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

It's commonsense to make provisions for a dog in the event of our deaths, hospitalisation etc. Provided those provisions are in place and the person is fit enough and healthy enough to give a pup what it needs, I don't see a problem.

If you take a step back and think about it, it's frowned on to get a puppy if you are too young, work, can't afford insurance, are too old - I'm surprised there are so many dogs that have homes

of course, this `problem` may well not exist for much longer as the pension age rises (to 73 at the last estimate ).
So never mind people rescuing a dog at the age of 70 - your nurse / bus driver / dustman may be be over 70!

IME you get the dog you get. No matter what your plans are.
My latest is 18 months. I am 65. But we shall mature together. (Hopefully). I`m not ready for the pipe and slippers thing yet.
But thanks for the offer Rune - I`ll send him along if it all gets too much.

Speaking as an older person-
I'm 67 and hubby is 69.
We have always raised our dogs from puppies.
Ruby our present dog is 2yrs.old so all being well we will still have Ruby when we are in our 70's.
She will be our last puppy as I think about long term possibilities that are associated with age.
I'd like to think I will always be as fit healthy and able to give a growing puppy through it's life what it needs but the reality of advancing years makes it increasingly less likely.
Hopefully Ruby will live her full life expectancy and we will out live her having given her what she needs.
All being well we would then consider a mature dog with needs that we could provide.

As for the elderly making arrangements to pass on responsibility through incapacity or death.
I do know of a few situations where arrangements for the care of dogs passing to others has fallen through.
These dogs then end up in rescue indirectly through third parties not completing their agreement so the numbers from elderly going into rescue can be misleading if full details for rescue are not disclosed.

When I become a doddering old sod I may settle for a cat.

As always - a excellent post!

Not any more you won't---I am fed up with sorting out other peoples mess!

Not that you would I know but I am feeling a bit put upon at the moment!

Strangely no one has thought about how old I might be

rune

Are you in your early 80s,.. ???

To be honest I did wonder, but I thought it would be impolite to ask.

Well I assumed...

Well I think I am old enough to ask without being impolite.
So I will whisper.
HOW OLD ARE YOU RUNE

I'll whisper back as near 60 as makes no difference

C and D and Murf---you both need a slap!

rune

Only a young sprout yet then.

She is not as old as me!

A mere infant!

On the contrary, it crossed my mind more than once....

dang whippersnapper! What happened to respectin` yer elders then?

I think the expression is elders and betters----isn't it ?

rune

Does that mean that the oldest is the best then?

Guess it depends what arrangements they have in place if the pup is too much for them or when they are 90 and it is 15 and stilll active as many older terriers are.

All this is why we rescued an older dog, I knew there was no way we would cope with a pup.
Hubby is 73 and I am disabled and you have made me feel quite guilty :-(
Pepsi is an extremely active 11 year old, so lets hope we can live about another 6 years, if not I have a dog mad son who would accommodate her with his motley crew.