Michael Baugh CDBC
Sixty crept up on me. I’m not saying forty feels like yesterday, but it certainly doesn’t feel like three dogs ago (Stella and Stewie were concurrent). We are getting older, have been since the day we were born. The choices we make about living with dogs need to be different from the choices we made thirty, twenty, even ten years ago.
Choose a puppy? At my age? Probably not. A lot of things change in our later decades. Many of us become happier and more emotionally stable — yay. On the other hand, our skin gets thinner. That sure takes a lot of joy out of raising a puppy. All puppies bite; it’s normal; and their teeth are very sharp. If you are on a blood thinner (I’m not), that can make things even more serious. And our knees. Mine remind me often that I don’t want to be chasing a crazy playful puppy around at top speed like I did when I was younger. Maybe a two-year-old or three-year-old dog would be a better choice.
Choose the dog that would be right for you five years from now. I know this is tough to predict, and most of us don’t want to think about it. My dog, Charlie, will probably live another ten years (more, I hope). That means I may start a new life with a new dog at seventy. I hope to be strong and healthy at seventy. The question is, do I want a large, active adult retriever (for example) who needs a lot of exercise and pulls on the leash and jumps on me when I come home at seventy-five? No. Of course I would train him. But training a large dog is still a physical endeavor. Better if I choose a smaller dog, something cute and cuddly, please.
Choose to have the hard conversation. We are used to outliving our dogs. Eventually, one will outlive us. This is difficult to imagine now when we are healthy and enjoying life more than ever. We should think about it, though. If death comes for me at seventy-five, who will take care of my beloved little five-year-old dog? All of us, without exception, need to have a care plan for our dogs, a safety net for them in the event of our passing. Talk to your younger family and friends. Get a commitment and put your wishes in writing.
If you have money — and I know some of you do — consider what one of my clients has done. She set up a trust for her dogs. It’s in her will: money (a considerable sum) for their care after her passing.
I want to have a dog my whole life, she told me one day after our training session.
I smiled. Of course, you should.
Imagine it: graying hair and graying muzzles, slow walks, evenings in your favorite chair. It’s all possible. Choose well for the years you’ll have together. And when the time comes for either of you to say goodbye, know that you planned well, loved deeply, and gave each other a life worth remembering.
Michael Baugh teaches dog training in Sedona Arizona, Houston Texas, and online everywhere. He specializes in aggressive dog training.