Bummer. But there's another one out there waiting for you....

Yes, there is. We're looking for a cat, too. Age doesn't matter as much as temperament and size, plus, and this is kind of unfair, the picture has to reach us emotionally.

quote:

Originally posted by Mikhailoh:
Yes, there is. We're looking for a cat, too. Age doesn't matter as much as temperament and size, plus, and this is kind of unfair, the picture has to reach us emotionally.

The appearance thing appears to be universal.
I have been (not in the very recent past, tho) hanging out on Petfinders and other local pet adoption sites, and inevitably when I see a really cute pup - do not mean necessarily, a puppy - they turn out to be adopted.

Kind of bugs me, in fact, that they mostly seem to continue posting many adoption "pin-ups" long after they have found their so-called forever home.



I'm not surprised that the very appealing puppy whose pic you shared was "snapped up" so quickly. Yes, less good -looking pets are definitely at a disadvantage which is sad.

Of course, it's a given that dogs have been in high demand during COVID, but that said, I still have my druthers. To wit: long or longISH hair, floppy ears, not blue eyes, and ~ 30-35 lbs. (I also don't prefer dogs whose tails curl over their backs.) Have never had a dog that didn't meet those criteria, come to think of it - at least, not in my adult years (IOW my parents chose rather a motley assortment).

I am starting to assume other people have much the same tastes. For me, its not just a matter of looks, but cuddleability - perhaps reminding me of previous much loved companions (even though I am no longer fixated on particular breeds).

So many are bull terriers of one sort or another, chihuahuas, boxers, beagles or hounds - all breeds we are not interested in. Much more attuned to the herding and hunting breeds.

I happened upon a photo of Otto, a dachshund/terrier mix. He looks like he could be Raffi's cousin.

Otto:



Raffi:



Oldest dachshunds in the world

I've taken to calling our little guy Buzzy. Short for Little Buzzard. Though I don't think it makes any difference what I call him. Either he's totally deaf or he's just ignoring me....

My sister has my mother's dachshund. Mama died in 2010. I think he was seven at the time, maybe? Anyway, he's in the vicinity of seventeen.

I was just there to visit her last month. He's pretty frail, but he can still hobble around a little bit and he seems happy.

I have Sam with me in Mesa this weekend. He was on his best behavior until he slipped past me at the gate and ran down the alley. I called him but wouldn’t come back.

I ended chasing him down in the truck. He’s feeling a bit contrite right now (sleeping with his head under the couch), but he won’t remember tomorrow and will do it again if I don’t watch him.

It's been a while so I thought I'd do an update.

Raffi is still with us, still arthritic, and still cranky. We figure he's 15 by now.

By some miracle, he's managed to have a few "cute dog" moments and to endear himself to us.

One morning I was walking past him in the kitchen when I was making my breakfast. I felt what seemed like a tug on my pant leg and thought maybe he had just brushed his head against me and caught the fabric. Got my coffee and toast and went to the table. I sat down and started to eat and felt a gentle but unmistakable tug on my shirt sleeve. No doubt about it, he was letting me know he wanted his breakfast. First cute dog thing he had done since we got him back in March 2021.

You know how every dog has odd little behaviors that seem to be unique to them? A while back I heard a weird noise as I was putting his food in his bowl. He was so excited about the food his teeth were chattering. Sounded like these:



He doesn't do it all the time but it totally cracks us up when he does.

He still adamant about not wanting to be picked up, but I've managed to do it a couple of times. Trimming nails is an adventure. Back ones aren't too bad but he isn't having it if I go after the front ones. Have had to resort to the muzzle to do those but have managed to keep all my fingers.

Mr wtg has not been as fortunate. About a month ago he dropped something next to the sleeping pooch and bent over to pick it up, startling the dog in the process. Chaos ensued; the wound on his hand is still healing....

Anyway, Raffi has a few more grey hairs on his muzzle, but otherwise he seems to be about the same health-wise. He definitely seeks out our attention more, sometimes coming over and waiting to be petted.

For a while I didn't think it was going to work out, but he's become a member of the family.

quote:

Originally posted by Nina:

...He, too, was in his original family (with another female and one of their kids!) his whole life. The 3 went together to a shelter and Buddy was the remaining of the trio...

My first reaction was that it was that "original family" was pretty daring to have surrendered one of their kids to the shelter, no matter what the regs of their new housing were.

(Wish abandoned kids COULD be placed that easily with loving families! )

Chas' thread about Duncan reminded me...I was going to post an update about our little guy..

Raffi recently celebrated his two year anniversary at the wtg house. He is 16 now, (if the people who surrendered him to the shelter were telling the truth when they said he was 14 back then). He is still trucking along, but has more difficulty getting up. And he sleeps a lot.



He's much less nippy than he was. I can actually trim nails and the hair on his paws so he doesn't look like a Cocker Spaniel. I do stealth grooming when he's sleeping. It takes him a while to wake up and figure out what's going on.

I had my doubts at the beginning, but he's become part of our lives.

Good for Raffi! And good on you!

He landed with us more than three years ago. This morning Raffi made his final departure and we had to say goodbye to our little guy.

The house and our hearts feel empty.

Safe travels Little Buzzy.

I'm so sorry. You gave him a wonderful life in his elder years. Losing a pet is its own type of grief.

I had forgotten he was a senior. If there is a heaven, surely there is a privileged place for those who take in senior pets.

quote:

I had forgotten he was a senior.

Yea, he was in the 17-18 year old range. Old even for a smaller breed. Age and infirmity were definitely upon him.

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You gave him a wonderful life in his elder years.

quote:

If there is a heaven, surely there is a privileged place for those who take in senior pets.

We did the best we could to give him his soft place to land in his senior years. We'd like to think he knew it. Thanks to both of you for your sweet words.