Because we seem to get a lot of traffic on this blog (Lord knows why--we are not exactly great at keeping it current, though we're always striving to do better!) we're sometimes contacted by people looking to find excellent homes for their beloved whippets. There are many reasons people have to give up dogs and until you've walked in a whole lot of moccasins, it's best not to second guess them.
Life does not always work out exactly the way we've planned and sometimes it is better for the dog to go on to a second chapter in his life. Having rehomed a number of adult dogs, I know the pain and guilt involved, but I can say every dog we've let go to another home has ended up happy, spoiled rotten, with just as good (or better!) care than he or she got here. As hard as it is, I have never regretted it. I've missed the dogs, and still do, but I know I made the decision that was best for the animal, if not for my broken heart.
These past couple of weeks, we've learned about several older dogs looking for retirement homes. The oldest of these dogs is ten, and they all still have life to live and love to give. My Ivy lived to five days short of 16, and up until two days before she died, was playing with her toys, running ahead of me on walks, and in general, running the household. Most whippets live to 12 - 14 at least and many make it longer than that with a good quality life.
Older dogs are easier to live with than puppies, you don't have the whole housetraining issue, they're already leash trained, crate trained, over the carsickness...in short, as Walt says frequently, "If people knew about old dogs, we wouldn't be able to give puppies away!" Mature dogs are especially good for people who think they want a whippet but aren't ready to commit to a puppy or for someone looking for a companion for another whippet.
And you would be amazed at how quickly they bond to you. Whippets are the original "love the one you're with" breed!
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