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SUPER SENIORS
     
Sheba/14 Sparky/11
Toto/14 Scruffy/13
Gavin /11
Swinny/15
My Scruffy
I am a foster for cairns with seven cairns of my own. After fostering a senior cairn, Scruffy,
for several months with very few potential applicants, I was finally
informed that someone was about to adopt him. My heart fell to my
stomach and I realized I just couldn’t stand having this guy leave my
home or my life. So on March 29th, 2002 he became MY Scruffy.
Scruffy’s not the only
senior cairn I have fostered, but to me Scruffy was just so special.
Actually, I find a great deal of character in all these senior dogs.
They have been through so much and truly love the attention and caresses
of people, much more so than the younger ones. The seniors just seem to
really appreciate the good things you do for them so much more. Their
lives have been so confusing with some of them leaving their homes after
spending many years there. However, people’s lives change and then so do
the dog’s. They come to foster care very confused at first and a bit
hurt that they are among strangers, not really understanding why.
The seniors respond with
much more tolerance than some of the younger kids. They have an aura
about them that demands respect and they are so perceptive to those
around them. I suppose this comes through wisdom and experience from
their age, but they truly are the most agreeable and loving dogs I’ve
ever been privileged to meet. With all the seniors I fostered, I’ve
found that most of them are already house broken and have already
established some good habits. They are less likely to chew your
belongings, chase your cat, or cause a confrontation with other dogs.
They seem to have a pitiful look in their eyes until they realize you
are there to help them and most simply do what you instruct them to do.
Again this comes from maturity and the need to be pleasing.
Scruffy has a few more
needs than some since he is blind, but he still has an active life and
fills my heart with warmth and love like no other dog I own. Scruffy is
14 and may not have many more years with my family. The joy we get from
him now, will last us a life time. The idea of making his golden years
his best, is all the motivation I need to care for him and surround him
with all the love I can find. I’ve never known a more deserving dog.
He’s extremely gentle, very affectionate and doesn’t have accidents.
Even at his age he has learned to go in and out our doggie door,
although it did take him a while. So I guess you CAN teach old dogs new
tricks, whatever age they may be.
I have found the most
outstanding thing about the senior dogs, is that they simply don’t seem
to be as much trouble as the younger ones and their main objective is to
please. They don’t dig out, run away, bite, chase the other animals or
cause problems at all. All of the seniors I’ve know have just been
adorable and would be a great choice for those who don’t choose to go
through the house breaking and chewing phases that the younger pups
require.
Scruffy brings us such
joy with his determination to keep up with all the younger dogs, his
acceptance of whatever you require of him, and his occasional “bumping”
into things around the house and getting so excited about doing so. We
laugh so, not really AT him, but WITH him as he continues to try to do
all the things the rest of our group does. He just needs a little
assistance now and then, with big hugs coming from us as we help him
along.
The male and female
seniors we’ve fostered and placed, have all gone to homes who say things
like “I can’t believe he is so wonderful and don’t know what I would do
without him”. I know this is how we feel about Scruffy and I know that
when he’s gone, I will miss doing all the things for him that I do. The
young kids are fun and always busy, but Scruffy is always there for me,
as I am for him. What better relationship could one ask for with a dog?
Scruffy has health problems (not terribly many) but time takes a toll
on us all. I know there won’t be a lot of expenses due to injuries, his
getting into trouble or fighting. What little we do spend on him (above
what is always expected when owning a dog) is so little compared to what
we get back. I wouldn’t turn in my Scruffy for a new model cairn for
anything. I truly cherish the years we have together as much as I’m
sure he does. Like good cheese and fine wines, some things just get
better with age, like MY Scruffy.
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