Getting too old for a puppy?

Having lost my 14-year-old dog two years ago, I felt a strong need for loving dog companionship. When I mentioned this to my family members, everyone was skeptical. Most of them don’t live in my home except my spouse. My veterinary daughter was supportive but also expressed some concerns and raised many issues. My other daughter, while somewhat concerned, raised minor concerns. My son and his wife seemed genuinely interested in our ability to manage a puppy.

My specific issues in choosing a dog were sex (female), weight, I needed to be able to pick the dog up, and breed. In the past, I had two different Yorkies. They are a breed unto themselves, and I knew what I would be getting into with a Yorky puppy. The first Yorkie puppy I visited and fell in love with died two days before she was to be picked up. The next puppy was a Parti Yorkie; she was everything I had hoped for. She remains perfect, a terror, and a loving friend.

I tell all of this in the hopes of putting a recent experience in the context of my love for our special canine family member. I was walking the dog in Kansas during a trip there to support my son when a woman walking admired how cute my dog was but said, “Aren’t you too old to handle a puppy?”