Given that a dog may live 15 years or longer, what do you feel as breeders about selling puppies to older people? People may be very fit and able in their sixties, say, but who knows what the future holds? Sadly nowadays many older people do not live near extended family, and even if they do the youngsters usually live very busy lives and may not be interested in helping with parents' pets. So - what happens to the dog(s) should the owners become infirm or die? I would be interested in your views. Thanks. :-)

I had an enquiry this time very nice chap, but thought pups were ready to leave immediately (they leave aug) so was having a laugh and joke and he said my word dear even I may not be around in August I am 78, well I was speachless, my answer would have been no anyway with the age.  He does have a dog of 12 months but thought he would get another to keep it company.

Linda

i would think retired people are ideal, at least they are home all day!

hi.  interesting topic.  as a breeder i have been faced with this dilema and i think it is a case of accessing each person regardless of age. i once had a very fit  and active older (68) gentleman who wanted a spinger pup from me, he came to visit the pups 2/3 times and spent time with them, he had had dogs all his life, gsd's and springers, he had a large garden and walked miles every day, he was still driving ect. his wife had died so his dogs were his life.  in the end i was sure that one of my puppies would have a wonderful home with this man but i made him sign a contract to say that the pup would be returned to me if he couldnt cope at any time (as i do with all puppies i sell). he was more than happy to do this.                        yes i know he could have had a heart attack or something but so could a 20 or 30 year old.
think about this one also............ if you sell to a married couple, what would happen to the pup if they got divorced ?   what if a young couple decided to have children and the pup was in the way ?   what if a young man got made redundent and money was short or he had to work longer hours ?........................ there are so many things to consider when selling puppies  it gives me many sleepless nights but at the end of the day i think you have to go along with your gut instinct and after you have asked all the question and checked out the new home you have to  hope and pray you have made the right choice with your puppies new owners but be prepared to take back any pup if the situation ever accurs.

if i dont think they are suitable for a pup i usually try and find them an older dog  through a breeder or rescue.

One of my pups in my last litter went to a very  fit  (fitter then me)  couple as above poster said  you have to go along with your instincts.BTW  his litter sister came  backto me   because  the couple divorced.

>So - what happens to the dog(s) should the owners become infirm or die?

Have given this a lot of thought myself.

Young owners can become ill, disabled etc and can also die or be in an accident, so I don't think age alone should be a deciding factor, obviously I wouldn't be selling a pup to a 90 year old, but think that the overall health and fitness is as important as age.  Family support can be ascertained when having the initial conversations and can be taken into account. 

Many retired people would be ideal for a pup as they have time for it and also may have waited their whole lives to be in a position to give a pup a good home ;)

People can become ill and die or be killed in accidents at any age, in my opinion we should all make the necessary arrangements when we get our pets about what would happen to them if the unthinkable happened to us.

I have sold three puppies to retired people all of them have made good owners.  they are home all day and in the unforunate event they would not be able to cope with their dogs anymore then I would take the dog back as I would if they had a baby and didnt want the dog anymore or became divorced or for whatever other reason they couldnt cope.

I don't treat older people any differently than anyone else, my mother and grandfather can both walk 10 miles and are fitter than most youngsters, I once sold a pup to a lady of 68, she goes hiking very often and my pup has complete one to one from her, she is there all day and my pup could not have had a better home.

I actually feel happier the older people are, as apart from death they are unlikely to have life changes, divorces, job changes etc, which may lead to a pup/dog ending up being re-homed.

I just have anyone who has a pup of mine make a promise that the dog will be returned to me, if they do not have a family member who would love to have their dog if they pass over, and no I've never been afraid to say that, I guess some would not wish to bring up death, but so far I have not caused offence to anyone. :-)

The most important thing is that a pup goes to a loving home, and if I get the dog back in 10 years time, does it matter, he/she will have had a good life either way and that is the most important thing of all.

Following on from some other comments (and as a very fit and active 60 yrs young person myself) I would agree that, looked at superficially, it might not seem like a good idea to sell a puppy (especially of a particularly active breed like ours - Siberian Huskies) to an older person. The reality is however, that in 15 years of both breeding and doing rescue, only one dog has ever come back to us because the owner had died (and he was only in his late '50's). As far as the rescues go - in the 17 months since we started our breed rescue, we have taken in and rehomed 218 dogs. Not one of those was due to the death of an older owner. The vast majority were caused by marriage/relationship break-up or having a new baby - neither of which issues occur with great frequency amongst us old folk!!! :-)

Well I am not a breeder, so cannot comment on the OP's question. I am just a dog owner, and waited my entire working life to have a dog. Up until retirement, I kept Siamese cats and unfortunately had to have the last of them pts 4 days before I retired. Two months later, my labrador bitch came to live with us and I had just turned 60. I don't think 60 is old any more, but if I had her for 15 years, I don't think I would get another at the age of 75. It also depends on state of health and quality of life. I am a fit and active person so I truly believe I am in a "good risk" category for longevity and lifestyle stability. I am home all the time, my girl is only left while I go shopping or have a trip into town. I can't think of any reason why her breeder would regret letting her come and live with me.

I think older people would be ideal as they would have the time for the pup, also think how spoiled that bundle of joy would be. I would rather be in a home where I am going to be centre of attention and loved, than be somewhere where the family circumstance change or they get bored of me. Donna

218 dogs now that is an achievment to be proud of! Id be happy letting a pup go to a retired couple, they have all the time in the world for a pup and no doubt have done the research and it wont be an impulse buy. I would preferably like previous experience of my breed or large breeds as they are strong and stubborn, a firm grip isnt needed if the trainings good. But with huskies alot of people get them because the look nice which no doubt they do, but they dont know how much exercise they prefer, how you cant let many off lead ( so i have heard, my friends girl is ok off lead with my lot) and their destructive tendancies throughout their lives.

What is a question i sometimes struggle with is, do you allow puppies to go with young children (babies and under 5's or babies on the way) I cant help but think with my stubborn breed that they simply wouldnt have the time to train or give the attention they need, suppose this can be breed specific too.

Louise

I think it depends on the family.  I let a puppy go to a woman with 6 children which on the face of it sounds terrible and I did tell her no initially however having spent a lot of time with them and the family the kids were all great with them used to dogs and other animals.  My best friend has two children under 3 and had a puppy without any issues. 

I think really making blanket rules are quite hard as there is always someone who you would break the rules for.

Not a breeder but I think retired people can offer a pup as much, if not more, than some younger people. One of my neighbours, who is in her mid eighties, has just returned from a trekking holiday in New Zealand. She is an avid rambler and leads walks all over the country.

One of my pus went to a retired couple, the husband was due to have a hip replacement. I was worried initially, but reassured as the intial enquiry was made by the couple's daughter, who said that herself, her husband and their two teenage daughters lived in the next road and would be available for walking etc if needed, and they would keep the dog if anything happened to her parents. They all visited together and I was happy with them upon meeting them. I have to say I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful home. Dog is very happy and wants for nothing. He is also exceptionally well trained as all the family have invested a lot of time in him and taken him to classes. He was even completely toilet trained by 12 weeks, and has never had an accident since.

My own Grandparents are 74 and 75. My Grandmother would love a dog, but my Grandfather won't permit it as he doesn't really like pets in the house. They are both extremely fit and active, attending the gym for 1 1/2 hours 4 times or so a week. (My Grandmother can do 40 mins on the cross-trainer! Eek!) and they walk for at least an hour a day. MY Grandmother will stay and look after my three dogs and children no problem, and thinks nothing of walking for an hour and a half with the pushchair and a dog!

One of my Spanish went to a retired person.  Now this is the fittest person of all the SWD owners, she goes hiking, attends nearly every single one of our SWD meets and goes travelling abroad etc. on her own in the campervan with her dog and her cat.

My Dad is 78 and has just come back from 93 days cruise around the world, hes done a month in Antartica  and I have just booked him 2 and half months off to NZ, Hollywood, Aussie & Tasmania. My Mum did not make 70. Its all relative really, i think I appreciate the thought that your buyer may not last out the dogs life (Wiccaweys has dogs whose owners have died) but they also have plenty whose owners have just got fed up with them. Provided you will have the dogs back to rehome its great having an owner home all day and walkies all day. We are in our 50's and hope to continue having dogs all the time we have left. If I thought I would not last out my dog i would get a rescue older dog.
My brother died at 19!! so age should not be a problem really. I think your question is caring and responsible and the debate has been positive. Me, Im leaving my house and money to me dog, so the kids will have to look after them, knowing my two I'd better leave my kids to my dog!!

I breed the small breeds and have sold to retired people a lot.  In my opinion they make fab owners, they really love them and are with them all the time.  I have even had one lady who brought her first show dog from me at the age of 62 as something to do in her retirement.  She now has more dogs than I do and is always showing.  I always say that if they do fall ill or cant look after them any longer then I will gladly rehome them but i would say this if they were 21 or 80.  Good owners are the ones who have really looked into the commitments.  I have had more dogs come back to me from younger people who have suddenly decided to have a family and that no longer includes the dogs than anyone that has become ill or is too old.

I have a smaller breed happy with less exercise (though able for more!) and I would actually prefer retired but still active. I know you can't tell what might happen over the next 12 years, but a younger person or couple might get married to a dog hater, might have babies and not have time for dogs, might have small children who mistreat the dogs, might split up and not have the money, might change jobs and start working 12 hour shifts, the list is endless. As I say, retired people aren't necessarily the perfect home either but they are usually home much of the time and spend lots of time with the dogs. :-)

each case is different. i had an older 60 something lady who had lost her elderly hound and i sold her a pup......at least with my breed 15 years is not a reality!!! they seem to be going along gracefully together!

alos should help be needed if an owner passes and for some reason the breeder can't take back the dog there are charities like the cinnimon trust who help out

Lots of couples divorce these days and often the family dog is a casualty of this - but all the breeders I know of are happy to sell pups to married couples. I know I'm being flippant, but like others have said, there are no guarantees - whatever the situation!

Of course as already said there are no guarantees, and of course there are always the fit and healthy older people buying from reputable breeders.

Then there are the other breeders who sell a springer puppy from trialling lines to a couple already in their eighties, four years later they contact us the breed rescue to re home a dog they can no longer cope with, a dog that has never been on lead, has had no training and who's life has consisted of being let out of the back door in the morning to entertain its self during the day on their many acres of land.

Great life for a dog, not so great for the people who have to rehabilitate a dog that's an accomplished escape artist, has no recall or real prospect of ever having recall, and  a dog that can never be trusted off lead because once off it disappears over the horizon.

All because by their own admission they we're never really able to cope with training and proper walks form the beginning.

For every one reputable breeder willing to have a dog back, there are ten or more breeders who couldn't give a stuff about the dogs that have gone, or the dogs still in their possession churning out puppies.

"For every one reputable breeder willing to have a dog back, there are ten or more breeders who couldn't give a stuff about the dogs that have gone, or the dogs still in their possession churning out puppies. "

Unfortunately I think it's more likely to be 1 to 100 rather than 1 to 10. Buying a first puppy nowadays must be a complete nightmare no matter how old you are!

I had a message left yesterday regarding a puppy of mine I sold 6 years ago now.  The wife has recently died and he is wanting to re-home the dog.  I have tried to get hold of him to find out more details etc  but have been unable to as yet.  They were relatively young retired people and it didn't occur to me that they may no longer want the dog if anything happened to either of them - especially as she was bought with the whole family in mind - particuarly the grandchildren.
I will of course do all I can to find her a suitable and stable home.

What a shame :(  Maybe he really just needs a bit of breathing space and feels he can't cope with the dog at the moment.  Perhaps a friend or family member could help look after the dog for a while so that he doesn't make a hasty decision which he might regret later.

Sadly a dog can become homeless for so many reasons not just death so age of potential owner at the time they have pup is not an issue for me, other than knowing that I may have to help home for reason of ill health or death rather than marriage breakdown/change in working schedules.

I have one at the moment, 8 years old marriage breakdown.

I am not a breeder, but can I just say that it is really refreshing and positive that almost every post is in favour of taking each case as it comes, and not discriminating on grounds of age alone. I work in healthcare, and it is obvious to me that the population is becoming more long lived, and generally fitter. We are doing heart surgery in people in their eighties and even nineties. The average lifespan is much longer than it used to be. I am really thrilled that everyone seems to recognise that. I think that provided you match the dogs needs to the ability of the owner, age may not be a problem. I agree that ALL of us should make plans for if we become ill. illness can strike young and old. It doesnt pay to assume that we will remain healthy.

I too think that it is great that most people are saying take each case on its merits. When I originally enquired about getting cavaliers I was met by a few people who came up with the following reasons why they don't let their puppies go to people with young children:

1) Children are cruel to animals
2) People who have young children wouldn't have any time on my hands to train them

At the time it really upset me but then I came across the better breeders who having had more experience in homing wanted to meet us all and make a decision based on our family :-)

In my opinion the retired person has more time to spend with the dog  age is only a number, there are loads of breeders that carry on breeding and showing there dogs well past retirement they could  give many people a run for there money. I would have no problem selling one to them.

Denese