To Old to Adopt a Puppy? I have an opinion

Olderlings Rock!

My granddaughter, Fiona, is seven years old. She has a word she invented to describe a certain age cohort. (Mostly she was talking about me.) She calls us "Olderlings."

I told her that age was just a number. She laughed.

I'm not going to name the age at which "olderling" applies; it's more of a "you know it when you get there," and it's different for everyone.

The large question we face is what we can continue to do as we get older? What activities should be off-limits? After reading about Sister Madonna Buder (1930-), who competed in triathlons well into her eighties, I think the answer is personal, and in general, we can all push those limits.

That brings us to the central question of this essay: should olderlings adopt puppies?

Having a puppy is a unique experience. In our household, with German Shepherd and Bernese Mountain Dog puppies, it was like living with Velociraptors. They would patrol the hallways and chase our daughters into their rooms. It took a lot of energy to keep up with them, walk them, and train them (two of our puppies flunked puppy obedience school).

So what happens when an olderling adopts a puppy? It's been over fifteen years since we've had puppies, so I went to two fellow seniors who had just adopted not just puppies, but Great Pyrenees puppies.

The first is a high school friend and former Marine, Tim Holte, from Milwaukee, and his new pup, Tiger. As of this writing, Tiger is four months old, weighs 40 pounds, and is living up to his name. (As we were talking, Tiger was barking in the back of Tim's car) Tim has had six Great Pyrenees over his life. Tiger was adopted from a rescue agency in Wisconsin. The folks there questioned him about his age, their house, and if they had a fenced yard with a six-foot fence (a Great Pyrenees thing).

Having had Tiger at home for a month, Tim reported that he was glad that he was physically in good shape and retired, because Tiger needed a lot of attention. He loves to run, ride in the car, and wake Tim up in the middle of the night. Tim's partner, Debbie, advised him to make sure he "ran Tiger ragged" every day.

Tim also mentioned that it's important to have a plan for your pup if you pass away before they do.

My next interview was with Jackie Butler of El Dorado. Jackie and her husband lost their last dog a year ago. Mia was a gentle, Anatolian-Great Pyrenees mix who passed away at nine years old.

They decided to adopt another big dog because they thought a small dog would be a trip hazard (at a certain age, one becomes obsessed with not tripping and falling). Jasmine, their new Great Pyrenees puppy, is now eleven months old and one hundred pounds. Jackie is 4'10", and when Jasmine jumps up and puts her paws on Jackie's shoulder, she looks down at Jackie.

Jackie doesn't walk Jasmine because it's too risky, but she has a friendly neighbor, Mariam Funke, who walks her weekly. The good news is that Jasmine is toy-focused and plays with her ball on a rope constantly. Right now, Jasmine uses a crate nightly, but longs to sleep in their bed. We'll see who prevails (I bet on Jasmine).

Although we should not throw caution to the wind, Jackie listed for me some of the reasons she thought adopting a puppy was a good idea for Olderlings.

First, puppies bring energy into the homes of Olderlings. We have a reason to get up in the morning: an enthusiastic dog licking our faces. Next, dogs in general remind us that unconditional love still exists. Also, if you think retirement means reading on the couch with a quilt over you in the dead of winter, forget it. Puppies are like personal trainers: "Get up! Play with me! Throw the ball! Take me for a walk!" Finally, as we get older, we become more security oriented. There is nothing like a dog in the house to be an early warning system that will give her life to protect you.

My final interview was with Barbara Leighnor, the volunteer coordinator and animal behaviorist at the Santa Fe Humane society and shelter. When I posed the question to her the first thing she did was tell me to look around. At the shelter that day were dozens of volunteers, mostly “Olderlings” walking dogs and playing with them in their kennels. It was living proof that even as we get older, we can safely manage dogs. Next, she mentioned that it’s impossible to predict the future, even if some of us note that we’re in the last half of the game. She said that as long as we have a plan, go ahead and adopt!

In the end, it's a personal choice. Because being active is a crucial part of staying healthy, I lean towards having a puppy in your life. It's not a decision we should make impulsively; it needs careful thought. And it will change your life.

Hersch's latest book, "Dog Lessons: Learning the Important Things from our Best Friends," is available online and at bookstores everywhere.