by Sandy Lurins

Are older dogs mellower and sweeter? Many of them are, it’s true. It’s also true that if you adopt an older dog, they often come with physical and emotional scars that will present challenges to you every day.

One day I was cruising rescue group web sites (it’s a dangerous aspect of my work!) and came across the photo of an older dog, Belgian Malinois cross with Greyhound, with a visible scar on his foreleg. He looked sweet but worried. At that time in foster care with Grateful Dogs Rescue, they described him like this:

“Wylie was surrendered to the shelter by the only owner he’d ever known and it’s been a difficult adjustment for him. He has separation anxiety and needs to be in a home where he’ll have steady companionship. He is taking an inexpensive anti-anxiety medication and will probably need to take it indefinitely. This spry senior loves to take long walks and is energetic for his age. After a long walk Wylie likes to go home and snooze on the couch. Wylie’s priorities in life are companionship, walks, socializing with other dogs, naps and affection. His dislikes are UPS delivery people and being left alone. As long as Wylie gets his daily dose of exercise he is quiet, gentle, and calm in the house, but alerts to noise and is an excellent watch dog. Wylie is aloof with people that he doesn’t know but warms up quickly once he knows you. Wylie must be in an adults-only, dog savvy home that is committed to helping him recover from the ordeal of being abandoned.”

In addition, they noted he was “not good with kids” and “has special needs.” Never one to let a few drawbacks keep me from pursuing something I want, I was undeterred. My friend Daniel and I adopted him shortly thereafter, once we’d had the requisite home visit. We learned more about Wylie from his foster mom, Rachel. He’d been in the care of Grateful Dogs and with Rachel since they rescued him from San Francisco Animal Care & Control, where he was slated to be put down for arthritis, and was considered too old to find a new home.

I think I did have some romantic notions about older dogs because the first dog I’d had as an adult matured into a sweet, regal older male who died at age 13 of cancer. I was aware of Wylie’s needs and for the first five months he was with us, he was not that challenging. We wondered who thought he was arthritic as we watched him romp on the beach. My dog Bennie accepted Wylie even when Wylie shunned him, and for the most part they worked out all their necessary interactions.

However, eventually Wylie’s demons came home to roost with us, too. Despite the anti-anxiety medication, despite all the love and exercise, he has behavior problems. He gets too protective of the house and does not want to accept strangers. He gets anxious about us leaving and although not destructive of the house, he is clearly unhappy when we leave. He whines a lot. Once he knows someone, it’s true, he accepts them, but we’ve learned that he needs to meet new people with great care and attention on our part.

Wylie is now around 12. Still stout and muscular, he has some frisky and happy moments and we love him completely. He has some elevated liver enzymes so he’s been tested for all sorts of things and we have him on a regimen of SAM-e and milk thistle to repair his liver. He totally enjoys a romp on the beach or walking along the creek, but he doesn’t run down the bank to the water even as much as he did last year. We knew when we adopted him that he may not have many years left, although he may have the typical Malinois longevity (they tend to live to 15 years of age and even more).

As I write this, he’s laying on the floor of my office, relaxed and happy to be near me. Last week I found a lumpy mass on his throat that we need to have our vet look at. We’re still not sure about that arthritis; I’ve never seen a dog more aware of food left on the counter, and able to jump and snap it up so quickly when the people are not paying attention. Sometimes I look at him and kiss his face and tell him I wish I could take away whatever has made him so anxious, scared, and reactive. But his scars are deep and with him from long before he came here to live. So we just love him and make the necessary adjustments, and give him the best care we can for a happy life. Adopting a senior dog is a special trust and it can stretch your heart in ways you don’t expect. One with special needs, all the more so.