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Lorelei · 08-22-2010, 11:32 AM

I just went through this experience, but from the other end.

My husband and I are going to adopt a GSD, and a really nice woman told me about a senior dog, and it broke my heart to tell her we wanted a younger dog. If it was up to me, I would have probably taken her, just because I couldn't stand the thought of no one adopting a dog that had given her all and now was being left behind, but my husband wants either a puppy, or at most a GSD that is a couple of years old.

So, from my perspective, the things that are difficult to get over when considering adopting an older dog aren't many, but they can be strong factors.

Number one, in my opinion, is probably the most selfish, but also the hardest for me to get by, and that is number of years left. When I fall in love, I fall in love hard! So, in adopting an older dog, the incredibly painful end just seems so close. Maybe it gets easier as you have more dogs (though, I doubt it!), but I am the worst at saying goodbye. (At one point in my past, I moved to another state, and just broke down and cried and was heartbroken completely, because I was going to miss the neighbor's dog, Dulce, that I would hike with. And this was a dog that I saw about an hour every day. So, I am very, very bad at good-byes.)

So, when I see an older dog, I (selfishly) wish for a dog that has many, many years left.

I think that if you can open up a dialog with potential adopters about that, while highly stressing all the great points about adopting a trained, wise older dog, I think it might help. And, reiterating the fact that these older dogs deserve a comfortable and happy home for the rest of their life is one thing that always hits me where it hurts.

Of course, I have no experience on your end, so I may have no idea what I am talking about, but I wanted to give you the perspective of someone who just went through this a few days ago.

Anyway, good luck to you, and thank you for looking after these dogs. Fostering must be an incredibly hard job, where saying Good-bye becomes a big part of your life.

08-22-2010, 11:32 AM	#3 (permalink)
Lorelei Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Catskills Posts: 56	I just went through this experience, but from the other end. My husband and I are going to adopt a GSD, and a really nice woman told me about a senior dog, and it broke my heart to tell her we wanted a younger dog. If it was up to me, I would have probably taken her, just because I couldn't stand the thought of no one adopting a dog that had given her all and now was being left behind, but my husband wants either a puppy, or at most a GSD that is a couple of years old. So, from my perspective, the things that are difficult to get over when considering adopting an older dog aren't many, but they can be strong factors. Number one, in my opinion, is probably the most selfish, but also the hardest for me to get by, and that is number of years left. When I fall in love, I fall in love hard! So, in adopting an older dog, the incredibly painful end just seems so close. Maybe it gets easier as you have more dogs (though, I doubt it!), but I am the worst at saying goodbye. (At one point in my past, I moved to another state, and just broke down and cried and was heartbroken completely, because I was going to miss the neighbor's dog, Dulce, that I would hike with. And this was a dog that I saw about an hour every day. So, I am very, very bad at good-byes.) So, when I see an older dog, I (selfishly) wish for a dog that has many, many years left. I think that if you can open up a dialog with potential adopters about that, while highly stressing all the great points about adopting a trained, wise older dog, I think it might help. And, reiterating the fact that these older dogs deserve a comfortable and happy home for the rest of their life is one thing that always hits me where it hurts. Of course, I have no experience on your end, so I may have no idea what I am talking about, but I wanted to give you the perspective of someone who just went through this a few days ago. Anyway, good luck to you, and thank you for looking after these dogs. Fostering must be an incredibly hard job, where saying Good-bye becomes a big part of your life.