Young is out and old is in!

Puppies - who doesn’t love them? They are small and cute, and have puppy breath. Their coats are so soft, they follow you around, they have the most adorable eyes, and they are clumsy. What’s not to love about puppies?.......well, actually, they poop and pee everywhere, they chew on anything and everything, they wake you up in the middle of the night, and they can be a bit high maintenance.

Don’t get me wrong, I love puppies and have had puppies growing up and in adulthood. BUT what about the old man on the block? Senior dogs can be just as fun and entertaining as their younger counter parts.

Meet Clyde

Clyde came into rescue as a grumpy old man who had, had a rough life. He was 7 going on 20. Horrible skin, full of parasites, Heart Worm positive, and an enlarged heart; Clyde was a sad little dog. He had spent most of his life outdoors. He did not have a lot of social skills and got nervous around loud noises and high energy dogs. Wow, you must be thinking “yep, that’s the dog I want!” Well, I challenge you to take a moment and cast aside all your preconceived ideas of older dogs and take a look at what an old dog can bring to your life.

 Older dogs, especially those that have lead a rough life before you, want to be loved and give love in return. They want to explore their new environments and take in all that they had missed out on before. When Clyde first came into our home as a foster, he would disappear from time to time only to be found staring at himself in our full length mirror. He had never lived inside and had never seen his reflection before. He also would stare at the TV trying to figure out how animals could get into that box and how could he get to them. Little things intrigued him, things our dogs take for granted or even we, humans, take for granted.

With time, he began to lighten up and learn to trust us and his new doggie foster siblings. Before long, he was relaxing on the couch and snuggling with us in bed. There is nothing more satisfying when you foster animals, than earning that animal’s trust, especially when they have been wronged by humans before. 

With an older dog, I didn’t have to worry about him chewing on my shoes, or bookshelves, or doorways, or…you name it. It was exciting to see him learn what a chew toy was and how fun it could be to steal it from his foster siblings. Clyde did not have all that puppy energy that we had to find ways to alleviate. He was chill, with just the right amount of spunk. We quickly learned he loved to go on walks, probably because it was a new adventure for him. Clyde became more and more comfortable around humans, other animals, and in his new home. His coat cleared up, he was treated for Heart Worms, and he put on some weight. Clyde used to shake when our dogs came near him, but within months, he was falling asleep on top of them.

All the things you love about puppies: wanting to be near you, giving you kisses, those eyes….well senior dogs have them too! Clyde is by far the most loving dog we have, and yes I said have, because a few months into fostering him, my husband was smitten and could not let him live anywhere else. Clyde wants to be near you and curls right up next to you and falls asleep. Sure, he still has his grumpy man moments, but it’s part of his old man charm. He will be 9 in a couple of months, but acts like a young dog some days. It is amazing what a little time, love, and tenderness can do to an almost forgotten dog.