When Lisa and I adopted Bo, 15 years ago, he was about 11 months old. Eight years later we adopted Copper, she was around 6 months. It wasn’t so much that we set out to adopt younger dogs, it just happened.

We recently added another member into our family, Logan, who is a 5 five year old Bernese Mountain dog rescue.

Logan has taught us how much joy adopting an older dog can bring. Being an abused dog from a puppy mill he missed out on all the fun things a normal dog would experience. Everything is new to him; running, playing, taking walks, being loved.

The first time Logan wagged his tail I think Lisa and I must have stood around grinning for about an hour. Originally, when we were looking to adopt a Berner rescue, I admit, we were looking for a dog no older than two. One of the people from BARC mentioned Logan to us, that was when we started to consider adopting an older dog.

We knew that there will always be people to adopt the puppies, everyone loves a puppy, but the older ones ofter get left behind. People are afraid they’re to set in their ways or that they won’t be around that long.

I think when older dogs are adopted they are so appreciative because they sense how lucky they are, they have so much love to give. The fact is that no one knows how much time we’re going to get with our dog, some die young while others live to a ripe old age. Life offers no guarantees, sometimes you just have to take a chance..

The following is from an article posted in the L.A. Times.

We got the scoop on two great senior dogs in the West L.A. shelter from shelter volunteer Mirja Bishop. We’ll let Mirja take it from here:

Holly, ID# A0940982, has been at the West L.A. shelter since May. She’s already spayed and is listed as a German Shepherd mix.

Jessica, ID# A0941207, has been at the West L.A. shelter since May. She’s already spayed and is listed as a German Shepherd mix.

Holly is 11 years old; Jessica is listed as 10, but she behaves like a much younger dog. They’re reportedly mother and daughter — you have to look closely to tell one from the other, but Holly does have a few gray hairs on her muzzle and she’s a little slower and more deliberate than Jessica. They have always been housed together and they are deeply devoted to one another.

Recently another volunteer and I bathed the girls in preparation for a mobile dog adoption event (lifting them into the wash basin was quite a challenge). Both were apprehensive, but their sweet dispositions (and a few treats) allowed the baths to go off without a hitch!

When bath time was over, we took Holly and Jessica to a play area so they could romp and chase each other around on the grass. (Holly still acts like a mom and tried to groom her daughter, despite the look of protest on Jessica’s face. The look clearly said, “Mom, don’t embarrass me!”)

They played with such wild abandon that all I could do was smile and shout, ‘Go, girls, go!’ What a joy it was to see them running freely, two beautiful dogs enjoying some well-deserved playtime.

It’s hard to understand why they have not been adopted to date; it probably points out a sad reality, that people do not want older dogs. How sad, because these dogs have so much love and loyalty to give to some lucky person! We hope that someone out there will fall in love with the two of them — they have spent their lives together and to separate them now would be truly sad.

Holly and Jessica are just a few of the many older dogs that are housed in our local shelters. Senior pets have so much love and loyalty to offer and ask for nothing more than a forever home where they can curl up and feel safe and loved again.

This mother-daughter team is available now at the West L.A. shelter, located at 11361 West Pico Blvd. (near the intersection of Pico and Sawtelle). You can inquire further about them (or any of the other dogs in the shelter) by calling 888-4LAPET1 with the ID numbers listed here.

If anyone lives around the L.A. area and is looking for love, I know where you might want to start.

I’m happy to announce I will be doing an interview with Laurie and Andrew of Greatest American Dog fame.

I know they had a lot of Dogster fans, so I thought it would be fun to do something a little different than the standard interview.

Rather than me coming up with questions for the 2nd place duo, I’m asking you to submit questions, then I’ll pick some to be included.

Ask anything you want, about the show or Laurie’s dog training business. Find out what Andrew really thought about sleeping in the Dog Bone suite. This is your chance to get the real scoop on the behind the scenes goings on at Greatest American Dog.

Leave your question in the comment section by Monday, October 13th if you would like a chance at being included in the interview. Bark away!

What a great story to start off a Wednesday morning. Buffy, a German Shepard, was honored posthumously by the Humane Society of the United States.

In 2007 she stopped a gunman who was robbing her owner a gunpoint, getting shot twice in the process. For this heroic act Buffy was named Valor Dog of the Year.

Buffy was chosen to receive the highest honor in the companion dog category of the Dogs of Valor Awards “because of the extraordinary courage she exhibited when she intervened during a robbery to save her owner’s life,” the Humane Society said.

On Jan. 10, 2007 in Oakland (CA), a gunman robbed Will Bartley of $400 and credit cards at his home.

That’s when Buffy ran from the yard and jumped onto the gunman, who fired two shots. One shot hit the dog in her left forelimb.

Although the vet was able to save Buffy, she eventually had to be euthanized due to complications caused from the injuries. The robber was never caught.

“We still love and miss Buffy dearly, but this award and the countless cards and letters of sympathy we have received have gone a long way to help us heal,” Bartley said in a statement.

Congratulations Buffy, I can’t think of a more deserving girl.

Ever wonder why humans don’t just take a hint from our four-legged friends and forgo the towels when we dry off? Life would be so much more amusing. I just love this shot of a Vizsla shaking himslelf dry at a local park. Just makes you stop and smile.

So, there you have it, Dogsters. Put some words in his mouth and impress me. The winner gets 25 Zealies and shot at fame. The victor will be announced next Monday, October 13.

October is American Humane’s Adopt-A-Dog Month, so I thought it was important to show people how wonderful the dogs in shelters are.

Most aren’t given up because they’re mean or uncontrollable, the sad truth is it’s usually due to financial issues and life changes.

The following list is compiled from the National Council on Pet Population Study & Policy.

1. Moving — Dogs can handle change, especially if their owners make the change fun. But so many people leave pets behind at shelters when they move. That’s much more traumatic for dogs than riding two days in a car with their friend to a new home.

2. Landlord issues — If you rent, then you must get approval from your landlord to have a pet. Some people lie about these things and then when the landlord finds out they have a pet, they end up getting rid of the pet rather than moving.

3. Cost of pet maintenance — Pets are not cheap to care for. The average cost of caring for a dog is estimated at about $400 a year. That includes food, toys, vaccinations, and an annual visit to the vet. It cost a lot more if your dog gets sick or injured, has special dietary needs, or takes medication.

4. No time for pet — That’s a big excuse that rarely holds water for most shelters. What that means is that the family has gotten bored with caring for a pet.

5. Inadequate facilities — What this means is that the person doesn’t have a fenced in yard or outdoor space to house the dog. Why not bring the pet inside then? The dog was probably an indoor pet at first, but something happened, either with the dog or the dog’s family, and the decision was made to put the dog outside.

6. Too many pets in the home already — This usually is the case when dogs are not spayed or neutered. Sadly, people often take the oldest dog to the shelter because the family wants to keep the most newly acquired pet. Isn’t that sad?

7. Pet illness – All too often, people are forced to give up pets when they can’t afford to pay for veterinary care for a pet’s illness. I sympathize with people on this one, since there is no place for pet owners to turn right now to get help with medical expenses for their pets.

8. Personal problems — Divorce, job loss, major injury, foreclosure on your home are many of the personal reasons people give for giving up pets. This is tough because certainly if you can’t pay your own bills, it may be tough to care for a pet properly.

9. Biting — When a dog bites, he’s usually out of the house. Although I think it matters why he might have bitten someone or if the bite was a real bite or a snap. Dogs that snap are often warning people they are stepping over the line and need some training. Dogs that bite can be a problem.

10. No homes for littermates — Many people refuse to spay or neuter their dogs and the result is a few litters a year. While the pet owner may be able to find a home for one or two of the puppies, more often than not, the remaining littermates end up at the animal shelter.

This list just emphasizes the fact that dogs in shelters are sweet and loving, deserving of a second chance. Any type of dog you’re looking for can be found at the local shelter. Big, small, adult, and puppies are available for adoption.

The beauty above is Dogster’s own Blizzard, he’s in the Greenville (OH) area and is available for adoption. Isn’t it time you rock your world and adopt a new best friend?