The following comes to us courtesy of our generous friends at GRRNT, and it really says it all about senior Goldens anywhere:
While many of our adoptive households look first at puppies or young adult dogs, it’s not unheard of for them to fall in love at first sight with a Golden Oldie (8 years of age or older)–simply because the charming nature of mature Golden Retrievers is virtually irresistible!
Consider these aspects of your life to see if an Oldie might be the perfect Golden for you:
A Golden Oldie can offer easy adaptability to the ebb and flow of your household, tolerance of changes in your schedule, and a long attention span with a tight focus on your instructions and behavior preferences. Most senior animals are beautifully housebroken and are well past the slipper-chewing and rummaging-in-the-trash stage of life!
A Golden Oldie can help you create a sublime Atmosphere of Laid-Back, an Existence of Easy-Going, and perhaps a few more naps on the sofa. Golden Retrievers mellow as they age. They’re gentle with children, cats, other dogs, delivery persons, and neighbors strolling on the sidewalk. They're also a terrific example for other, younger dogs in the household.
A Golden Oldie can enjoy playing and walking without the intensity and duration a younger dog will demand of you. You can finish your work day, take your silver-faced, tail-wagging companion for a stroll around the block—and settle down together for a quiet evening. No strenuous running-jumping-tumbling-throwing-tugging required at the end of your day.
A Golden Oldie can offer companionship, fun, affection, and spirited response—with stability, consistency, and reliability. When you adopt a senior from GRR, his or her personality characteristics, temperament and behavior in various circumstances are clear and present for all to see. If you meet an Oldie you think you can love, it’s OK to take the plunge – ‘cause what you see is definitely what you get!
A Golden Oldie will have had enough life experience to appreciate the comfort and affection you can offer. Our dogs know about the heartbreak of loss, the fear of abandonment, the anxiety caused by pain or hunger—but what they know best of all is how to banish human loneliness with an affectionate lick or a gentle wag.
Contrary to popular belief, the kids really don’t need a puppy to grow up with. Senior dogs are past the jumpy, mouthy, rowdy phase that frightens many children—and often, they are much more tolerant of little ones. How many adolescent dogs will patiently play “beauty parlor” or serve as a pillow for TV watching or attend a little girls’ tea party without leveling the table?
Will you consider a Golden Oldie? If so, we can promise you'll experience loyalty to last a lifetime.
How can we be so sure? One of our jobs is to watch our dogs carefully while an adoptive bond is forming. Again and again, as our Oldies are chosen, we’re very certain we see understanding, relief and gratitude in their sweet and hopeful faces when new adopters say, by word or with a gentle touch, “You’re safe now, and you’re on your way home.”
Do you have a Senior Moment to share? We have a hard time finding homes for our oldies, and testimonials from happy senior-owning families are the best PR we could ask for to encourage others to consider adopting a senior. Maybe you’ve had your Golden since puppyhood, and you’re really enjoying his or her mature years. Maybe you thought you wanted a young dog, but wound up with a mature Golden and could not be happier. Whatever your story, please let us hear from you! A few lines about your dog (and a photo, if you have one) are all we need. Please send stories & pictures to becky@grr-tx.com and we’ll include them here. Thank you!
Queenie, age 12
Queenie was around 11 or so when she turned up stray at the shelter right around Thanksgiving time, 2008. She had a hairless tail & a sparse coat, she was covered with lumps in various sizes (the biggest one was a “tennis ball” on her tummy) and she was F-A-T, in fact I just laughed when I first saw her—she looked like a coffee table from the top. Now it’s 18 months later and our girl is a beauty! Well we think so anyway. She has gorgeous thick, shiny red fur, she is 20 pounds lighter, and she is silly, headstrong, perky, playful, funny, and super social. Everyone in the neighborhood knows Queenie! She still loves her food and has been known to move chairs out from the wall tracking down a single stray kibble!
Dolly, age 13
Dolly was already a mature lady of seven or eight when one day—tagless, collarless, homeless—she just wandered into a Good Samaritan’s life. “I’m having chemo, and I think Dolly was sent to help me through this difficult time.” A month later, though, the new owner realized she could not care for the Golden she had come to adore. So Dolly came to GRR… and now she’s a Home Visit champion and GRR Ambassador Extraordinaire. However, even a senior gal who takes regular trips to the beauty salon (as witness the pink hair bows) can still cut loose! “Get this Bad Dog story. On Saturday at reveille (that’s wake up time for you non-GI’s), Ted let them all out to the backyard while he made breakfast… I then hear Ted yelling, “I need help!” I race out & there is Ted, holding Dolly by her collar and there is a limp/dead squirrel in her mouth. Dolly knows ‘give’ and ‘drop’ when it comes to a ball or other toy – she was DEAF when it came to giving me the squirrel… DEAF! Then Ted said, ‘get her breakfast’…so I did… and she “exchanged” the squirrel for her breakfast. Dolly is like 12 or 13 – how she got a squirrel is beyond me. So, all these years she’s been doing HV’s and I’ve told families with cats to keep them away, well that was good advice. I called our vet to see if we needed to be concerned about rabies and he said no….so, if we fall off the net in 3 or 4 weeks, Dolly really was a Bad, Bad Dog – heck, she’s vaccinated, we aren’t!”
Geni, age 14
Now who could not smile and be happy when each day we are greeted by Miss Geni. Geni came to us at 12 years of age and weighing 104 pounds. Her family had surrendered her to GRR as they were no longer able to care for her. Being an outside dog for 12 years of her life she seized the opportunity to become an inside pet with all of its perks. She has since slimmed down considerably and her quality of life has improved by 100 percent. We have had the privilege of having her as our companion and she has inspired us to always be happy, be thankful for everything that we have, and never complain no matter the circumstances. Our family looks at Geni each morning and thinks if Geni can smile and seize the day with happy expectations we will follow her example. She has truly been an inspiration and we have been blessed to have adopted her as our senior "Grand Mum."
#09-034 Shaula, age 11+
Prior home: The streets of San Antonio
Greatest Trick: Counter surfing at a senior age
Favorite Food: Anything she can catch (bird, bug, etc.), and anything she can steal
Favorite Pastimes: Kissing, walking, talking, Chasing birds & squirrels, watching TV, taking rides in car, barking at cows!
Shaula isn't your typical senior or should I say Golden. Shaula has been an opinionated and very vocal girl since she came into our home. It was quite apparent from the moment she arrived that she was very wise for her years and used to taking care of herself without any type of human intervention. Oh, if only Shaula could write a book we know it would be a best seller! We have enjoyed her zest for life and have learned that age is only a number. Shaula has defied all odds and seems always to land on her feet. She is another great example of hope and great expectations. We feel blessed that her special karma brought her into our lives. Shaula is a keeper!
Copyright © 1998-2010 Gold Ribbon Rescue Post Office Box 956, Austin, Texas 78767-0956. All images, design elements and content on this web site are copyrighted and are the property of the board of directors of Gold Ribbon Rescue (unless noted otherwise). All use and publication rights are reserved worldwide, and are expressly not in the Public Domain. No images or content on this site may be copied, stored, manipulated, published, sold or reproduced without express written permission from the Gold Ribbon Rescue board of directors.