What do you think? 74 and getting 1st puppy Controversial

I have to agree with a previous poster-
I think it is a bit selfish to take on a puppy at that age-especially since they have never owned a dog before

I am 65,O.H is 64
We lost one of our 14 yr old dogs,Lulu ,9 months ago and other dog,Buster has dementia

We have thought long and hard about what to do when we lose him
We have always had dogs in the 40 yrs we have been married and cant bear to think of coming home to a house without one-or 2!

Buster and Lulu came to us from the Rescue I worked for when they were 12 weeks old and it was bl**** hard work at first-though I wouldnt have missed it for the world
Our 2 previous dogs were strays we took in and they both lived to 17-we had never had a puppy before we got Lulu and Buster and we struggled at times

I would not want to take on a puppy even at my age with the probability that it would outlive us
and I certainly would not want to look to the R.S P.C.A to find it a home either!!!!!
Have your in laws really thought this through and do they really understand what is involved?
Why have they suddenly decided at that age to adopt an animal-especially a puppy?

There are so many dogs in Rescues who would be so happy to be given a second chance ,many of them have come in when their owner couldnt have them any more or their owner had died
They are then in a kennel situation which must leave them so bewildered and scared

I agree that age may be only a number and that many people of that age are fit and well
BUT I think they should listen to your advice
Still like many others have posted -its done now and I wish them all the luck in the world
Maureen

I was 67 when I adopted Pereg and I know that there is no way any rescue organisation in the UK would have approved me for any dog, let alone a tiny puppy. However I had already made arrangements for Little One should she outlive me, and the same arrangements would have applied to Pereg.

With Pereg's situation having changed drastically I have had to make other arrangements for her, and as things stand at the moment should I die before her or become totally incapacitated, the Pension where she used to go for Daycare sometimes [and hopefully will be able to go again] have said they will take her and look after her with their own dogs.

Personally i think ageism as in relation to dogs is just plain awful. Much rather older retired couple who can devote their lives to their dog than one of younger age who sees the dog as a fashion accessory & when it goes out of fashion, clashes with carpet or car colour, pees & poos cos they arent there to train it in the house, suffers from separation anxiety etc etc; gets rid to the Pound or Rescue.

Very sad ageism still exsists in this day & age especially in relation to pets.

Speaking as someone who has picked up the pieces several times when older people have got pups and then died or gone into homes or found they can't cope, I DO have a huge problem with it!

Ben Rusty and Etta I have kept. Others I have rehomed.

Unless they are prepared to hava back up plan and someone who will look after the dog if they are hospitalised or taken ill they shouldn't do it----and that goes for a dog of any age.

I was recently asked to help sort out a dog belonging to a lady who was dying from cancer, she had the dog a year, before then it belonged to an old chap who had died. Luckily someone took him on.

It isn't ageist---it is common sense. Don't get a dog unless you can commit for its life and if there is a chance it will outlive you make arrangements. Don't rely on unwilling relatives cause it won't work!

rune

Those scenarios can / happen to anyone of any age. A younger person could die, take a terminal illness etc. lifes a gamble, you cant predict what will or wont happen. There is only two things in this life you CAN guarantee

1 You are born
2. You die

Neither of which the majority of us have any control over when or how unless you make a plan to terminate your own
life!

My dad got a CKCS when he was about 67. He outlived her, as it happened. She had a wonderful life.

I think they have made the choice and that is done, so now you can just try to be there to give as much support and help as possible, whether you agree with them getting a pup or not. Maybe some good Chrimbo pressies this year could be a "how to raise a puppy" book and some good training manuals. ;-)

I think unless there are safety nets in place for the dogs it is totally irresponsible and if I ever had to rehome a young dog it would not go to an older person unless that was sorted.

Of course anyone can have awful things happening to them. Unfortunately as was said, we all die----and as a general rule it is a lot closer when we are over 70 than it is when we are 30.

I am not saying don't do it---just make provision for the dog if anything happens or if you can't cope!

There aren't enough people around to sort it out.

rune

Surely there is a chance that a dog will outlive an owner of ANY age?

We don't all pop off at our allotted three score and ten!

When I worked with rescue - one of the commonest reasons for dogs ending up there was DIVORCE. And that was not usually old people.

So you would be comfy with a 60 year old woman having a child? Same scale as a 70+ having a dog.

There is a reason we reproduce when we are younger---because we hopefully are around to bring said children up.

As I said 3 of my dogs now come from death and one from not coping as a 75 year old. Others have been through here and through the rescue centre.

Where were you---divorce is and was a factor but not a huge one here.

I am not saying don't do it--I am saying make provisions.

rune

Well I'm not in the UK anymore but when I was divorce was on the increase. And has probably increased further since.

If you set 60 as the cut off age for anyone being around long enough to have a dog - you must live where people die very early. People are living longer aren't they? Hasn't the UK Govt just raised the retirement age quite a bit? Perhaps everyone over 60 should stop driving cars in case they suddenly drop dead at the wheel?

This all sounds a bit 1984ish to me.

People of ANY age should think about what will happen to their animals if they should die.

I really do doubt very much whether the vast majority of dogs ending up in rescues were dogs left behind when their aged owners died. Especially with the sort of breeds we are hearing are ending up in rescues. I doubt whether it was pensioners who were dumping all those Staffies in the rescues.

Excellent post

Just an observation- I live near a popular dog-walking spot in Norwich and a lot of the dog owners I see are pensioners. They are the ones out in all weathers with their dogs rain or shine (or deep snow!) and you could set your clock by them. The ones I meet are very good, committed owners. They do sometimes say to me that this particular dog will be their last though because of their age.

My parents had me when they were older (42) but I don't think you can compare people with dogs in this way as a person can be classed as able to look after themselves at 16 but a dog is dependant on its owner all its life.

My cousin has fathered a 2nd family at 60 (wife younger obviously) and I do have reservations about this as personally I think it unfair to have such an old parent as realistically he isn't going to be around for when they reach middle age. My Dad died at 86 and a half when I was 44.

Well I have just counted up---and I am not a rescue organisation and i have had eight in that situation that I can remember.

I can't think that I attract them so maybe it is a lot more common than people who are not as involved realise.

Once again---I didn't say don't do it--I said make provisions for the inevitable.

I would imagine one of the reasons I see it more than most is because I too know several older walkers---and then I know their dogs when they die!

rune

And I've just done a bit of searching on it. And of all the sites that list the 10 top reasons for dogs ending up in shelters NONE of them give that as a reason.

These are the ones given on most (including the humane society)

Why Dogs End Up In Shelters:

1. Moving

2. Landlord issues

3. Cost of pet maintenance

4. No time for pet

5. Inadequate facilities

6. Too many pets in home

7. Pet illness

8. Personal problems

9. Biting

10. No homes for littermates

But maybe as someone over 60 myself (who has owned dogs most of my life, who still has all her marbles in a row lol! and who still works in a 'young' industry - IT, I am just surprised at the callous sounding 'ageist' attitude shown by some. But then I am mildly surprised at just how many very young owners there are here.

I can think of a lot of stipulations I would like to make before allowing some people to own a dog. But being under 60 isn't one of them.

I've seen posts on here by much older owners (Malka being one of them) who are devoted to and would do anything for their dogs. And also posts from some much younger ones who seemed slightly irresponsible to say the least.

To say people should make arrangements for their dog's welfare should they die is one thing. To say they shouldn't own dogs at all if they are older is outrageous in my view.

And I can tell you something else that is common knowledge among those who work and volunteer for rescues - there are lots of older DOGS who are being abandonned or left because the owners cannot afford or will not pay for their needed medical treatment. And you don't have to be old to own an older dog. Dogs don't live anywhere near as long as humans.

And where children who haven't got a father around in their lives are concerned, I think you will find the top reasons for that are either because their mother chose to be a single parent or their parents divorced and the father did not stay around.

Is there anything else some members think older people should be banned from doing!

The most responsible dog owners I know are older people. And they certainly don't want dogs as 'fashion accessories' or to make them 'look hard'.

As I said - it's not pensioners dumping all those Staffies in the rescues nowadays.

LOL to being over 60.

Where did that come from? Try reading what I wrote if you think I said it.

I don't need to search---I know from experience.

rune

It's sensible to consider what will happen to your pets if something happens to you, no matter what age you are.

My family are generally fairly long living; however, I got a sharp reminder that death is no respecter of age when my previous partner died of an undiagnosed heart condition in his twenties.

I'll be honest; I have encouraged my gran to adopt an oldie. She loves dogs, (previously owned Collies), now lives alone and would enjoy the company. She's certainly active enough to keep an oldie entertained, even though she's ninety.

However, most importantly, if anything happened to her, the dog would be provided for. There are several members of our family more than willing to take on each other’s pets if this situation arose, one of them being me.

Definition of ageism
Ageism refers to stereotyping and generalising on the basis of age, typically old age, and is spreading to middle age as the boundaries of middle age move into what was once considered old age. (Brannen) -.... Ageism may start at age forty-five or even younger. . ....Companies can usually cut costs by replacing top older workers with younger, cheaper employees

"Stereotyping and generalizing about people on the basis of their age; commonly, a form of discrimination against older people." (Barker, 1999)

"Applies especially in such actions directed against older people, but the term may also be employed to refer to unreasonable stereotyping or discrimination against anyone where this occurs simply by virtue of age." (Jary & Jary, 1991)

"theorisations of later life that have, almost exclusively, concentrated on British stereotypes of old age" (Wray, 2003, & Phillipson, 199.

Going by the first paragraph & some people's attitude no one aged 45 yrs & over should be getting a puppy, wonder how many on dogsey fall into this age group of 45 & over & how they would feel being told they shouldn't get a puppy

It's common sense for anyone to make provisions for any dependents they may have in their life no matter their own age or the age of the dependents!

I must be ageist. I am 60 next year and have decided that Taz is my last puppy. I hope I outlive my dogs, there is no guarantee for any of us.

My mother was 76 and my father 75 when they passed away. B's can live to 15 years and beyond.

If I am lucky enough to take after my aunt (96 years) I would rather take in oldies or maybe foster.