We are both 65, we have lost our beautiful dog. 65 is too old for a puppy, isn't it?

[Slowslowreader]

It's not now I'm worried about. We are both well and active and wfh. It's 10 and 15 years time. We have been offered by friend and local farmer a beautiful little collie (as we had before) from his new litter. We know the parents and grandparents, they are gorgeous dogs. But what when we grow old? There is no family to take them on. We could afford a dog walker, but even so, we would be old. My father had dementia by late 70s. It could be me.

65 too old for a puppy - of course not 🤣85 years maybe - you are both still young! When the dog is 15 you will be 80 - and there are plenty of fit 80 year olds - I know a lady that walks 5 miles each day!

A relative has just got a working lab that’s a 20 week old puppy and he’s 75.

I definitely don't think you're too old. Go for it! ❤️

Im 52..my cat died when he was 18...i wont have another..i cant risk them being on their own or rehomed with someone who wouldn't care as much as i do. I am single though ..but
..id still not if i was attached. Its age thing and disability with me

Sort I haven't read your entire post as I thought it would upset me!
We took on a puppy at 65 and it was fine. I would have looked at rescues but most want to place dogs within their own areas or a 25 mile radius which limits your choice. We also have cats and again a lot of rescues won't place with cats or children. We also had a young grandchild at the time.
Our pup was a handful to be honest - he's a terrier not laid back like my GSDs were but we felt we lacked the energy for another large breed.
He's 6 now and a dear little chap. I couldn't live without a dog though. Good luck.

Typed out an essay then MN ate it and I decided no one really cared anyway.

Short version - get a puppy! But maybe not this puppy, future-proofing with something smaller and more laidback might be a decision you’re very pleased about in several years time. You’d have to be quite unlucky to both be too infirm to look after an easy 10 yo dog by 75, but quite lucky to be able to look after a higher maintenance dog. And if the absolute worst comes to the worst an easy, well-trained and laidback dog will find a loving new home with no issue at all, even if they’re on the older side.

We are 69 and 72 and got a new puppy last year. Our lives revolve around our dog, she keeps me sane and healthy. She’s the light of our lives. Without a dog I would age much more quickly.

We are 58 and 63, lost a very precious dog last year and were offered a perfect puppy quite soon after. We are fit and active and our life is built for dogs! We are both ruled by our hearts rather than our heads and couldn't resist. A few months in we are so glad we got him. None of us know what's around the corner and I live for today. Go get the pup OP. X

Similar age here (66), I have an 8-year-old Weimaraner and after a lot of thought I’ve decided she’ll be my last dog. I hope to have her for another four years and by then I’ll have had a dog or dogs all my adult life. I’m still fit and pretty healthy, but I’m aware that the next 5 or 10 years could change that and it won’t get better thereafter. I don’t think I could cope with a puppy when I’m 70, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to give a dog the exercise it needs then. And as I’m on my own with no back-up, I’d quite like a few years without the commitment, if I’m honest. I know everyone’s different, you have to think realistically about what position you’re likely to be in over the lifespan of a dog.

OP please provide a picture of the puppies to give us more insight.

Would you not consider an older rescue? It seems such a shame not to have a cat in your life when you're only 52. My elderly cat died 2 years ago (and I am so sorry about your boy! It's horrible!) I've the best part of 10 years on you, but I couldn't bear the house without a cat!

I decided to adopt older rescues, and my first one was 5. Then I lost my head and fell in love with an 18 month old, who is the maddest cat I have ever had in a lifetime of having cats! They have brought so much joy back to our house!

A few months ago, I fell for another cat on the same rescue page. He was also 18 months or so when I adopted him. He's just a big toddler! His human mum had died quite suddenly and he was the youngest of 6 cats she left behind. Nobody could love him any more than I do! The three of mine are spoilt rotten, and all of the lady's cats were rehomed. I've the advantage of knowing that my daughter would take them if I shuffled the mortal coil, I know.

@Slowslowreader If I were you I'd also consider a rescue. Would save the destructive stage and the training!

Not too old. I know a lot of people who have acquired either a puppy or a young dog at around 65/70 (or even older). Having a dog forces you to get out and about and keeps you walking even when you don't feel like it.

I think the main thing is to have a back-up plan: who will have the dog if one of you is taken into hospital, for example? Having a plan becomes more important as you age, as your chances of falling apart increase year by year, but having said that I know or have known people in their late 70s and 80s with dogs who manage to exercise them as needed.

Awful advice. Please don’t get a puppy.

my aunt and uncles are in their seventies and their health has gone down hill very rapidly. They have a dog - the neighbour kindly walks him now every day and relatives took him for a month when my uncle had a stroke. But my aunt and uncle constantly worry about him - he is suddenly just too much for them.

there aren’t queues of people out there willing to rehome dogs.

I could never have rehomed my last dog at 10. It would have broken us. Her home was with us. She needed us, and we needed her. And I can't conjure up a useful family back up plan. I wish I could.

@Slowslowreader Of course you should get a puppy, dogs make sure people go out and get exercise, socialise more and are generally healthier.

Be sensible and make sure you have a plan or start to plan should anything happen, as to what will happen to the dog.

DH and I are younger but even we have plans in place about looking after the dogs.

There is no point in thinking in a few years time, we should have accepted the puppy, when then it probably is too late.

We are 72. When our dog died at aged 17 we had no intention of having another and kept to this for 12 years. 5 years ago we. heard of a 10 me nth old puppy on desperate need of a new home
After much thought we decided to give the dog a home. We knew that if anything happened to us our DD and family (dog lovers who have a dog of their own) would give our dog a home. This was discussed with them before we committed. She is so much loved and has brought us much happiness. I don't think 65 is too old. Your dog will get old as you get old requiring less lol Ng walks later and if needed you can use a dog walker later. Of course no -one knows the future. You could both live to the end of the dog's life, one of you could love that long or worse case scenario, neither of you. It is a difficult decision without family backup 💐

65 isn't too old at all. Collies have a life span of around 12 - 14 years, and in their last few years they also tend to slow down a great deal. There's every chance you would outlive a puppy.

Don't believe what you hear about collies needing endless stimulation and activity. We walk our collie twice a day for around an hour in total, the rest of the day she's very content to just chill around the house. Loves sunbathing in the garden in the summer.

OP I think you are right to be hesitant about this. I have noticed that on mumsnet a lot of people seem to be I. Denial about the health implications of aging.

if you have no family support suddenly having a hospital stay or a longer term illness would be very stressful with the commitment of a dog to walk once or twice a day every day. I have spent the last two weeks visiting my seventy two year old fit and healthy dad in hospital. My mum spent all day every day in hospital with him and he was discharged this morning.

My dad normally walks about five miles a day and runs the odd part run! He will be out of action for a couple of months. It’s an age related illness - mum is stressed and not sleeping. Thank his they don’t have an energetic dog in the middle of all this!

Husband bought a Labrador puppy a year ago now. He's 73. He's fit, active, still shooting. I on the other hand at 67 have back and hip issues. We do have children locally to help out though if something happens.

Shallana Completely agree re. collies. Our last dog was a collie, and she had 2 hours a day most weekdays, which was fine for her. And the farm collies I know don't spend their lives looping round the fells every day. There's an awful lot of lying around watching the yard going on, in between the working with the sheep.
What they hate is being alone.
But nearly all of the generation in the family above me were dead by their mid 70s. And they didn't sit around on sofas. They had dogs and gardens and workshops and bikes.
And we don't have any fall back family.

At least you know the breeding of the pup, presumably it isn't from inbred mental neurotic parents. Small collie size is a nice size and I'd rather be heaving one of those onto its 15 year old arthritic legs to go for a pee than a big lab. Also you know and like collies.
My in laws are 80 and 85 and still hill walking and cycling and could have easily coped with a 15yo dog 5 years ago and a 10yo dog 10 years ago. But just in case you were unlucky I'd stay friends with the farmer and walk the dog down to his a few times a week and get the pup to make friends with him...to give you another option if you are both unlucky enough to fall apart before you're 80.

Oh yeah and my dad had dementia in his late 60s...walking the collie (who was inbred and neurotic but not a puller or hyper) kept my mum fit and kept her sane.

You are very responsible dog owners for taking the time to think. But 65 is not old if you are both fit and healthy. My neighbour is 92 and still walks her golden retriever! She got him in her 80s!
Get the pup! You clearly love having a dog in your lives and he will keep you active and healthy in your retirement.

I think you should get the pup- it’ll bring you so much joy and positivity that your life will be enriched and it will keep you feeling younger.

As an alternative, if you want a dog in your life, you could foster through Dogs' Trust or Cinnamon Trust. There are lots of reasons why dogs need short term fostering. It would be less of a commitment.