Some years ago, I read a short piece by one of our long-time contributors, Barbara Dobbins, talking about dogs she knew, including one of her own, who had achieved the age and status to have earned a “permanent hall pass.” I was so charmed by the piece that I asked Barb if we could publish it here as a blog post and she agreed.
At the time it was published, my darling Otto was five years old – in the absolute prime of his well-behaved life. And today, he is 13 years old, and I renew his permanent hall pass every few months, as it gets stained and torn with use.
Don’t get me wrong: Otto is still a Very Good Dog. If dogs are being asked to perform a variety of behaviors on cue and the prize is treats, he can still sit, down, stand, and back up faster than any other canine on the property. He wouldn’t dream of chewing up our human things, or jumping up on people rudely. And he’s always going to be WDJ’s top model – knowing just how to jump up on an object and hit a pose and even find his light.
But there are a number of things that dogs are not allowed to do here in my home or on my property, and Otto has decided, “To heck with it, I’m doing them!” And, precisely because of his long and distinguished record, we now look the other way when he sneaks a cookie off the coffee table, snarfs down the horse poop we come across on the trail, digs in the winter vegetable raised beds, or chases the mail truck along our fenceline, barking furiously the entire time. Oy! That last one is hard for me, especially because I am hosting an impressionable young foster dog who would absolutely love to join Otto in this fun activity (Coco now gets shut in my office at a certain point in the afternoon when the mail truck usually makes its rounds). But he has earned these privileges, in honor of his many years of near-perfect behavior.
I don’t know how much more time I will get with Otto, but I’m not going to spend any of it yelling at or even being annoyed by his new naughty behaviors, that’s for sure.
Do any of your dogs have a permanent hall pass?
Brutus, my rottie, had a permanent hall pass because, quite frankly, he was the perfect dog. He was a rescue, and after a 3 month adjustment during which he chewed up four dog beds, my husband’s golf clubs, and a car battery (yes, a car battery), we had ZERO problems with him. Never any accidents in the house, ever. When I brought home a momma dog and her seven pups from my business park landscaping, we were worried about how he would handle the pups. The momma dog submitted to him when they met, and he was the absolute BEST stepdaddy. Those pups would crawl all over him, pull on his ears, his LIP, chew on his feet. He’d sit there with his tug blanket in his mouth and play tug with the babies. Never aggressive with them, at all. Not once. He loved people, despite his first three years, esp kids. My niece was about a year when we got him, and he ADORED that baby, never left her side whenever she was around. Extremely gentle, extremely laid back, and chill. He crossed in February of this year–and while his last year was a hard one, he still never gave us trouble.
A CAR BATTERY? And he didnt have any medical problems afterwards? I’m thinking the golf clubs might have caused a bit of friction at the time, but to survive the battery incident is impressive! What a good boy.
Our 2 + year old “Winnie” is a rescue. WE got her at 10 months old and she has been a challenge. She was part of an invoulntary surrender. She is learning how to be a puppy at this late stage and we love it!!!
Somebody who,lived in that house abused her. And it was a female and I have had a hard time bonding with her, but we are coming along!!!
Nancy Metz
All of my senior dogs earned their hall pass. I have a rule in the house, if a human walks up the dogs move. Once they reach about 11 or so, I don’t make them get up and move out of my way – I walk around them. It’s difficult for an older dog who may be experiencing arthritis or decreased muscle mass to leap up to get out of the way.
Interesting. I don’t make my dogs move unless they are in my way and I cannot go around. Why make a dog get up and move when they are comfortable just so I don’t have to walk around. Doesn’t matter the age in this house. Geeesh
As a senior, I agree with Rebecca. It makes life easier and safer for me. And why should it bother you that someone else’s dogs have different household rules?
Cooper our GSP (5 yrs) old has one habit we give in to….stealing something for a treat trade. Yes – our fault but it can be so darn cute we laugh instead of correct. He never destroys the item – just dances around proudly. WE try to correct but laughter gets us every time and he knows it. So in return for a hearty laugh and wide smile – we give in and trade. It feels like a small price to pay for some sunshine in these dreary stuck-at-home times.
As our dogs have aged, they always get permanent hall passes. They no longer have to sit to eat, to go outside, to greet people (just “four on the floor). We turn a blind eye to minor lapses in “bad” behavior (especially if they are on medication–for example, at the end of her life, one of our Danes was on prednisone and she suddenly became an avid counter surfer–she’d never counter surfed in her life, so we just took extra caution to remove things from the counter that she shouldn’t have, we didn’t yell at her, it wasn’t her fault). After having giant dogs all our lives (Great Danes and Irish Wolfhounds), when our last large dog died, we decided we were too old to get another giant breed (it was getting harder and harder to help them if they had mobility issues), so we acquired two small dogs (and both are puppies, no less–I was looking for adults, but these two little bundles just kind of fell in our lap and neither of us could say no, so here we are). I’m finding myself reacting quite differently. I’m more “lenient” with the smaller ones–they get a few more hall passes, and I always yelled at folks for not socializing their small dogs to larger dogs. Now I’m on that end and I can tell you it’s a bit scary to let our little 5 pounder meet a Great Dane! I knew my Danes and Wolfhounds were dog-friendly and wouldn’t hurt a teeny-weeny, but the owner didn’t necessarily know that. I’m determined I’m going to socialize them to larger dogs, but it’s scary now that the shoe is on the other foot. So far, our little 5 pounder is well on her way to being well socialized with dogs of all sizes. Our little 3 pounder is lagging behind due to some health issues (which we knew he had when we adopted him). He’s finally gotten the “all clear” from our vet health-wise and socialization will start in earnest now!
Yup. Old dogs get whatever they want.
I have had 4: 18, 15, 16, and 15 years old.
My 3 year old small beagle named Chance has officially earned his hall pass too. Adopted when he was about 1 year old, a former hunting dog who obviously had never lived in someone’s home, he has become one of the sweetest, most well behaved dogs I have ever met. He is now helping a newly adopted 2 year old sister named G.G. (aka “Good Girl”), also from a similar background, adjust and enjoy her new home. He loves having canine company during this time of COVID-19 quarantine. They make a wonderful pair.
Yes My Daisy 11 yr old Great Dane gets that hall pass. She has been that perfect dog from day one! Never ever doing a thing wrong always minding her manners and so smart. She was able to learn commands right off the bat and her vocabulary is amazing. I can carry on a conversation with this dog and she will go do what I instruct her to do. My family just looks in amazement how well she understands what I am saying to her, It is not only that I understand her too,
She is having a few medical issue over the past year and half. Incontinence, vomiting and sometimes not eating, I do laundry once a day. Have a schedule set up now where I get up with her so she can go out to urinate at night, This along with medications have been helping her, I Love her with all my heart and will be at her side as long as she needs me no matter what, We are best friends for life.
Jane and I are doing that very thing as well, Debra. She had some incontinence issues a few months ago so rather than cut her water I figure if I get up to pee, she probably needs to as well (at least once of those times, anyway – I’m 60+ so it’s usually more than once for me 😉 It seems to be working well for both of us.
Wishing you and Daisy a lot more time together, in health and happiness!
My dear Skip, one of my rescued Shelties who died last July, had a permanent “hall pass.” He was the epitome of a good dog, smart, friendly, confident, willing, energetic. And he never met a stranger. He would have gone home with anyone, but he always chose to come home with me. All the best to Otto for a long life. These wonderful dogs bring so much to our lives.
Yes I certainly do my little 3 1/3 lb toy chihuahua was very badly abused when we rescues each other, he loves the car sitting in his car seat, now still wants to go but sleeps in his seat, he is now fifteen and sees only shadows and is almost deaf, his bladder is shot so now has to stay in his playpen but he sleeps most of the day, I do his laundry at least twice a day as we go threw a lot of towels and washable pee pads, but I wouldn’t give that another thought as long as he is happy and eats well and not in any pain, he is my little warrior after the abuse then being a cancer survivor