We adopted Rosie after our beloved collie mutt Sally died at age 15. She and previous dogs have given my wife and me a fine appreciation for the beauty and blessings of older dogs. They are calmer, make less trouble, accept life as it comes, and have a wonderful “herselvishness” too them – as in, “she is herself,” or “she is who she is.” There are few more satisfying sights than an old dog resting in the sun on the porch, and I look forward to attaining that level of peacefulness myself someday.

I had a very strong desire to get an old dog after Sally died, partly out of respect for her and partly because I like old dogs. My kids of course wanted a puppy, but they agreed that we could get an old dog too if we also got a puppy. After our visit at Libby’s, the kids were 100% on board and were considering getting one of the 5-year olds from Libby’s as the second dog instead of the puppy. Melissa at Libby’s was very helpful in accurately describing dog personalities and habits so we could choose one that fit our lifestyle. We chose “Ruthie,” who had inexplicably been “Rufus” in her past life, and who became “Rosie” in her new life with us, because our puppy is Rudy and it was just too confusing. Rosie is a beagle mutt who was 13 then and 14 now. Her caretaker had to go into a nursing home and she had no place to go until Libby’s took her. She is a great old gal with lots of spunk and none of us have regretted the decision for a minute. She still climbs mountains, plays with the neighborhood dogs, gets along fine with all of our other critters, and loves her walks, car rides and lap time. She does her best to teach the pup some manners, so far with limited success. Like most old dogs she’s a little hard of hearing, and like most old dogs she hears a lot better when you’re opening a can than when you’re telling her what to do. She has good judgment and stays out of trouble so we don’t worry about it – we figure at her age she has a right to discretionary attention, and she listens if she thinks we really mean it. She’s at home and well-behaved in virtually all situations.
Almost everyone I know, except a few devoted “dog people,” thought we were crazy to adopt a 13-year old dog. All they could see was that she would die within a few years. I know that will happen, and that Rosie will break our hearts all too soon, but what I see is the wonderful time we will have together, however long or short, and I take comfort in giving a great old dog a good home for her last year or two. I like to think that Rosie has converted more than a few of the doubters.

If you are even considering adopting an old or older dog, have faith that it is a good idea. The Libby’s folks are very helpful and straightforward and will help find a match that will work for you and the dog.

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