogs (one's 14 years old) and one cat.

Luckily we don't care much for travel. I love being home and gardening and various other activities. We did just return from San Diego where my son got married. 8 days of boarding two dogs cost $266. So it is expensive, but the worst part is I hate them being there (it doesn't seem to bother them, though).