Old Friends & Old Dogs

I had the pleasure of visiting with old friends yesterday. Some 15 or so years ago I rescued a yellow lab female that I fully intended to keep as she was a great dog. Our friends came by with a horse that needed some tweaking, fell in love with the dog and asked if they could please have her. They are great "parents" and I knew she would have a good home, get to go on trail rides with them, and enjoy her life to the fullest while having excellent care. They named her Maggie, and she passed away due to cancer around a year ago. Their house was dogless for a few months, and then the search began for a new companion. It had to be a dog that would get along with anyone, not wander away, be well housebroken, get along with horses and other dogs. These folks go trail riding and camp out on weekends and the dog would be with them at all times. I didn't have anything at the time that would fit the bill, so they searched locally and opted for an older lab/whippet mix - a gentle older deaf female. They soon realized that she hadn't been outside much, as she didn't know what to do when let outdoors for any length of time. Probably she was kept inside as the original owners weren't sure she would stay home or come back, as she couldn't hear her name called. So, they started working on hand signals, and when I met this wonderful 14 year old lady yesterday, she was happy, stayed close, and was thoroughly enjoying her new life. Please give older dogs a chance - they have so much to give!