Who says that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Here are three stories that show why it’s better to adopt older dogs.
1. “One of the greatest feelings in the world.”
Malcom Wright adopted a 16 year-old Kelpie named Bella. When Wright first met Bella, she would walk around with her head down all the time. But in a matter of days, the rescue dog couldn’t stop wagging her tail and getting excited at everything.
There is a very good reason why Malcom, a former book author, decided to adopt a senior rescue.
“My dog had died the previous week. Since I’m 78, it’s no good for me to adopt a puppy,” he says.
“I adopted Bella because I thought it would be good to give an old dog a home. An old dog that needs a final place to stay.”
Bella doesn’t move fast and is fairly docile, both of which appeal to Wright.
Bella was originally from the steel city of Whyalla, South Australia, where she was found as a stray. When they contacted Bella’s previous owners, they chose to surrender Bella. So she was transferred to the Lonsdale RSPCA centre in Adelaide, where she was adopted by Wright.
“We connected immediately,” Wright recalls.
It was a bit of a learning curve at the beginning as Bella is also hearing impaired, but she’s learning fast.
Malcom Wright connected ‘immediately’ with his adopted older dog Bella. Credit: ABC News.
Even Wright’s elderly cat, who isn’t normally friendly towards dogs, has formed a close bond with Bella.
“I think it’s important for people to understand that they will receive what they put in. If they show kindness to an animal like this, you’ll receive love in return from them,” Wright says.
“And it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world.”
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2. It’s an instant calm
As an educator, nurturing others is second nature for Georgia Bell. So when it came to choosing a new dog to add to her family of pooches, she knew that an older dog would be perfect.
Bell had been following the Greyhound Adoption Program in Victoria when she saw an adoption post for Lilly..
As an assistant principal in Melbourne, Bell is away from home for most of the day. So she knew that her new addition needed to be ok with being home alone for hours at a time.
As Bell already owns two other dogs, a five-year-old greyhound named Steve and a four-year-old dachshund named Roy, the newest addition to her pooch family would also need to be comfortable around other dogs.
However, Bell has had a difficult time finding another dog who would get along with Roy due to what Bell calls ‘small man syndrome’. However, GAP assured that Lilly would be perfect.
“They were right!” Bell recalls. “When I first met Lilly with Roy by my side, there was instant calm.”
“When Lily came out to do the meet and greet, I actually teared up a little bit because she’s so gentle and sweet. I couldn’t believe it.”
Georgia Bell with her adopted Greyhound Lilly. Credit: ABC News.
However, taking care of Lily will come with additional challenges for Bell. Lily has an eye disorder called Pannus, which is quite common for greyhounds. She is also missing the majority of her teeth so she is only able to consume soft foods.
But Bell’s biggest challenge will be accepting the fact that they will only have a short time together.
“I know she’s only got a good year or two left in her,” Bell says. “But I’ll make sure that Lily’s final years will be all about her.”
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3. “Already settled”
Grace is a six-year-old Rottweiler that kept getting overlooked at the Blue Cross Animals Society in Wonga Park until Ruby Black and her partner rescued her. She had been in the shelter for at least six month, and people were hesitant on adopting her due to her age and because she just had surgery, with potentially more in the future.
“ Even though I knew that she was probably going to cost more in the future, I knew that she was a great dog with a gentle soul,” Black said. “She deserves to be a loving home for the rest of her life, even if it’s short.”
What’s even better is that Grace is already well trained, courtesy of her previous owner.
“I went to try and teach her ‘shake’ the other day, but she just did it without any hesitation,” she says. “Her previous owners must have taught her well.”
Additionally, Black knows that Grace will be the same dog from now till the end.
“With older dogs, what you see is what you get. This is her personality which means that she won’t become a menace later on.”
Black says getting an older dog can be a great alternative compared to a puppy.
Ruby Black with Grace, her six-year-old adopted Rottweiler. Credit: ABC News.
“Having a dog isn’t easy. It comes with challenges and responsibilities. But older dogs tend to be more mature and come with less problems that younger dogs tend to have,” Black explains.
“So if you are thinking of getting a dog but unsure if you can handle the responsibilities, an older dog is definitely the better choice.”
“Young puppies require a lot of work, and I think a lot of people don’t realise just how much work they need.”
So if you’re thinking about getting a dog, why not give an older pooch a second chance at life?
