Ambers Echo
Still wittering on
My mum has never not had a dog until a few weeks ago when her beloved lab died, aged 13. She has aways tended to buy a puppy when the established dog is about 5 so most of the time she has had 2. The dog before died about 4 years ago and she did not get a 2nd dog that time thinking she was too old and it was not fair. But she is utterly lost without a dog. She is a widow and very lonely. She loves walking and walked miles every day on her own but also in dog walking groups. She can still walk obviously but says she hates it without a dog with her. She also feels vulnerable alone and liked the sense of security of having a dog that barked at strangers.
She is fit as a fiddle and outwalks many people decades younger. So she is now thinking she will get one after all. But not a lab (she has only ever had labs) as they are too high energy. And she has also recently downsized and lives in a tiny cottage (though a big garden). She wants to be able to pick a dog up after a walk to towel it off before coming into the house as there is no hall, let alone bootroom etc. So her old lab would come in covered in mud straight into the living room from walks and even just from the garden when it was wet. So a smaller less high energy breed would be ideal. Something loyal and affectionate as it is the companiopnship she misses most of all. But not a toy breed.
Any recommendartions on breed? Or is it really not a good idea to have a dog as an older person? I mean any of us can become incapacitated at any time unexpectedly, but the risks are far higher the older you get. It is definitely the right thing for her. But is it right for the dog?
She is fit as a fiddle and outwalks many people decades younger. So she is now thinking she will get one after all. But not a lab (she has only ever had labs) as they are too high energy. And she has also recently downsized and lives in a tiny cottage (though a big garden). She wants to be able to pick a dog up after a walk to towel it off before coming into the house as there is no hall, let alone bootroom etc. So her old lab would come in covered in mud straight into the living room from walks and even just from the garden when it was wet. So a smaller less high energy breed would be ideal. Something loyal and affectionate as it is the companiopnship she misses most of all. But not a toy breed.
Any recommendartions on breed? Or is it really not a good idea to have a dog as an older person? I mean any of us can become incapacitated at any time unexpectedly, but the risks are far higher the older you get. It is definitely the right thing for her. But is it right for the dog?
he was the easiest puppy ever, an absolute angel right from the start. light and small enough to pick up, but not teeny tiny enough to trip over
if it wouldn’t cost me a fortune taking them all to the groomers i’d have 10!
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