old dogs

[tenntreedog]

I see a lot of people selling dogs 8 to 10 yrs.old.maybe it`s just me but ithink if a dog is good enough to
keep that long he`s good enough to take care of till he dies I know i hate to see dogs pass on but it bothers
me more to wonder if a dog that i raised would be taken care of the way he deserves for allthe pleasures he`s
given me.just my opinion but i know i can`t be the only one who feels this way. if he`s good enough to eat my dog food for 5 or 6 yrs. he s good enough to have a home till he dies.

[TC]

Yup I Agree
But to Some these ol hounds are just a Tool.

[hurryup]

Totally agree...kinda sad to see dogs that have given a 100% time and time again dumped when they can't compete or breed any more....unfortunately nursing homes are full of old people that never get visitors, no surprise about dogs. Every one has to do whats best for them, maybe limited kenel space,feed bills, etc. contribute. Might be hard for some but don,t have many options.

[Bev]

I guess we are all different in our philosophies on that. I don't see anything wrong with passing an old dog along, or committing to one for life -- as long as the dog isn't dumped and/or neglected. I also know they can "love someone new" in about 2 suppertimes, and that a lot of emotions we tend to tag them with are human ones. I know some people who put dogs down when they become too old to trial or hunt. They do it mercifully, and the reasoning behind it is at least they never have to worry about where the dog is -- if it's on a chain sitting in a mudhole somewhere, or not being fed or watered daily, etc. I'm of the mind that if my back were against a wall, and I had to let a dog or dogs go and I couldn't find a home or buyer I felt comfortable with, I would probably just put them down. Everybody's gotta do what they can live with, and we're all different to degrees.

JMO, but I think a lot of it depends on the dog and the circumstances. There's a thread on here about my ol' Ozzie dog. I'm a single, working person these days and don't have much time left over to hunt or trial. Even though Ozzie was 9 years old, he could still hunt a good day, wanted to, and he could still breed. If I don't have time to hunt him, I certainly don't have time to breed and raise litters. I felt awful looking at him sitting in that kennel day after day when I knew he'd rather be hunting. He is with Jim Lane now. A typical day for Ozzie these days: Run rabbits, lay in the sun, breed a female or two, eat something yummy, nap in the recliner by the fireplace. LOL. He has it better than me. I wouldn't have let that old dog go unless I felt confident his life would improve over what I was able to give him.

And then we have this:



LOL! Dolly, who will be 12 in a few months. She's just gonna have to stay here.

She's too old to breed, she's certainly lost a step or two, and she seems to be happy with her retirement -- getting down to fart around in the yard for an hour or so each day. In this pic she is seriously begging for her turn to kennel back up and be fed, lol. Sitting up is her word for "please." I didn't teach it to her, she taught herself. She also does this if she wants to come in the house, wants whatever you have in your hand, she did it when she had puppies and you were holding one of them ("please give me my puppy back"). The old broad will be here until she dies.

[Newt]

Some don't have the space to keep them and others don't have patience or money to keep an unproductive dog. It costs a lot to maintain an old dog. I get upset each time visit a Vets office. I watch as the elderly bring old blind dogs into a Vets office that can barely walk. They are trying to keep their companion breathing for a few more days. Many of these peole are living on a fixed income and are indebted to the Vet. They pay by the month and will be paying after the pet is gone.
As was mentioned by Hurryup, folks don't visit or care for the elderly in nursing homes, so dogs are pretty far down on the list of priorities.

[rabbitearl]

I just love old dogs.I think that when there good.I used to get some when these boys with there fast young dogs and call me up cause they got a old dog now that cannot keep up.Man I could run a good rabbit.Now most keep there old dogs and say by by to the fast young dog.They used the old dog as a guild line nothing way in frount of that dog.

[Windkist]

I treasure my old dogs! After about 7 its pretty much a Given that they will stay here their whole lives however, I don't turn down nice homes for the older ones where they can get that one on one attention. I have retired 3 to my sisters house and usually retire bitches around 5 years old. Some will never leave. If I do let an older one go its with the condition that should they no longer want it I'll take it back. I normally only place them locally as well.

Leah

[TC]

I Dont See anything Wrong in placing an older dog in a good home Someplace where you KNOW it is gonna be well taken care of..just cannot get my mind around selling One to Somebody you Dont really know though..
if I had a choice to sell one or place it in a good home like Bev Did then I would place it...

[tenntreedog]

I don`t have any thing against placing an old dog somewhere where i know it will be loved and cared for and i too would prefer having a dog put down to watching it suffer badly every day.ihave had to have 3put down in their old age because
of sever sufferingand 2 due to injuries beyond help.but it sticks in my craw to see dogs that have been good ones end up as trade lot dogs and the old owners could care less what becomes of him.like i said earlier just my opinion.thanks

[Mapel Valley Kennels LLC.]

Old dogs have earned there place with me, Glad i didnt give my mom and dad away when they got old.I have buried several old dogs and cried the whole time.

[bradadkins]

take care of the ones that have taken care of you.

[Randy Underwood]

take care of the ones that have taken care of you.

Exactly the way I feel .
Mothers and Dads and Old dogs
A song comes to mind by Tom T Hall ...
Titled ( Watermellon Wine )
"Old Dogs and Children & Watermellon wine"

I have kept two such Old dogs untill they passed
both made it to 17 years each ( People years ) Not dog years
Male and female Blue tick coon hounds
my male passed 1st, 2 weels to the day the female passed .
I honestly think from missing her mate and buddy.

[DRamey]

I will never let another old dog retire anywhere else but with me. I was cowardly once with a hound that I was offered several young dogs for and let him go to a breeder thinking he would live the life of Riley. Later heard that he was living in filth and have regretted it ever since. From now on I will bury them no matter how heartbreaking it is, at least I know that they are getting all the attention I can give them. The last one that retired from the Ramey house reminds me of Bev's Dolly. She lived to be 15 and died on Thanksgiving Day 2001.

[Pete Tuck]

I do not get rid of the old ones that were special to me. I guess I have it pretty good, when they get RETIRED from the pack they go to my cousin's house. There ,they get alot of attention. Shoot, some of them even start to live inside. But whenever my cousin wants to hear a race he let's loose and it's only a few minutes before he's hearing a rabbit chase. I know I have at least 5 buried behind my house and he has three. I'm a firm believer, in that, that dog gave me all it had in the field and I am not going to let someone else take care of him or her.

[yellowdog]

Old dogs have earned there place with me, Glad i didnt give my mom and dad away when they got old.I have buried several old dogs and cried the whole time.

ol jimbo will spend all his days here jimmy doing whatever he wants..he is usually waiting on me to get home sitting in my rockin chair on the porch ...he also serves as a good pup starter for me..jimbo can run night or day he comes and goes as he pleases..i sure like the old fart..plus the kids love him ..