Dog breed for retired 70 year old

paulers06

Hi All

My dad's birthday is in July and he has decided that he would love a dog. The family dog was a King Charles and everyone was beyond devastated when he died 10 years ago. It has taken until now for my dad to be ready to even think about getting another so we are feeling the pressure with trying to pick the right breed.

He has given us a few criteria:
1. Non shedding or very little shedding
2. Not an escape artist - the house is on a half acre site with side gates and back is fenced. Our last dog always found a way out into the fields or the busy road.
3. A dog that is affectionate, relatively obedient and will not run wild. Can be trained.
4. Something small and fluffy - didn't see Britains Got Talent but he told my mom that he wants Trip Hazard.
5. Won't need too much exercise - a breed that will just need a daily walk and a run around the garden.

I have begun looking at breeds and think I have narrowed it down to 3 - West highland terrier, maltese and shih tzu. What do you think? Would any of these be suitable or are there any other suggestions?

His birthday is 7 weeks away so I should probably be getting onto breeders. Is the Irish Kennel Club the best place to find a breeder?

All suggestion much appreciated!

cocker5

OP - i have to say IMO a puppy would be the worse thing you can get for a 70 year old... im 37 and couldn't / wouldn't deal with a puppy after having my cocker for 11 years now... they are a HUGE amount of work and patience not something for a retired person would like i suspect. Puppyhood can last up until 3 years of age and can be VERY trying at times. Toilet training, play biting, chewing, socialising the pup, training classes etc just some of the issues when getting a pup.

also OP im sorry to say this but if you get a puppy and it lives for 15 years plus...please god and if the person goes into a nursing home or passes away what would happen to this dog? im sorry to say it but its a consideration before even looking for a dog.

on your requests...

1. Non shedding or very little shedding - all dogs will shed to some degree OP

2. Not an escape artist - the house is on a half acre site with side gates and back is fenced. Our last dog always found a way out into the fields or the busy road. you will need to rethink the fencing issues - all dogs will escape given half the chance

3. A dog that is affectionate, relatively obedient and will not run wild. Can be trained. all puppies are wild.. its part of being a puppy... most dogs are very affectionate -its all about how they are reared. training / obedence all takes MONTHS of training and persistance.. not dog is born this way i'm afraid.

Personally after your list above a puppy probably isnt the best solution... its can take up to 2 years of non stop training to have a dog like you request above.. and at 70 is a daunting and troublesome task.

Personally i would look into an older dog that suits his needs more.
you dad could vet the possible new dog and find the perfect match...

VonVix

Westies, Malteses and Shih Tzus all require regular grooming, which means monthly €50 (give or take, depending on the groomer) grooms, is this not an issue?

For a gentleman in his position he may be best going to a rescue and seeing what's there and what fits. An older, more settled dog may be ideal. Fostering may be a good idea for him, this would allow him to bring a dog into his home with a view to adopt, if it doesn't work out, there is no lifelong commitment made to keeping the dog.

Would he be able to handle socialising (daily interactions with new people, dogs and other animals, which is crucial between the ages of 8 weeks to 16 weeks, otherwise you can end up with a fearful dog), house training and generally training a puppy? With housetraining if you go down the crate training route which is the most straightforward way to housetrain a puppy, you would expect to be getting up 2-3 times during the night to let a puppy out to do its business.

I would ensure that the back garden is escape proof before bringing a dog into the home, if there are any gaps in fencing they should be sorted out first. Not worth the risk losing a dog!

With regards not being an escape artist, affectionateness and exercise needs, a lot of this comes down to the individual dog, and not so much the breed. Yes there are some breeds who are more prone certain behaviours, but you can get dogs who are different than the 'standard' in temperament.

DBB

Op, the Westie fails quite a few of your criteria.
They shed enough to destroy your clothes when you pick them up.
They are consummate escape-artists.
They are easy enough to train basic stuff, but they are strongly independent and tend to be stubborn... Which is endearing to some people, and deeply irritating to others.
They don't tend to be overly affectionate... Well... They can be, but it's usually on their terms, not yours.
They are a bit of a risk around small children, which may be a consideration if there are young grandkids about now or in the future.
As well as all that, it is exceptionally difficult to find a half-decent westie pup in the south or Ireland. They have become a catastrophically unhealthy breed in the past 20 years or so because the gene pool has been pulverised by back-yard breeders and puppy farmers. There's a long list of really unpleasant health conditions that any westie bought in the Republic is almost bound to succumb to at some point in their lives.
A lot of what I've had above could also be said for the Shih Tsu.
It's always hard to recommend breeds, because there are always exceptions... The vital thing is to make 100% sure that ye meet the mother with her litter on the breeder's premises. If the breeder makes any attempt to prevent this, walk away. Be prepared to travel some distance to meet a variety of litters... Do not ever fall for any arrangements to pick a previously unseen pup up at a half-way point.
Make sure you get to handle and pet the mother. If she is kept away from you for any reason, walk away. It'd be nice to meet the dad too, but this isn't always possible.
Make sure the pups spend preferably all, but at least a good number of hours every day inside the breeder's house. If they're spending most of their time in a shed/run, walk away.
I would not buy a puppy from a breeder who lives a quiet, secluded life. Breeders who have kids, other dogs, cats, lots of visitors, plenty of noise and hubbub, tend to produce pups that are far better at coping with life with confidence and humour... As long as they're not raising the pups in a shed out the back garden!
All of the above also goes for rescue pups in foster care too!

Don't necessarily discount a young adult dog from a good rescue either. There are a few breed rescues out there. It's no harm to consider that it's now 20+ years since your dad raised a puppy... I think a lot of owners of all ages get a nasty shock when they get a new pup when they had become used to having a settled, adult dog... Cavaliers are such easy little dogs too, that there can be quite a shock for an owner who switches from.an easy breed to a feisty, spirited breed like the Westie or Shih Tsu.

Best of luck op!

Choc Chip

Hey OP! I don't want to do this to death or come across as pushing a rescue agenda, but I'm fostering an 9 month old dog for a rescue right now - we're house-training and trying to teach some basic commands... and it's WAY harder than I remember it being! I work from home and I have no idea how older people or people who work 9 - 5 manage with puppies. Massive respect to them. Everything is fair game for chewing / stealing to run around the garden and she's been known to pee in the most awkward places to clean when I let my guard down. She's an adorable menace on four (thankfully very short) legs.

It'll be a while before I foster again for various other reasons, but when I do it'll be an older dog. I'm not saying older rescue dogs don't have their own baggage, but if it comes from rescue that uses foster homes, at least your dad will have a good idea of what to expect, both good and bad. And he can choose to pick a dog that has had some mug like me put in the work of house training and basic commands.

Way more experienced people talked above about breeds and picking a puppy, but just to add - if your dad does go for a puppy, we've found crate training an absolute must over the last few weeks and I'd really recommend it. Even if you need to nip for a shower, a puppy can do dramatic damage in a very short space of time (RIP computer cable) and having something safe to pop them into like a crate or a playpen while you take care of something is such a relief!

sadie1502

What about a whippet or a greyhound an older one as in many of them are dumped racing dogs possibly look to give one a good home. They have a fabulous temperament and don't require miles of walking they are quiet lazy. But really nice pets.

Straight Edge Punk

sadie1502 wrote: »

What about a whippet or a greyhound an older one as in many of them are dumped racing dogs possibly look to give one a good home. They have a fabulous temperament and don't require miles of walking they are quiet lazy. But really nice pets.

That is exactly the recommendation I was coming in with too.

Shivi111

My dad got a three year old Shih Tzu (from a rescue) a few years ago and it suits him perfectly. He has to be groomed a few times a year so you have to be prepared for that expense, but very little shedding.
He also is happy to amble along on walks at dads pace with no pulling on the lead etc. and is a beautiful, affectionate little thing.
I don't think my dad would have coped with a puppy, luckily this rescue dog came fully trained!
We had no breed in mind but went to a rescue and told them we were looking for a small, good mannered dog and they brought him out to us straight away, they know their stuff so perhaps a visit to a rescue to ask if they have anything suitable?

If your dad has decided he would love a dog, he should be involved in selecting it.

ALL dogs "can" be trained, if the owner is willing to put in the hours and hours it takes.

As everyone has said, a puppy would be a huge amount of work, he'd be much better off with a more mature dog and should be involved in finding it.

boomerang

I think we're being a bit un-necessarily ageist here... My dad is 70 and owns a nutty, impossible to tire out young Boxer x Springer! The dog gets daily walks in the fields plus lots of hurling with a tennis ball. I think my dad would be mightily offended at the suggestion a puppy or an energetic breed might be too much for him.

Cherry Blossom

I do see your point boomerang but my mum is in her early 60's and can't get out the front door without help. We don't know what the op's dad's health is like and the op asked about dogs that don't need much exercise.

tk123

I'd go for a bed, collar, lead, maybe even a training book or voucher etc as his present for now and let him spend some time deciding if he wants a pup or adult dog - go along to rescue or even go to a busy park on a weekend morning and you can check out different sizes/breeds/crosses etc chat with owners or even just dog watch lol.

Latatian

My 13 year old westie is lowish shedding, sticks to you off-lead (though you couldn't expect to leave her out by herself on half an acre and not go onto the road- if you're there with her it's another story), affectionate, has some aggression issues with other dogs but otherwise fits all that- and is only now starting not to demand at least two hours a day of walking.

An older westie could indeed suit you perfectly. But you won't know if it's like this one if it's a pup, and as a young dog she needed active and busy and lively interaction every day. You know, fetch, long walks, training sessions, games, puzzles, all that kind of thing. She could go to a basket of sticks beside the fire, and pick out the one stick you had handled when she was out of the room, and bring it to you.

When she is in the house and decides she hasn't had enough to do that day, she will go and bring you whatever she is not supposed to get into- she'll start shaking a pair of shoes, or she'll open the cupboard and bring you something appropriately fragile out of it, or she'll go around the house pulling down coats off coat hangers or climbing things that appear impossible for her to climb. It's not the same thing twice so it's hard to predict what she'll do and prevent her doing it. They can be BUSY dogs, is what I'm saying. You have to commit to giving them something to do that isn't just 'being a pet'.