Anyone adopt a puppy after 60?

[OAG]

I lost my DW last December and for Father's Day (2015) my 4 kids bought me a "Miniature Double Doodle" (Cross bred between a Golden Lab to Miniature Poodle for one parent and then a Cross bread between a Black Lab to Miniature Poodle for the other parent). They are not cheap. He weighed 4 pounds at 9 weeks and now approaching 7 months he weighs about 15 pounds and should top out at about 20. He is not "small" like you would want to carry him around in your arms very long. Our last dog was a Poodle that we got in Alaska (papers and all) and he died at about 16 years old in 1986 - never a sick day in his life except the day he died. DW and I thought that was it and until 2015 it was. Now I have this little guy and he is a great distraction for me. I live with one of my kids so I get a lot of help with him. Believe me Puppies are not the easiest to raise as they take a lot of care and training. If you want to put out the effort it can be rewarding but it does take a lot of effort and I am 75 now so it can be trying at times but most will come to love the puppy and after all they will not be a puppy forever.

 

[Midpack]

We're currently dogless, after 30+ years of sharing our lives with Shelties, but we'll adopt after 60 for sure. We'll have two dogs, we've never believed in having just one, might be puppies, might be older, will almost certainly be rescue dogs. YMMV

 

[Animorph]

No dogs until DW changes her mind.

We do have an Amazon parrot that can live about 75 years I guess. He's about 33 now, so he's got a good shot at outliving us. He's easy to care for though. My mom has a similar African Grey and a chihuahua rescue dog. Hopefully those go to my siblings.

 

[Dog]

I retired last year and DH will retire next May. We always has a dog, but our most recent (miniature poodle) passed away several years ago. We both want another dog, but want to do some traveling first. I really do miss having a dog.
Our neighbors got a German Shepard puppy about 2 years ago. They took it to the dog park for the first 6-9 months, but now she just sits out on their deck most of the time. They are both in their early 70's. I've thought about offering to walk her, but she is not leash trained and jumps on people.



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[RAE]

I'm 60, wife is in her 50s, and we currently have a 9-yr. old, 90-lb. yellow lab. Best dog we have ever had, by far. Got him from a shelter at age 1 1/2 or so (they guessed). He is in good health now, but I know he won't live forever. When he goes, DW and I will probably eventually get another dog (fairly young dog, but not a puppy), but maybe take a break for a year or so first, to do some traveling. After that, though, I'm pretty sure we will get another one, as I would really miss not having a dog. And it will likely be another big dog (lab or lab mix, probably), as we just like big dogs better than most small dogs. Our 90-lb. yellow lab is no problem at all for us to manage right now.....people are amazed at how well-trained and laid back he is. I would love to find another one just like him, but we probably never will.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

After 60 if I get another dog it will not be a puppy. I plan to adopt "Senior" dogs. A younger dog could live another 10 or 12 years but I, alas, might not. Then one of my problems would be to find a home for what will then be an older dog nobody would want.

I can, however, more than likely vouch for myself to last another 3 or 4 years which would cover any older dog I might get.

Great idea here. With an older dog, what you see is what you get. I also like breed-specific rescue groups as they usually foster a dog for a while to get an idea of its personality type. Plus, they usually check out the dog'shealth before putting it up for adoption.

 

[timo2]

Great idea here. With an older dog, what you see is what you get. I also like breed-specific rescue groups as they usually foster a dog for a while to get an idea of its personality type. Plus, they usually check out the dog'shealth before putting it up for adoption.

Absolutely. We adopt greyhounds. I'm 63, DW is 57. Our latest adoption this year was 4 years old. But some of the members of the group only adopt the older dogs, the females that were kept for breeding, for instance, so they get them at around 7 years old plus. Older dogs are wonderful to adopt, and you miss the whole puppy stage.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

57yo. I have had multiple dogs most of my life, generally 50-130 lbs (Border Collies, Leonbergers, Tibetan Mastiff, mixed Doberman, spaniel/pit bull, mixed german shepard, etc). Earlier I adopted rescue puppies, but the last few (and all future dogs) will be 3+ years old. Puppies are a lot of work, plus with an adult you know what you are getting. I also find big dogs easier to handle because of their much lower energy level.

 

[travelover]

Absolutely. We adopt greyhounds. I'm 63, DW is 57. Our latest adoption this year was 4 years old. But some of the members of the group only adopt the older dogs, the females that were kept for breeding, for instance, so they get them at around 7 years old plus. Older dogs are wonderful to adopt, and you miss the whole puppy stage.

I love my greyhound, but even at age 9 she will take your arm off when a deer suddenly appears. I think our next dog will be smaller.

 

[txtig]

DW and I are 60 and 63. We have a 14 year old dog. We are less than a year away from RE. While we love our pooch, we know we won't be getting a new dog once she's gone. We're looking forward to an active retirement with lots of travel and a pet would put a big kink that lifestyle. We want to be able to "lock & leave" and that will be a lot simpler without a new pet to consider.


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[ExFlyBoy5]

My Dad (who is now 88) got his latest dog last January. She's a very sweet (6-7 years old) medium sized mixed Golden Retriever kinda of dog. She has a little more energy that his last dog, but has adapted to his lifestyle fairly well. We made sure she could get along with our dogs well in case she needs to come live with us. He originally wasn't going to get another dog after his last one (of 16 years) passed on, but after about a month, we realized that he was just miserable without a dog around.

I know there are risks involved (falling being the highest risk), but we have discussed it and he thinks it's acceptable.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Any pet, cat or dog will cramp the free lifestyle we longed for. Our cat, adopted in 1985, one year into our marriage, died in 2005, and my parents' cat died at age 16, one month before my dad had a brain hemorrhage. The last 3 years of our cat's life were plagued with illness, as were the last to years of dad's cat's life. I lost so much sleep dealing with our deaf, blind, and eventually incontinent cat. I took care of my dad's cat as well, from 2006-2008, treating his illnesses. No more. It's "My time" now.




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[iac1003]

We're not all bedridden! I am 64, DH 73. He walks the dog for 30+ minutes 3 times a day. He's (the dog, not DH) a 19 lb 4.5 year old Boston terrier. We've had him since he was 8 weeks old. Lying with me on the couch right now


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[hesperus]

As I stated earlier, we have a Border Collie. It is the first time we have had one. Several other breeds before him. If we ever get another it will be a Border Collie. There intelligence is unbelievable! Example: When he was about two months old he had been watching DW going up the drive way to pick up the morning paper. After a couple of weeks we open the gate, he raced up got the paper and brought it to her. No training required. We walk him without a leash. We would tell him to sit when a car came. Now at the sound of a car, he goes to the side of the road and sits. There are other things, but for the most part it is like having a small child. He just seems to understand what we want and does it.

+1
We have two dogs - a border collie and an australian koolie - both mixes, and both shelter dogs. Both are smart as a whip, and keep us entertained constantly. Our koolie has been getting our newspaper for thirteen years now. The border collie doesn't have as much interest in that yet, but her intelligence is amazing. We love our herder dogs!

 

[gretah]

There are rescue groups for many breeds of dogs. I got my last pug from Pug Rescue in my state. Pugs are not yappy and so they are good for apartment or assisted living facilities.

Most dogs available for adoption from rescue groups are not puppies but they are usually housebroken

Most rescue groups require you to sign an agreement that if you can no longer care for the dog, it must be returned to the rescue group. Usually they will approve an adoption by friend or family. This assures that no one in the family must keep a dog they do not want. So no worries if you must move and can't keep the wee doggie.

Check google for rescue groups for your favorite breeds.