Adopting a Senior Dog Karen Sturtevant

We all know the reaction puppies get from us. We revert to behavior like a child with a lollipop. “He’s so cute!” we gush. “Look at her face!” “So tiny!” The accolades seem never-ending for the newto-the-world creatures. But, what about the ones past their prime, beyond the fuzzy fur phase? Often times adoptable older dogs are passed over, if seen at all, due to negative, preconceived thoughts. Why is it important for people to consider adopting an older dog? If Jenny Rossi had her way, all senior dogs would find their people.

I first met Jenny Rossi one early Sunday morning at the Chittenden County Humane Society where she arrived with enthusiasm. She was ready to tackle her first morning animal care (MAC) shift. The guinea pig enclosures needed to be disinfected, the cats were howling for breakfast all the while the bunnies lounged without a care in the world. Our volunteer MAC team quickly settled into an efficient routine. After all the litter boxes were cleaned, meals served and floors mopped, it was time to get hands on with the current guests. It was during this play time, that we became friends and I discovered her love for senior dogs.

I wasn’t surprised when, in addition to her regular tasks, she took the initiative to be officially trained on proper dog-walking protocols. This skill allowed her access the canine wing where she and a dog available for adoption could harness up and spend time freely playing in the grassy yard or walking together. Jenny gravitated towards the more mature crowd, the-gray on-themuzzle type. To simply recognize that Jenny is passionate about older canines is a gigantic understatement. Her merry blue eyes become teary when she chats about this topic––a topic she knows well as Emma and Tucker, her adopted, bonded seniors, can attest to.

Emma and Tucker

Emma and Tucker’s first days were bleak. Discovered abandoned in a wooded area in the South, the person who found them decided to keep and raise them. They were safe and best of all, together. Seven years would pass, then, due to unforeseen circumstances, the dogs would be surrendered to a shelter and find their way to Vermont. Jenny, seeking a multi-dog household with a soft spot for seniors, adopted them without hesitation.

“Their personalities are wildly different. Emma is courageous but wary. She doesn’t like car rides. She’ll pant and Tucker will lick her face,” as if to comfort her. She took the longest to open us and trust, due to her being so fiercely Winter 2022

ADOPTING A SENIOR DOG

Karen Sturtevant

Tucker & Emma

loyal. Emma is subtle in her affection pinning Tucker while cleaning his ears or quietly laying on her beloved stuffed horse. She can also be rambunctious in her play encouraging Tucker to zoom around the yard full speed while Tucker is more apt to take his sweet canine time. “Gentleman Tuck” or “Sunshine Boy” as he’s sometimes called, loves people, the socialite of the two. Emma’s raring to go once the morning alarm rings announcing so with clicking of her teeth and shaking the tags on her collar; Tucker wants his snuggle time. “The great thing about seniors is that they’re learning their personalities and you’re learning theirs.”

“Watching two bonded seniors love each other is such a journey. Just as people love people in different ways, animals love animals in different ways. I don’t think people realize there is so much nuance. I’m learning new things every day.”

Why senior dogs?

There are numerous reasons senior dogs find themselves in need of new homes–some legitimate, others are due to the selfish nature or lack of knowledge of their owners. When a senior finds herself in a shelter, she’s often confused and scared—not understanding why her safe, familiar world is suddenly gone.

Our society tends to stigmatize the elderly: they’re slow, they don’t understand, can’t hear or see well, have health problems. The flip side is these individuals bring a library of knowledge, a lifespan of participation, a gift that is rewarded only with passing years. Senior dogs are in the same category. “They’ve already accumulated a lifetime of experiences. There’s an important sacredness around that,” comments Jenny. “The only bad luck they’ve had is to live longer. They survived in a human world and have had the back luck to get old. It’s an honor and a service to have a senior in your household. It’s such a calling to home a senior.”

What you see is what you get.

How many times have you heard an owner of an adopted puppy comment that it’s not what they were looking for? Shelter puppies have mystery pasts. Perhaps the breed of the mother is known, but not the father. What arrived as a small dog, grows into an extralarge breed. What was a typical activity level for a twelve-week-old puppy grew into a dog requiring hours of physical activity to release energy each day. With seniors, you know what you’re getting, their personalities are already developed.

Seniors arrive with a autobiography and fully-formed characteristics. Training, habits, triggers, reactions to other animals and behavior challenges have already been established. Instead of beginning on page one for training, new owners can meet the dog where he is to build upon already-established skills.

Jenny uses this opportunity to increase the human/animal bond. Working with a professional trainer, Emma and Tucker have made great strides from leash walking to dog reactivity. “Training is repetitive and frustrating, but the end result is that you’ve built a foundation block together. It’s really great for the relationship.”

Not only is Jenny well-versed in her dogs’ emotional and physical needs, she continue to educate herself in other topics related to canines. She recommends the following podcasts:

Libby Felts and Emily Wolf

https://www.podtotherescue.com

Dogspeak by Nikki Ivey

https://dogspeak101.com/podcast/

Bitey End of the Dog by Michael

Shikashio

https://aggressivedog.com/ podcasts/

My enrichment bible: Canine

Enrichment for the Real World

https://www.dogwise.com/canineenrichment-for-the-real-world/

Health & Enrichment

Is choosing a puppy or adolescent over a senior dog a promise for fewer health issues?

Do you know anything that’s a 100 percent sure thing? “Youth is never a guaranteer of long life–ever,” comments Jenny. Diseases and accidents fall upon all canines, young and old, even with most diligent of owners.

“It’s bittersweet immediately knowing the joy of life. You can’t take for granted and say, ‘I am going to have this puppy from 12 weeks to 12 years.’ Our time is never guaranteed. That’s an important lesson these puppies have taught me.”

Puppies tend to grow up before our eyes. Seniors are already there. “Glow-up” is Jenny’s term for this transformation.“When you get a senior dog, you’re empowered to initiate those changes. Give them that good food, those supplements. Watch that change, watch that glow-up happen. As an animal steward, you can make that coat shine, make those eyes brighter. You can do all these things to enrich their lives.”

Housebreaking

A puppy requires constant attention. Puppies chew, have accidents and need to go out side every few hours—even during the night—to empty their little bladders. Senior dogs are most often already housebroken and are able to ‘hold it’ for several hours. This is important to consider for folks working outside the home. What’s the plan for during the day? Crating a puppy for 10 hours at a time isn’t fair or humane. Jenny comments, “If I had a puppy, the house would be rubble!” Consider a senior who would be content napping on a soft bed during her alone time while waiting for her hero to arrive home.

Endless warm and fuzzy emotions

Making the decision to welcome any animal in the home is a great teaching lesson for adults and especially children. Teaching responsibility while feeling strong emotions are beautiful stepping stones in fostering empathy and understanding. In Emma and Tucker’s home, Jenny supplies them with enrichment items designed to keep them entertained and alert. These pampered pups love their snuffle mats, chews and squeaky toys during the day. Each night before bed, they are offered an array of doggiesafe frozen delicacies, including mango, cottage cheese and chicken on lick mats. Jenny finds this activity helps them wind down and keep in nighttime routine. “Puppies aren’t the only ones who need enrichment, seniors do to. They love it.”

Adoption of a dog saves two lives: the adopted dog and another who will take the shelter space. Knowing that is a strong feeling. Any adopted and rescued animal needs time to decompress and trust in his new environment. Good things can’t be rushed. With routine, consistency and patience, those who are rescued can glow-up into their true selves. It’s an amazing and rewarding metamorphosis to be a part of.

The next time your family is deciding whether to adopt a companion animal, consider the seniors, the less-than-perfect, the often overlooked. These souls are just waiting to find companionship and show their unwavering gratitude. If you are unable to adopt, considering fostering.

We’ve often heard one person can’t change the world. However, one person can change the world of a dog, an animal, a person. Looking into the eyes of a rescued animal is an deeply profound experience. So much behind them. Jenny realizes this and has made the decision to open her heart and home.

Emma and Tucker are two of the fortunate. They are thriving, safe, learning, and engaged. This is the wish for every animal in need of a safe place. If Emma and Tucker could speak, they would gaze up at Jenny and say, “Thank you for taking a chance and loving us.”