Happy Dog Stories: Chris and 'oldies' Dixie and Missy

Chris McGrath had vowed not to get another dog after the last one died at the end of 2007. Here she explains how she broke that vow to get two 'oldies' who have filled the house with love:

"When our last dog died at the end of last year we said ‘no more dogs’. We are both now pensioners so have to think about our life span as well as that of a dog*. Morbid? Maybe, but necessary!

"But … the house seemed very empty - we had had at least one dog around for the last 35 years - and there wasn’t any real reason to ‘just go for a walk’. Our daughter, who works in Dogs Trust HQ, finally persuaded us that we needed a dog!

"I first saw Dixie, a crossbreed, on the Oldies website, where Dogs Trust Merseyside had posted details of her. She was 13 years old, which was possibly the reason why she was overlooked, so we travelled down to the Centre to meet her. It didn’t take very long to decide that she was The One and a couple of days later we brought her home. She settled in very well. Poppy The Cat looked a bit confused when they first met but there were no problems at all.

"A couple of weeks later we heard about another old lady, a 14 year old Labrador, who needed a new home. However she was very poorly and we had to wait until we could meet her. A week later we travelled back down to Merseyside to introduce Dixie to Missy. They took no notice of each other! Missy had a very bad skin condition which had made her tummy hairless and very very smelly. Previously she had been living in a garage because of her bad smell. She was also scratching a lot.

"We took her home (with the car windows open because she really was smelly) and it was her turn to meet Poppy The Cat. Again, no problems. In fact the cat didn’t seem at all surprised that another dog had suddenly appeared. With ongoing monthly injections and medicated baths Missy is now a lovely sweet smelling dog and her skin condition is improving. She actually runs (she wasn’t very keen on walking, let alone running and playing ball when we first had her), and both dogs enjoy the beach and going for a swim. We discovered that Missy is also deaf, but she has learnt a bit of very basic sign language.

"We don’t know how long Dixie and Missy will be around, hopefully for a while yet, but they’ve brought so much pleasure to us. Another plus for us personally – Poppy The Cat has stopped waking us up by letting out blood curdling yowls in the middle of the night because she was pining for our previous dog. Her life must have seemed to missing something as well as ours as she had lived all of her 16 years with a dog around.

"So – if anyone is thinking of adopting an Oldie – do it!"

If you have a happy story about your rescue dogs (whether they came from Dogs Trust or not), please email me with a photo and your tale and it could appear here soon! If you're interested in adopting a dog, please visit our website for more information.

Previous Happy Dog Stories: Jo and Daisy| Kim and Jake

*The Dogs Trust Canine Care Card scheme is a special FREE service that give you peace of mind, knowing that Dogs Trust will look after your dog in the event of your death.

How do you care for the world's 'oldest' dog?

When David Richardson visited his local RSPCA rescue 26 years ago to choose a dog, he was recommended Bella, a lovely Lab cross who was already, according to the kennel, "at least three years old".

Twenty six years later David is still caring for Bella who, while she only has two teeth left, likes to suck on sweets. Unfortunately, as records are not available, it's impossible to prove that Bella is actually the world's oldest dog, but she certainly ranks high on the list with the record currently held by Bluey the Australian sheepdog, who lived to 29.

At this point, Bella's older than I am in human years, so it's no shock to discover that in canine terms she's around 200! This graceful old lady is seeing out her life, which has already doubled the average life expectancy of the most long-living breeds, in a safe and comfortable home.

So how do you care for an older dog? People are sometimes put off adopting the older dogs in our Rehoming Centres because of fears of endless medical problems and imminent death. However, many of these dogs come to us because the owner has had a change of circumstances (moving into sheltered accommodation, for example) and the dogs themselves are quite healthy and could continue to live a happy life for some time.

Caring for an older dog requires patience and observation. Small health complaints need to be dealt with promptly so they do not escalate; some of the more drastic treatments are too much for an older dog and with early preventative care the recommendation for euthanasia can be avoided. It is worth checking that there is no age cut-off in your insurance policy if you have had a dog from a puppy and he is now growing older.

It is important to note that dogs still require exercise to stay active and supple into their older years. For as long as they can manage it, daily walks should be continued, making them shorter, less intense and yet more frequent as necessary.

Older dogs still need plenty of mental stimulation, so gentle games and toys that require some sustained interest and activity (such as a food-stuffed Kong) could be ways to keep an elderly dog living much longer than you might expect.

Bella has been very lucky to receive two lifetimes of loving care from her devoted owner; can you offer an older dog a peaceful home for their remaining years?

[via BBC News]