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.

I am honestly not surrounded by ill and infirm 65 year olds or older at all.

I do know a 45 year old with a goldie who has MS. I have a 30ish friend with brittle bone disease with a jack russell and as mentioned before a youn28 year old killed in a car crash and her 4 collies were homeless. People stepped up.

Dont live life waiting for the bad things to happen.

I know many 70+ who are still competing at agility
I know many 70+ who are still competing in competitive obedience very successfully.
I know many over 70's who are beating and winning at Scentwork competitions.

All these retired owners who have more time to train than I do - stealing my rosettes

I now of one 70 year old lady who had both her hip and knee replaced and was back at agility within 3 months.

The OP also has a husband so the odds of both of them being stricken to not being able to move or walk at all is less. Having the dog will be the best thing for them and the dog. Live life dont waste life

My mum 'always' ( i.e. from some time before 1950 ) kept a boxer dog ( or two or three ! )
One died when mum was in her mid 60s. Without hesitation, she set about finding another....said dog died when mum was around 80.....she got another....
Mum died at 90....I looked after Miss Boxer afterwards :)

OP, dont think twice, just do it, get another hound :)

I'd say either get a slightly older rescue. There's so many need homes at the moment.

If you really want a puppy though I'd go for something smaller that doesn't need as much exercise/stimulation. I had collies growing up. They are gorgeous but requires hours of exercise/stimulation a day which may be very intense as you age.

We were having this conversation at Christmas. We are 60 (nearly) and 62. Our current two cats are fast approaching 17! When we rescue our next cat (not for ages we hope but we aren’t silly), we’ll be looking at ways we can ensure they’d be looked after if they outlive us.

I don't think your too old for a dog but only you know if you have the energy for a puppy and whether that's what you want or would prefer to skip that stage with a rescue dog. A collie is going to need a lot more mental & physical input than many breeds although do at least tend to be more reliable off lead than some high energy breeds.

It's sensible that your thinking it though and quite a few puppies end up in rescue in this situation as the owners had become used to their old dog and many years have passed since they did the puppy stage that they've forgotten the workload and not noticed the decline in their own energy levels since then. It's sad as the experience/guilt may even put them off getting a more suitable adult dog. Puppies will always be more in demand though.

With a decent rescue (& breeders) they contract adopters to return the dog to them if something should happen where you can't care for it any longer (if they are still going). You could foster with the option to adopt if not sure yet what you'd want and some are kept on long-term/permanent foster due to medical conditions that the rescue funds and the cinnamon trust also does permanent foster placements for dogs they've taken on, not all are old or inactive. With fostering they often try to provide holiday cover.

Key to adopting is to research how the rescue operates similar with breeder and not just assume they are all the same when search for a dog.
Its their assesment you need to rely on to be accurate as possible, provided any vet treatment the dog needs and is supportive post adoption for any settling in issues or help later on such as finding a temporary fosterer if you a broke leg etc. Some rescues use foster homes but even in kennels they should be making effort to find out as much as possible in order to find most ideal home for the dog as doesn't benefit them or the dog for adoption to fail.

I’m 49 with a 13 week old puppy atm. This did occur to me that he will be my last, if he gets to 15/16 as expected I’ll be too old for another. Then I had a word with myself- because honestly who knows? I’d rather have a dog than not if I can.

There’s a puppy WhatsApp group, there’s us (semi retired), a retired couple and younger people, one with a child the rest no children all are working. All are looking after the puppies really well, but guess which ones have the most time spent with their owners every day? Guess who isn’t worried about doggy daycare? Guess which ones are pretty much housetrained and know lots of basic commands already?

This. My MIL declared herself elderly at 60. She’s now 75 in good health but still ‘too old to do anything’. It’s a sad way to be.

My mum died suddenly at 60. My MIL makes me sad.

I work in education. I’ve got full time colleagues older than the OP. They’ve got as much if not more life in them than I have (early 40s).

Yup. Obviously age isn't purely a state of mind. But how you age is massively affected by your attitude to it.

I have got an 80 year old patient who is doing a sponsored walk up various Munros (some of the more accessible ones I believe, but still..). Of course, that it is not the norm, but neither is the MN vision of old age, which is that dementia sets in around 47, and by 58 you're basically circling the drain.

I agree with @MissLucyEyelesbarrow I'm in my 50s, DH in his 60s and we brought a puppy home two years ago. We are both (touch wood) fit and active. Our dog is not a collie but he's also a herding breed and needs both physical and mental exercise. We love having a dog and he brings so much joy to both of us. In your shoes @Slowslowreader I would go for it!

That's heartwarmingly lovely and heartbreaking all at the same time. That was one lucky doggy to be loved so much and to love back so much in return! I'm a cat person and there's no way I could rehome one of my cats! Your sounds practically human.

I didn't want a kitten because I didn't want the destructiveness, plus they get homed when older ones don't. I adopted my first from CP and they didn't know her background, just that she had been fed by someone when she was straying, and when he had to leave the country for a time, he handed her in to find a home. Now at CP it seems they're kept singly, so we didn't know that she really doesn't like other cats!

The others came from a lovely local rescue and with these two, the rescue did know the background (in fairness they wouldn't always but with these two, they did). You might be able to get matched similarly, ie adopt a dog where the background is known rather than one that isn't?

I agree with much of what you say. I am just saying it's sensible to think about what you can offer a dog and what type of dog might suit you and what type of person might suit the dog best.

I see from your subsequent post that you use the word munro so I guess you are in Scotland. I think access to GPs might be a little better in Scotland than it is in some parts of the UK. Don't know if that's true but you do at least seem to have a different and better relationship with your patients than many GPs.
I was just making the point that if people don't have access to timely and good healthcare then they will 'age' quicker and in some circumstances, some people don't. Again, just something for people to consider.

We have never had a puppy as we always take in rescues. Everyone who has a dog or cat or any pet, at any age, but even more so from 60 onwards- should have a proper plan 'in case', and of course with the proper approval of others in that plan. My neighbour has promised she would adopt our cat, and one of our boys and family promised they would take on our dog, if and when.

Why not take on an older rescue?

I don't have DC so there is no one obvious to take on a dog if I can no longer look after them.

I have therefore had this thought once BiteyDog is no longer here when I am older and retired.

The thought of it being more likely that a dog might out live me breaks my heart as I cannot contemplate them going into a rescue. I am thinking of rehoming only very old dogs in my later years due to this.

If you are fit and well I can't see why not. A well trained collie will find a home later in life if needed but they need less exercise once older anyway so you'll be fine

Ps to those who talk about collies need for exercise, I've had 3 and it's really not any different to spaniels for instance, they need stimulation not more miles. My dog at 12 needs very little in terms of mileage but instead he needs things to interest him eg sniffing

Marvellous post!

This ^ FGS

My mum got a puppy at 65
By 72 she had dementia and was in a rest home
When she first went in hospital we thought it was for a month ,then home
So we reluctantly took on the dog ,so she had him to come home to .
But it quickly became apparent she wasn't going home .
And by then the dog was settled at our house ,making a pack of 3 dogs ,with the 2 I already had .
I was really really resentful at first ...but he soon became my dog ,and we had 3 glorious years with him ..
But honestly I was annoyed at first ,and I couldn't understand why she got a puppy so late in life

It all depends. Barring any disasters, you'll outlive the puppy, so its all about fitness not age. My friends mother runs marathons in her seventies. My aunt in the same age can barely walk. Having the dog is more likely to keep you fit than not having it. I hear your worry about dementia, but on the other hand, a person can be struck by illness or serious injury at any age. That said, a collie is a lot of dog. They are almost scarily intelligent and needs a LOT of physical and mental stimulation. If they don't have enough "work" they go a bit mental. My friend has one that her dad had from a farmer who was going to put him down because he wasn't bright enough for farm work, apparently (!). She says he's not as bright as some collies, but he's still incredibly clever and drivey by the standards of most dogs.

So sorry your lost your beloved dog. I used to work on the rehoming side of things for a large UK breed charity, and you are definitely not too old for a dog, or a puppy. But a collie? I'd say no. Go to a breed rescue who will have older dogs in foster, and give one of those a lovely life. Be wary of behavioural issues though, many are in that situation through no fault of their own, but behaviour can take months/years or not work at all.
I was known as 'Mrs Backup' as I always made sure the owners of any dog I rehomed had plans for backup. We all get I'll from time to time and need help. Either you pay for that help, or you need family or friends to care for the dog in your absence. This is another reason why behaviour is important going forward.

The Cinnamon Trust is a charity which help older people who become ill with their pets, but I'm not sure how widespread their volunteers are.

cinnamon.org.uk/

Good luck - it's very hard to walk away from a puppy-the farmer should be more responsible-you sound like wonderful, considerate, sensible, people-just get the breed right!

I've posted on this thread already but the more I think about it, the more I think that at 65 you're fine to get another dog, because I keep thinking of elderly people I know with dogs and what has happened.
Couple aged about 67 and 72 got an 18 month old dog (breeder return). He lived till he was 12 and was regularly exercised all his life. The dog and the owners brought so much to each others lives.
Chap retired (was about 65) and got the golden retriever puppy he had always longed for. Dog is now coming up to 10, chap and dog adore each other.
Single retiree aged about 75 got young rescue dog. Dog and bloke now both ancient together. Until very recently the dog was being walked daily. Bloke does have back-up in the form of his DC and friends but has barely needed it.
Couple aged about 70 (I'd say 70+ not not 70-) got a puppy. 7-ish years on both are fit and active and walk the dog miles.

And this aside from the various older people I know who are bringing on working dogs...

65 is young!

Even if you were unlucky and both ended up incapable of caring for the dog, a well trained, well socialised collie is very rehomable. For a dog to have excellent training in puppy hood and then to be rehomed is not a disaster. A puppy missing socialisation and training in the critical first four months is a disaster. If you socialise this pup well, you will set it up for life, no matter what happens to you.

No good heavens no!!
I know dozens of people in their eighties still showing & breeding. One of the most successful is 97 .

I wanted to come back and address something here. There has been chatter that parent died at x age and people done want to risk it.

My DF parents died at 56/70 respectively DM’s before 70 both - all but 1 died before I was born and the remaining one I don’t remember as I was less than a year old when she died.

My DF, he was 86 - granted not fit having had a fall in his 86th year but he never expected to out last his own father by 30 years.

In all likelihood, you may have at least 5 years on the generation before if not 10.

Life expectancy Is longer (pension ages anyone?)

75-80 seems “old” but if you asked my DM (82) she’d bop you one for calling her old 🤣

I'm older than you and about to get a puppy.

Over the years I've had a mix of rescues and pups. Still have two rescues, one I got at 4 and one at a year. Prior to that I've had rescues at all ages, two of them were at least 10 when they came to us. I promise you they had the best retirement.

I support a couple of specialist dog rescues, I have no doubt that, should it be necessary, they would find the best homes for my dogs. The pup I'm about to get could go back to the breeder to be rehomed.

I'm guessing your hesitancy is bound up in not having a back up plan. Get the backup plan in place and then see how you feel.