The infinite joy of an older dog

Stephen Price

Of all my passions in life, dogs are ranked pretty highly – so much so that my CV and LinkedIn unapproved career detour before joining Nation Cymru saw me dog walking and sitting – such is my exasperation with modern life, modern people and modern workplaces.

With my foot slightly still in the game, for enjoyment rather than the pennies it makes, I house-sat for a young pre-injection, pre-housetrained labrador earlier this month, excited at the prospect of a break from my own less-than-fine hounds and a reminder of all the joys of puppyhood without the burden and cost of adding more to my pack.

My own dogs are nine and ten, and have slowed down just a little, but while their bodies are indeed slowing down, a few health issues have been brought to the surface, and one’s inability to digest protein has meant constant new diet trials, health visits, and a revolving door of garden visits and shorter walks to keep her active, and avoid any ‘accidents’ which, so far, haven’t been too frequent.

At night, however, with her by my side at all times, I sometimes romanticise a break from the snoring and the less than fragrant air.

Ci-raeth (geddit!)

Fast forward to day one of the puppy-sit, and with much dog experience and no naivety as to the intensity of a young pup others might have, I was more than prepared for the usual puppy lows to accompany the highs. Or was I?

I said farewell to my two mixes, armed with everything I needed for a week away and plans to catch up on some writing, some films and some reading, and headed out of Abergavenny en route to a house considerably nicer than mine – a holiday of sorts awaiting, and the most handsome pup for company.

And so began a week I shall never hope to repeat again.

My first encounter with the handsome charmer of a pup (after our previous meeting a few weeks prior) involved some relentless barking, and some shark-teeth skin-shredding bites to the arm.

I instantly felt a pang for my own dogs’ quiet companionship.

While his owner hurried to the car, shutting me in the living room to avoid a repeat of the Houdini-style escape he’d carried out earlier, and within minutes of my arrival, Mr Pup decided to have a wee on the pristine carpet.

And following the wee, before I’d even managed to squeeze through a gap in the door for some cleaning products, it was time for a number two.

And from there on in, you can guess how the rest of the week looked.

Bloodied hands, scratched face, ruined slippers, ruined sleep, soggy socks, my (not-cheap don’t you know) jacket now finding itself enjoying a second life as a rag.

But, a puppy in one piece, that made me smile copiously.

The Trojan Dog

Naturally, I took it all in my stride, kept calm and laughed my way through and remembered the three Rs – reward, reward, reward, and we ended our time together (just how we started) the best of friends, and he also ended the week pretty much toilet trained. Wahey.

I’ll also admit the utter joy just spending time with a puppy is. Who really cares about cleaning up or some minor battle wounds, but the relentlessness of it all isn’t for the faint hearted…

Which is why, dear reader, I won’t try and hoodwink anyone in my aims for this piece (is this breaking the fourth wall? Is there a fourth wall here even? It’s too hot, I don’t know) – I am here to extol the virtues of bypassing the cute Instagram-friendliness of a pup, and hoping to open minds to the older, the forgotten, the ill and unwanted.

Because, owning two oldies that tick every of those boxes, I can safely say that being with them, caring for them, being part of their pack, is the most wonderful, blissful, healing element in my life and.. with all the crap (ahem) that comes with an older dog, 24 hours with them is so much easier than even half an hour with a new pup.

Our walks aren’t as speedy as they were, but they love the car, they love the beach, and we tackled Ysgyryd Fawr only last week.

Their (mostly) silent, sleepy companionship, and our adventures, are heaven on earth for me – and to think that so many of their age, younger, older, just as fun, just as loving, just as needy, await homes while we continue to support backyard breeders, puppy farms and the like, is an unbearable thought.

“Unprecedented’ animal abandonment

Animal rescue centres across Wales are facing ‘unprecedented’ numbers of dogs arriving at their doors, as owners struggle with a number of factors, including the cost of living crisis and the reality of some dogs’ complex needs.

Across Wales, dogs of all ages, shapes and sizes are currently waiting for loving homes through no fault of their own, while backyard breeders and puppy farms continue to breed pets that so often find themselves returned by owners when circumstances and expectations change.

And until the Welsh and UK Governments do more, it’s on us all to do better, and to think of the simple cause and effect, supply and demand, when we choose new puppies to be born while lost, confused and broken dogs wait days, weeks, months and sometimes years for a human to call their own.

Hope

Taking to social media recently, Hope rescue centre based in Pontyclun shared the plight of nine year old Judy who had been abandoned after being used for breeding.

They wrote: “Poor 9 year old Spaniel Judy arrived with us this week as an unclaimed stray from the pound. On arrival she was very matted, dirty and it was clear she has many mammary tumors, which the team were concerned about.

“Worryingly, it is evident that this older lady has also been used for extensive breeding. Sadly, we have seen 8 mums and expectant mums over the last 6 months, showing there is still an issue with breeding at a time when our sector is facing constant challenge.

“Our welfare team will ensure Judy gets all the care she needs as we prepare her for rehoming. We are working with our vets to remove Judy’s tumors and book her in for spaying to make sue that she is never used for breeding again.

“The cost for this treatment will be at least £1000 and with your support we can be there to change the lives Judy and other dogs like her.”

To focus on just a few others at Hope, Snowy the 10 year old Pekingese is desperate for a home to call his own.

They shared: “This sweet senior is sociable with other calm dogs and could live with another dog; however, this isn’t essential. He is house trained and is currently used to being left up to 2 hours in his foster home.”

Raya and Sierra, (9 and 6) are the perfect combination for one another, both enjoy their walks, the sniffier the environment the better. They walk gently on their leads and after a walk they love to curl up and it can be hard to determine where one dog stops and the other begins as they are so intertwined when curling up together.

Raya can be worried around other dogs and show this by barking towards them, they would therefore prefer to have their new home all to themselves.

Six year olds, Rime and Cloud have come from a multi dog household and have shown to have a very close bond.

They would be happy to share their new home with another dog also, pending successful meets at the centre to gradually build their confidence.

Many Tears

Many Tears is another leading adoption charity in Wales, with an unbelievable 22 pages of dogs currently registered for adoption on their website.

Eight year old Pongo is just one of many dogs patiently waiting for a home.

The charity write: “This handsome looking man is Pongo, we think he is a Spanish Mastin cross and he has made a very long trip to be here with us. Pongo was living in Spain and ended up in a Spanish pound.

“We are told that he had lived in a home but had been removed from his owners by the authorities due to cruelty. Pongo’s chances of getting out of the pound were slim, but kind volunteers stepped in to help and contacted Many Tears to see if we could take him.”

At eight, lovely Lola is a sweet girl who came to Many Tears after struggling with her strong chase instincts around livestock.

They shared: “She’s full of life, full of fun, and full of Beagle personality – so any Beagle lover is going to absolutely adore her. True to her breed, Lola loves to follow her nose and do her own thing, and she enjoys every minute of it.”

Olly, who is ten, is a sweet and loving older gentleman who came to Many Tears in December 2024 with 11 other dogs as part of an emergency rescue.

Olly was once owned by a lady who loved him dearly but was facing extremely difficult circumstances. The dogs were living in a small caravan with no electric or running water, and the conditions were freezing and frightening for them.

Also at Many Tears, is eight year old Twinkle, who has been in foster for 3 months and is a beautiful, gentle Bernese who is slowly learning to trust and feel safe after what we suspect has been a difficult past. While her progress is steady, she remains a very reserved girl who needs an understanding and patient home.

Rescue Hotel

Cardiff’s Rescue Hotel is another dog rescue centre with dogs currently waiting for their chance at a forever home, and for the love and safety they deserve.

With seventeen dogs currently on their adoption home page, another looking for a home right now with little interest to date is Holly.

Holly has been returned into their care through no fault of her own. After spending some time settling back in she is now looking for her forever sofa. Holly is around 7-8 years old.

Or there’s Helga, a middle-aged French bulldog who was abandoned by her owners who claimed she was a stray.

On arrival at the centre, Helga was very confused. but as the charity says: “Wouldn’t you be if you were being dumped by the person who was meant to keep you safe? Unfortunately Helga is another fake stray who has been disregarded.”

They add: “However once she found a friend she could trust she slowly came out her shell and became more relaxed with her surroundings.”