What type of dog for 77 year old woman

[k9mania]

I received this email from a woman. I told her that a trained dog would be better than a puppy at her age. Please let her know what you all think about her situation.


I found a beautiful Sheperd, Golden Retriever dog that is getting quite large. He is less than 6 months old. I've been told by many people, including the police who train dogs, that this is not a safe dog for me to have. I am 77. I was told he can accidentally knock me down. Do you have any experience with this? Thank you. Claire Jacobson

[Carol]

I am 65 and I have chosen older dogs.
They are trained and well behaved and I love their gentle loving nature.
At my age, I am skipping the puppy stage with the chewing and potty training. My dogs are already what they are going to be. No guessing.
I share the couch with Casey the Cocker, she is such a love and 6 yrs young.
Jake is trained to stay off the furniture but he gets jealous sometimes so he has been known to be up there a little. He has tons of energy for a 10 yr old.
If you can find a small or medium size dog that is an adult, you can tell in a few minutes how it will be with you. No guessing, and if you are rehoming it from an owner or the shelter, they will tell you about the dog's nature.
I saw quite a few dogs before I got these two. Some are in need of a home where they will be the only pet.
I chose Casey because she loves everyone, her tail is always wagging, she never forgets someone who was kind to her.
Yes she is like my shadow and follows me room to room but I have lots of time for her and I take her everywhere.
Now that Jake is here, I have 2 shadows and casey has a playmate.

My advice is to go to a shelter and see what they have and they will know if one would be a good match for you because they want a forever home for the dog and they want you to want that dog for the rest of its life.
As you pass by the crates, one little wiggle-butt will melt your heart and you will know it is meant for you.
Good Luck in finding the one that is waiting for you.

[bulldog1]

I think that it all depends on individual circumstances a large well trained dog can be just as good for an older person than a smaller breed but with all dogs the training is vital and with larger dogs there seems to be more of a dominance issue but there is a risk of tripping over a smaller dog as well as a larger dog knocking you down but as I said if the dog is properly trained then there will not be a problem of them jumping up or knocking you down so if it is the case that you dont want to get rid of your dog then book in and get some obedience training good luck

[shell]

Most of my animals are rescues and in every single case they just seemed to "find" me. If you are just looking for a pet I would suggest a shelter with a good reputation. Most of the animals are already house trained (unless they are puppies) and their personalities are already developed. My local shelter has 3 beautiful small dogs up for adoption right now; a female bichon, a male pug, and their daughter, a bichon/pug x. They were rescued from a puppy mill and for $50 you get a great small dog that has been vet checked and has all their shots. If I didn't already have a small zoo at home I would take 1 or more right now. Good luck!:)

[lovethatdogg]

hhhmmmm... godd question. How abouta bulldog. They are awsome and are very mello. Or how abouta simple lad or retreiver. The only problem is they need alot of exersize. oh, how about a bull terroir. Great dogs!!! Or you could have him go to a rescue center and pick out a mixed dog, or just one that suites him well!!! good luck;)

[Suz23]

It depends - some 77 year old people can cope very well with that age and mix - others cant - so without knowing the whole situation I cant honestly say. Can she cope with up to two hours of walks - or has she got a very good system in place for other people to walk the dog?

Border Terriers can make great dogs for older people - I know many who have them and an older one is generally a delight. Personally Id stay away from bull breeds - they can be very strong and to be honest im not sure they are ideal for a 77 year old woman. Retrievers are good and older ones are generally well trained and easy to manage - again you have the exercise problem. What about a grehound - they do make fantastic pets require much less exercise and are big enough not to trip over like some small breeds but not so big as to maybe knock the lady over.

Otherwise i think id suggest going to the rescue centre and seeing what sort of xbreeds are there - some small xbreeds make great pets specially if they have had some training. Again it really does depend on the lady herself.

[dobetaztic]

i had this problem with an 80 year old wanting one of my doberman pups, i solved on a normal colar and lead unfair i know cos need to use a head collar to keep on my feat but normal colar and lead and gave her to this dear old lady to walk yep 30 seconds not even ourt of the door fully she was holding to the frame to keep up right. she whnet to a friend and purchased a manchester terrier instead. some times people need to try before they buy and i feel thatsw dogs too be it rescue or home bred, i mean for the day not a week so the person can see if they suit this 77 yr old might supprise every one and get on with the dog brilliantly or it may not but a dag walk might help with the dicission.:)

[madaboutcollies]

hello

well from talking to people out and about ,im going to say the best breed i think would suit you would be , lurcher which i have heard such good stories about .my dogs play with them in the park ,the man who owns these dogs ,is elderly him self he has 3 of them , he tells us they dont need hardly any exercise ,are gentle and kind and very easy to looks after ,quite and a lovely breed ,these dogs get a terrible raw deal,i think you may be a good match for you , maybe a older ones allso ,you will be able to take great care of one another . good luck in finding your special friend

[ChillisMom]

I think that it all depends on individual circumstances a large well trained dog can be just as good for an older person than a smaller breed but with all dogs the training is vital and with larger dogs there seems to be more of a dominance issue but there is a risk of tripping over a smaller dog as well as a larger dog knocking you down but as I said if the dog is properly trained then there will not be a problem of them jumping up or knocking you down so if it is the case that you dont want to get rid of your dog then book in and get some obedience training good luck

I quite agree, I used to know a woman in her seventies with two Pit Bulls.

[LoveMyLabs]

Generally I'd say a smaller, trained, quiet, lap dog...or an older, trained, Golden or Labrador Retriever.

[OhSoFlawed]

Generally I'd say a smaller, trained, quiet, lap dog...or an older, trained, Golden or Labrador Retriever.

I agree, labradors are great pets for the older community - loyal, carring and very obedient (if trained properly)