Old dogs - cuter than puppies?

[sophie]

I love all the pictures!

TC’s ears crack me up

Here’s my old girl, this was taken last year when she was 12, she’s still going strong except for going deaf and being blind in her right eye (and the bad breath!)
I am told Std poodles can easily reach 16 yo. We will see!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v94/minitutu/2011/?action=view&current=happydog.jpg

[clm08]

Here is my oldest mini poodle, on her 16th birthday last April:

http://s844.photobucket.com/albums/ab10/clm08_photos/?action=view&current=ariel7-1.jpg#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs844.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab10%2Fclm08_photos%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3Dariel6.jpg

And running in the snow last winter, looks a little crazy:

http://s844.photobucket.com/albums/ab10/clm08_photos/?action=view&current=ariel7-1.jpg#!oZZ1QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs844.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fab10%2Fclm08_photos%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3Dariel7-1.jpg

She had been doing really well for her age, but her heart is now failing to compensate a bad murmur, so she’s slowing down at 16.5 yrs of age. We’ve had her since birth, love her as a senior, and loved her as a puppy.

[bits619]

clm, ariel is cuter than cute!! Ahh my Lulu has ruined me, i now love all things white, small, and fluffy!

[LauraKY]

Here’s my relatively new golden oldie just after her spa day. We adopted Bonnie in March…she’s 14 years old.

http://s1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee413/LauraKY20/Bonnie/

[MMorgan]

I LOVE the seniors. I love puppies and every age after that too, but the OP is correct, there’s something so sweet about the seniors. How I miss my senior boy.

LauraKY, how absolutely generous of you to adopt Bonnie. Though I’m sure you probably feel like you’re the lucky one, I don’t think many people put themselves on the line like that by giving an oldster a home–maybe I will do the same someday too.

[tarheelmd07]

I have a soft spot for the old ones as well…our last golden retriever lived to be 17 and we still miss her every day. In her senior years, my husband and I had to move to a very urban area and live in a 16th floor apartment, so she “retired” with my parents. My mother had just retired as well, so she and Rosie became “retirement buddies” spending days gardening in the yard, hanging out on the screened porch, and spending every weekend at the beach.

Here’s sweet Rosie at 16, a year before she passed away:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/tarheelmd07/photo-20.jpg
And here she is on the beach, her favorite spot:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v692/tarheelmd07/photo-21.jpg
In her last few years, she had a hard time swimming in the ocean, so we’d find her a tide pool and she’d treat it like her own personal swimming hole

[Bicoastal]

Gray on black dogs

Here is my Old Man Joey in 2010:
http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j451/pf90614/DoggieChristmas022.jpg"]http://i1086.photobucket.com/albums/j451/pf90614/DoggieChristmas022.jpg

In 2011:
http://s1086.photobucket.com/albums/j451/pf90614/Dogs%20Spring%202011/?action=view&current=DSCN0139.jpg

This year, someone referred to him as the black and white dog and I didn’t know who they were talking about. After a question or two I realized they meant Joey. Oh, I guess he is kinda black and white now.

I wish I had gotten more, higher quality photos of him when he was young. I really wish I could go an honor session photo shoot as Scruffy Dog Photography.

[RiderWriter]

I should not have looked at this thread… without a wad of tissues! All these gorgeous, dignified and much-loved seniors just melt my heart. I hope and pray my Springer girl reaches a ripe old age (she’s 9 1/2 now). Bless all of you for keeping your darling doggies going for so long, and loving them always.

(I think there’s a special place Somewhere Hot for people who dump older pets when they get a “new” one. Tears me up.)

[SarahandSam]

I love love love all the pics. I find puppies adorable, but nothing beats a sweet, dignified, older lady or gentleman.

We got both our dachshunds when they were approximately 6/7 years old, so I never saw them as puppies… but they’re the sweetest, most personable little dogs ever. Seamus, the youngster at 9, is just starting to grey out in the muzzle but is still super-active and loves agility… Sylvia is 12 now and has aged a lot recently, and we’re trying to figure out whether she has Cushings (waiting for test results today, hopefully), but she still loves to go on adventures.

Sylvia loves wading in the creek now: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151071183841983&l=a57bef10a0

Seamus: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150700055621983&l=d15df4ff21

Sylvia snuggling: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=478014986982&l=b7753ba762

Sylvia getting ready to march in the St. Pat’s parade: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150165405096983&l=4086195b1b

[axl]

[QUOTE=S1969;6557790]

And later the same week, my old man two days before he died:

https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/24206_1324673608617_7235129_n.jpg

Boy do I miss that guy. He was the best![/QUOTE]

This may be the cutest picture of all time thanks for sharing.

[Mara]

There is a certain dignity and a gentle sweetness to the oldsters, acquired through age and experience.

I do marvel at puppies - little tiny perfect puppy toes with each soft tender little pad, wee silky puppy ears, and little bitty puppy lips and tongues. (Babies elicit this response from some people. Not me - it’s puppies all the way).

But there is something soothing calming about sitting quietly with the seniors and just relishing the companionship.