Senior Month

As April comes to an end, we are also finishing up Senior Month here at ABC Basset Rescue. We have shared five Perfect Match stories of senior hounds that have found their forever homes. These stories remind us that young dogs aren’t the only dogs that make good pets and great companions.

When John and I first started looking for a dog, John was convinced that a basset puppy was where we should be focusing our efforts. After we started to foster for ABC, he soon realized why I argued against a younger do. Yes, it is a basset hound but a puppy is still a puppy no matter what breed it is. They all have super high energy, rip and tear things apart in the house, potty training woes happen daily, barking and running and causing a ruckus are all normal. After a few days of fostering Gump, John had to chase him around the house to get a sock that he was about to eat or at least chew to pieces. It never ceases to amaze me that things that they find to chew up or get into…things we hadn’t seen in a long time. John realized that an older dog would not only be easier to catch, but would probably ignore the sock sitting on the floor for a whole week before he or she ever noticed it and then would either sleep on it or walk by it.

The statement “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” is one that has been proven wrong so many times, but we seem to continue to believe it’s falsity. There is a better chance that a senior dog has learned basic commands, advanced commands and lots of other good habits. Not every dog that you adopt has been taught the basic commands and sometimes they have even been taught bad habits, but with a little time and energy any dog can be taught to do what you want them to learn…even at an older age.

An older basset hound has more than likely already passed their chewing phase. They are usually not going to tear apart your house and/or your furniture. An older basset doesn’t need as much exercise and won’t be running around the house all the time. Well…I said “all the time” since I just saw many older basset hounds running around at the Spring Basset Blast.

The companionship that an old hound gives can’t be disputed and that is the one thing that kept coming up every time I asked people’s opinions on the subject. They all agreed that the love a senior hound gives couldn’t be compared. I think that we saw that in the stories of Phoebe, Trixie, Charlie, Barney and Annabelle in our Perfect Match Monday.

Yes, there are advantages to adopting (and heaven forbid…buying) a puppy. I’ve heard people give me all of the reasons why they weren’t looking at an older dog. I’ve seen people pass up perfect, beautiful bassets who need a home just because of their age. I sit here and wonder how this is any different then what we feel about human age. I think that if we find a basset whom we love.....age shouldn't matter. We care for and find homes for our older population. We don’t always look at age when finding a mate. 

Why should this be different for a dog?  

You can find the love of your life at ABC Basset Rescue's website at www.nybasset.org.