We've been asked to drive to Georgia to take pictures. Of course, we said yes! Who can resist an all-expenses paid trip out of town with nearly double our normal rate of pay, a per-diem for meals, an extra .10 a mile for gas (and over 1600 miles, that adds up!) We're excited. My dogs won't be, however, when they realize they're on their own.
Okay, not exactly. They'll have company. It just won't be me. They worry when I'm gone, when I come home after dark, etc. They freak out if I go outside after midnight.
I'm really afraid I'll come home to find my Great Pyrenees male, Willie, has passed. He's 10 years old, can barely get around, and wheezes something awful when he breathes. This heat is really hard on him. And if/when he dies, the female, Dollie, will freak. They've been together since she was 6 months old and Willie was 8 weeks old. I may end up having to put her down.
I'm ready to not own animals anymore. It's too hard to watch them die. We sold the cows (which nearly broke my heart, since I'd hand raised most of them) and the chickens. So the cat and the dogs are all we have left.
But with this job, we'll have opportunities to travel, and that's hard to do when you have furry friends depending on you. I'd probably give the two younger dogs away if I could, but I've had them since they were puppies. How do you give away your babies?
Has anyone ever adopted an older dog? How do they handle a new home and family? Do they miss the old ones?
2 comments:
I'm late chiming in on this. We adopted a 6 year old dog more than a year ago. He integrated beautifully, probably because we had one old dog and a puppy who was driving the old dog crazy. Puppy started playing with the new dog instead and the old dog watches with patent relief. The former owner called once and asked if she could come visit. I said no, because then the dog would always be looking for her instead of settling with us.
I discovered you through ninthmoon.com...anywho...we have a TRUE rescue dog (my wife picked her up off the street) and we were unsuccessful at finding her true home, so we decided she would stay with us. The vet said she was probably 8. She will try to escape every-so-often, but we eventually find her. Although she is afraid of thunderstorms and cameras and fireworks (we'll give her a calming, herbal supplement made for dogs called "Quiet Moments" duriong those times) she's been a very loving pet. She learned her "new" name. She is very easy going and our Sheltie taught her how to play. I'm not sure what kind of life Raible had before, but we believe she's in a much better place now. I think adopting an older dog can definitely have it's benefits.
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