<p>“Mini - can you elaborate why no terriers? (Also my parents weren’t very old when they had their Cairn Terriers - I mean, my parents were MY age!)”</p>
<p>Terriers are really not happy without a job (even if it is just chasing hummingbirds). Most of them really like to dig. And there is a special category for terriers at Westminster in “disobedience” - they understand you very well, all right, but they have a mind of their own. (I’m on my third terrier - Welsh this time.)</p>
<p>somemom, sorry to be a downer, but this is a sore spot for me. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s not always a good idea for elderly people to make long-term commitments, which is what pet-owning is. My parents got a dog 10 years ago, when they were in their late 70s. He was perfect for them when they were mobile and relatively healthy and had their wits about them. Fast forward a decade. The dog got a chronic condition that requires special feeding and medication. The parents, now in their late 80s, were unable to follow the instructions. The dog got sicker and sicker, and we finally had to find another home for him. My parents are heartbroken, and very angry at me.</p>
<p>If your friends must have a dog, I’d advise having a conversation with them – before they get the dog – about worst-case scenarios. What would become of the dog if they are unable to care for it at some point, or if they have to go into assisted living or a nursing home?</p>
<p>Small dogs are great- they shouldn’t limit themselves to medium sized dogs they are used to. My favorite is a Shih Tzu. I have known older people who have them. They don’t need much exercise but can enjoy the yard as well as walks. Little shedding and a short “puppy” cut works well. Nice lap size dog for cuddling with. Social with all. Lhasa Apsos are similar but often unfriendly to others.</p>
<p>Mini, I’m sorry you haven’t figured out how to train terriers, it’s actually quite easy as terriers are bright and good problem-solvers. You just have to motivate them. Like many other dogs, they really like treats. </p>
<p>I have two young, healthy, fairly well-behaved terriers. They don’t do much digging. They do bark at at dogs, cats, and people walk in front of our house or enter our yard… but then, if they have a “job”, that’s it.</p>
<p>I don’t think you should generalize; certainly not about a whole class of dogs. My dogs are quite active but they are still pretty young --I would think an older couple would do better to adopt an older dog. </p>
<p>Somemom, I think my #2 dog is a Jack Russell mix – he is extremely smart but that has made him super easy to train. I can talk to him and give him directions as if he were human, and he seems to understand just about everything I say. So I think “smart” is a good quality in a dog – it means they are quick to catch on to house rules. I think most dogs would be quite happy in a home with a doggie door & 1 acre yard to romp in. </p>
<p>But I really think the best way to get a dog is by adopting an adult from the pound or a rescue group. You can meet the dog and get a sense of their personality that way. I have a neighbor who is an older gentleman who got envious watching me walk my dogs, so he went down to the pound and adopted one of his own. He chose an older spaniel and they are quite happy together.</p>
<p>Our terrier does not dig, never has. She has a job, being a lap dog :D.</p>
<p>Years ago, we adopted a 5-yr old miniature schnauzer for my mom when she was in her mid 70s. That dog was perfect in every way for her: right size ( ~ 22 pounds), great companion, good watch dog, moderate exercise (city walking) was fine. Old enough that his puppy energy was behind him. That dog was our introduction to minis, and since then, we’ve had two more in our family. Love 'em!</p>
<p>We had a fenced yard when we had our first beagle and we never had problems with him digging his way out.</p>
<p>You can generalize about a whole class of dog. That is why they are in a particular class. Certainly, many in the class will not have all the characteristics, but terriers are generally energetic and they were bred to hunt - vermin in particular. You may get ones whose instincts are less strong than others, but you may not too. That is why my recommendation was based on and why I recommended a non-sporting breed, rather than a terrier.</p>
<p>Love both beagles and goldens but I wouldn’t recommend either for this couple. Beagles are willful and scent driven. A beagle would be hard to keep in a back yard, fenced or not.</p>
<p>Goldens are lovely and mellow but they require exercise. Without it they’re likely to chew or exhibit other negative behaviors. They also shed like crazy.</p>
<p>thread drift…I want to see pictures of kitty56’s corgi/lab mix! I had a 90# lab/basset mix growing up. Jet black with lab body and basset head and legs.</p>
<p>nj2011mom ~ I sent you a PM!</p>
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<p>D’s corgi/lab has the body, size, eyes, smile and coat of a corgi. His ears, snout and temperament are from a lab, plus the intelligence of both breeds. It must have been a yellow lab as he is cream colored with a tad darker color on his floppy ears.</p>
<p>There are not really very many breeds that don’t need active exercising. A lab or a golden would be a particularly poor choice because these breeds need to be walked and exercised, or they will be crippled with arthritis. No matter how lonely you are, it is not humane to own a dog and not exercise it. Dogs need activity. Cuddles are a human need imposed on the dog.</p>
<p>What about a cat?</p>
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<p>Ha! My dog imposes his need for cuddling on me. I work from home and every morning, he sits down next to me and scrunches closer and closer until I start petting him from head to butt. If I stop too soon, he paws at me. When he’s had enough, he curls up very contentedly but he is very demanding of his “massages.” </p>
<p>Yes, all dogs need exercise, but some can supplement walks by fetching a soft toy in the house and some can’t. One of my dog’s favorite games is playing hide and seek with my D. She did it when she was in middle school through high school and now that she has graduated from college, they are at it again. The difference is that he is now deaf and so she can’t give him little hints when he’s stumped.</p>
<p>I agree that a mature rescue dog would be the best. Preferably the kind of dog that likes to chase a ball. They could get one of those things that make it easy on the shoulder.</p>
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<p>Yeah ok. Tell that to my dog who has been climbing under blankets to cuddle with us since she adopted us. She’ll pace back and forth if we don’t let her up on the couch or bed to cuddle with us.</p>
<p>And of course, she always likes to cuddle with the one person in the room who likes dogs the least :D</p>
<p>And yes, dogs need exercise. However, adult/elderly dogs need considerably less and a light walk every day could be sufficient for many. Could the couple hire a neighbor kid to walk the dog once a day?</p>
<p>Definitely, absolutely, positively NOT an Australian Shepherd. We love ours, but he’s in the mountain-high maintenance category!!</p>
<p>I had labs when I was younger and I love the breed but they ruled my life because of the heavy exercise needs and the tendency to be destructive when not properly exercised. When I decided I wanted a lower maintenance dog, I took one of those online dog breed selector quizzes and my needs were a 100% match with the Boston Terrier. Although I believed they had faces only a mother could love, I went with it. The other breed it came up with for me was the Bichon. Several of my neighbors have those and are devoted to them too.</p>
<p>How about a Yorkshire terrier? My grandparents had two yorkies. Perfect sized dog and seemed easy enough to train. They taught the one some pretty funny things - it would roll over and play dead if you pretend shot him with a finger!</p>
<p>My mother has a beagle and I am not a fan. She’s way too lazy to run away though! If you take her on walks she just lies down and refuses to move if she’s had enough. Previously my parents had a basset hound who lived to escape. My in-laws always had miniature schnauzers and I have to admit while I am not fond of small yappers they make good senior pets. Only thing to watch out for is they need to be trimmed. My grandfather had a wonderful dachshund. They were very, very popular when we lived in Germany. You’d see them peaking out of people’s purses all the time! I agree though that a rescue dog would still be my first choice. Oh yes, Bichons seem to be bred to just lie around looking cute. My sil just got something that is like a bichon but dark brown. He’s adorable.</p>