I have a 5 year old mixed breed dog (40 lbs). She really loves my mom’s 10 year old pug. It seems my dog possibly got separated from her mom at a young age because she has learned many things from the pug even though they met when she was an adult.
At our local pound, there is a 9 year old lab that I heard might be euthanized soon due to a lack of space. It says she is good with other dogs and just wants to enjoy the rest of her days in peace. She has no adoption fee (although obviously, the $150 saved is nothing compared to the cost of owning a dog.)
This is new territory for me as all my dogs have been adopted around age 2-3.
Obviously I know about the costs associated with dogs but I don’t know if I’d be willing to spend thousands if the doggy develops health problems in the next year or so which it seems labs tend to do. I’ve never had a purebred dog before but it seems like labs do tend to suffer some serious health problems around age 10. It just doesn’t seem rational to adopt a senior dog and then spend thousands fixing a health concern. But I feel it’s still worthwhile to give her a chance at having a good life and not dying in the shelter.
Any thoughts on this? Have you ever adopted a senior dog? Any considerations that I might not have thought of? Thanks!
Three of the 6 dogs I’ve had have been older when I got them (8, 9 and 10 years old). All of them were great dogs and I’d do it again 10 times over. It’s worth a look to go and see this dog. Bring your own dog. See how he/she gets around - I know Labs are prone to hip problems and arthritis. Find out from the shelter if they know any health history.
Yes, the most obvious thing is seeing how the dogs get along. Your 40lb dog getting along with a pug is not necessarily how he’ll get along with a bigger dog. And for sure, you’d be getting this new dog at the more vet bills stage of life.
This is a pretty personal decision and also depends a lot on the specifics. I’ve only ever adopted <12 month old puppies just because I want a better “years of love”:“my dog is sick/died” memories ratio.
While I have not adopted a senior dog, I have spent plenty of time with them at the local shelter where I have volunteered for the last 7 years. We adopt out older dogs 7+ all the time to families who have dogs already. We generally encourage the family to bring their current dog to our shelter for a dog-to-dog meet in one of the play yards. This is done with shelter staff or trained volunteers monitoring the meeting for signs of aggression or fear or whatever. Hopefully, your shelter will have something similar in place.
I think it’s awesome you are considering an older dog. We get so many healthy, but older dogs, and people like you, who are willing to take a chance on them, make it possible for them to live out their golden years happy and loved.
Fwiw, my lab mix lived to 14 with no real health issues.
my 8 year old dog was healthier than I was and lived another 8 years ……he was getting the the k9 version of altimzers<sp>near the end and while I was arguing with my self on what to do he made the decision for me and took off ………
My cousin adopted a nine-year-old yellow lab. The dog’s family had dumped her at the shelter because she was “too old”. There wasn’t anything wrong with her! She was a loving, healthy dog who really seemed grateful. She lived five more years with no problems except arthritis that was managed with supplements and medications. She was an awesome dog.
I don’t mean for this to sound heartless, but you always have euthanasia as an option if vet costs get out of control. At least she will have died knowing happiness during her last days rather than being euthanized at the shelter when she’s most likely scared and confused.
Don’t do it unless you can get a two day trial run, to see if the dogs will get along.
And I agree with Helena, you do not have to spend thousands on health care, to extend her life a year or two, during which she will be confused, unhappy, or in pain. (I was willingly to spend over a thousand to get a dog euthanized at home instead of the vets, so I’m not just cheap.)
I’ll add my anecdota. My last lab cross lived to 14 and only had health issues in the last few months of her life. Our current lab cross is 12 and shows no signs of slowing down.
In other words, if you like the dog, and your dog and new dog get along, give it a shot.
My son and his wife adopt older dogs and currently have three. By “older,” I mean around 8 or 9 years old. They do make sure the new adoptee will be accepted by the other dogs. The main advantage, aside from knowing they’re saving dogs who would otherwise live in a kennel or get euthanized, is that they’re not dealing with the high energy insanity of a young dog. The downsides are that you don’t get as many years with that pup, and it’s hard to say goodbye: you have to think of it as making the last years good years. Also, they spend a lot on vet bills and medications.
That said, they’ve had very sweet dogs that have enriched their lives, and they don’t regret adopting a single one of them.
My wife called me one day, and said that a neighbor had moved away and just left their two dogs outside (in Phoenix, in the summer) with no water. Another neighbor asked if anyone could help out for awhile while permanent homes were found. I said that would be OK, and came home to find an old, lumpy, bumpy mostly lame, broken-down Golden waiting for me. We ended up keeping her, and with some TLC, fixed most of her mobility issues. She lived another 18 months or so, and was my wife’s favorite - she would lie at her feet, and thump her tail on the ground. She used to play a bit with our other Lab, but mostly she was just glued to my wife. She was a wonderful dog, and we were happy to give her a few more months of quality life.
I adopted a senior dog. I figured I’d be giving her a bit of life outside the kennel and a home for a year or two. I had her for about 7 years… And she was the most devoted, sweet, and loving dog I have ever owned.
A friend passed away and we adopted his dog because the wife did not want her. She was an 11 year old Chow Golden mix and she had a good life for another 3 plus years.
I’ve had several goldens/golden mixes, and I don’t think a single one made it to 12. Sure, folk post of their labs living to 14 and more, but I’d wager the breed expectancy is closer to 11. My mindset, I’d be disappointed if I didn’t get 10, but every day over that is a bonus. (My current guy turns 10 this Sept. Seems in pretty good health, but they can go downhill incredibly fast.)
The one thing you have in your control is how much you are willing to pay in vet bills. We’ve discussed this before. I would be willing to spend considerably more on a “cure” for a younger dog, than a “hope” for an aged dog.
The “problem” with old dog costs is that they creep up on you. You spend a couple hundred on some exams and tests, then a couple hundred on meds. Maybe $500 for some minor procedure. All of a sudden you are a grand or 2 in and they say some major procedure is needed… And what has the dog’s quality of life been during that process? We’ve had to decide upon the point where we stop trying to prolong life and, instead, control pain and symptoms, and euthanize when we feel the quality of life has deteriorated to a certain point. But everyone makes their own call.
If you adopted the dog, gave it a year or 2 in a loving home, and then put it down when problems/costs mounted, you would have done a good thing.
We adopted Ella (dog on the right) years ago when she was a “senior dog about to be put down”. She was a problem dog and had been adopted-returned several times. We took her on as a challenge, and after just a little bit of work she turned into the best dog ever. I am so glad we met up with her.
If God is just there is a special place in hell for people such as that.
My brother’s sister-in-law (bless her) adopts older large dogs from our county shelter. She hasn’t gotten one dud yet, mostly dogs who lie there looking up at her adoringly. Unfortunately, being large and up there in years, they don’t last long so she cycles a new dog every few years, but at least they die in peace.
