Here is a topic for discussion that was inspired by real-life events.
Two couples are both interested in a big, active dog at the shelter.
One couple is older. They own their home. Property is at least several acres, but unfenced. Husband is retired and home most days, puttering in garden and with hobbies. Wife works 30 or so hours a week. They formerly owned another big, active dog, who recently died of old age. They have a 2-year-old small dog who misses having canine company. They have a trainer who they have worked with previously and plan to do so again.
Second candidate couple is young, early 20s. They are renters. They also live on several acres, but their home property is fenced. They have another big, young, active dog, a female. They both work.
My bias in placing the dog was toward the older couple. While it’s true that they lacked a fenced yard for the dog, the fact that they own their home reassures me that they won’t be at the mercy of future landlords if they have to move for whatever reason. They also have the financial wherewithal to provide the dog with whatever medical or behavioral interventions he is likely to need. A week in training? Knee or hip surgery? Wouldn’t be a problem for these people.
Staff at the shelter was biased in favor of the young couple. The fact that their property was fenced, their youth, and that they were already dealing with a big, active dog made them seem more equipped to deal with the dog’s perceived need for activity.
I’m just curious: Where would most people, or most shelter staffers, end up placing a dog like this?
Depends. How old is the dog? Exactly how old is the couple? If it’s a young dog, is the couple young enough to outlive the dog? Is the ‘older’ couple physically able to handle a large dog? Maybe an older and/or small dog would be better for an ‘older’ couple?
I’d favor the older couple. They are home during the day and can spend more time with the dogs. I would first ensure that the new,bigger dog gets along well with their existing small dog. If so, size difference isn’t an issue. The little one is used to being with a bigger dog.
Definitely the older couple. The only factor in favor of the young couple is the fence, and that is a VERY temporary situation. As renters, they may be pushing their luck with a second large dog. Two large dogs, unsupervised most of the time, either in the house or left outside in the yard (!!!) would probably incline most responsible house owners to boot them out at the earliest opportunity. I know I would.
I can only discuss my personal experience. I’m older and a renter. There was a cairn terrier with separation anxiety and physically unstable and 3 previous owners. There were 17 applications at the rescue for him. I’d had 33 years with cairns, and got one safely through EPI, so I was chosen. When I first met him, he also chose me. Come to find out he had irritable bowel, so I took care of that, I trained him from day 1, took him to work with me, walked him 3 times/day and played all kinds of games with him to keep his mind busy. After 3 years, he’ can stay home without any issues, his separation anxiety is gone and he’s totally physically healthy. I’m in my 70’s.
We are currently facing this issue where we live in west central NH. Many rescue sights list “Consider your age” when requesting to adopt. We have been dog owners for our whole lives and all of the 50 years we have been married. Our dogs are always with us, whether we are home or traveling. We have always camped, starting with a WWII pup tent, truck caps, soft- and hard-top pop-ups, Class C and Class A motorhome. We have a fenced yard. Our previous veterinarian became a best friend. We never skimped on care or food. We have always fed the best we could afford, according to Whole Dog Journal. We own our home and our yard is fenced. However, we are now deemed less than optimum candidates to adopt because we are in our 70s. This can be a lonely time in life and should not be made more so by denying us the companionship we have always enjoyed and valued.
Good points on both sides. If possible, I would watch the dog interact with both couples. Also,I would have them bring in the other family pets to meet. Watch the interaction. I think the adoptable dog’s behavior would give you an answer!
I would not focus on age or a fenced yard. Which couple’s dog is more likely to be a good companion for this dog? How do these people plan to exercise the dog(s)? We don’t have a fenced yard but we walk our dogs twice a day. How often are either couple gone from home? Seniors can be involved in lots of activities beyond a full time job. Do they have grand kids who visit often? How does this dog do with kids? Who plans to crate the dog while they’re away? The young couple may have more income than you think. Maybe they are planning to buy a house this spring. I vote for asking lots more questions before deciding.
without knowing more about the individuals to choose between, I tend towards the older couple for all the reasons already addressed: experience, commitment to training, financial resources and indeed the home ownership. But to be totally fair one would have to meet and interview people in either scenario to arrive at a final decision.
Wow! That would be a tough decision. The younger couple has experience with a large dog and have a fenced yard. Do the dogs have access to the backyard whenever they want or would they be kenneled while the couple is at work? What kind of work do they do? How many hours would the dogs potentially be kenneled? What is their landlord’s policy on dogs? What is the couple’s plan if they have kids?
The older couple also has experience with large dogs and one of them is retired. No fenced yard. What is their age? 60s, 70s, 80s? What is the age of the dog? I’m leary about the fact that they don’t have a fenced yard. How do they plan to keep the dog from roaming? Do they have grandchildren that come over?
I guess to me, it would also depend on the personality of the dog to be adopted. I don’t know that I could make a decision. I’m kind of leaning towards the younger couple, but I agree with others that the landlord needs to be called to verify the renters’ policy. I’m not biased against the older couple though. The non-fenced yard would concern me.
Based on description the older couple.