Could you do it?

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ZaraD
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Location: Staffordshire, UK

Could you do it?

Post by ZaraD »

Since my cousin is getting a Bernese I was thinking about the short lifespan the breed has and me and mom were talking about if we could do what they are doing owning a short lived breed and we had different awnsers , mom was yes if it's the right breed as yes you only have 6-8yrs but there still 8 amazing years.

Were I don't think I could as it would just break my heart.

I wanted to ask on here ( hypothetically speaking) if you found the perfect dog for you but this dog was of a short lived breed like Bernese, great Danes ect... Would you still go ahead?

Like Judy and Nettle as your both sighthound owners if the Irish wolfhound was the perfect dog for you but the breed only lives to about 8yrs would you still have one even if you knew they would pass sooner than say a lurcher even if they were perfect for you? hypothetically speaking.
Suzette
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by Suzette »

I personally don't put boundaries or parameters on love. If a dog is meant for me, it doesn't matter if it has a short or long lifespan or if it is young or old to begin with. I will love it for as long as I am given and be happy for the time spent together. Plus, even a long-lived breed can die young(ish) for a variety of reasons. Life is unpredictable and fragile. I just enjoy each moment as fully as I can.

In general I don't gravitate to very large breeds for my own pets, but if one found its way into my heart and my home, you bet I would go for it! :D
My avatar is Piper, my sweet Pembroke Corgi. b. 5/11/11
JudyN
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by JudyN »

Lifespan is relative. I didn't decide against having rats because they only live 2-3 years.

Having said that, what I'd like to know is why these breeds die so much earlier than smaller dogs. Should we consider it 'normal for them', so we could consider a large breed who makes it to 9 as having had a good long life (for that breed), or is it a fault that results from poor breeding, so we should look on the short lifespan in the same way we do brachycephalic dogs who struggle to breathe or even walk, and all the other breeds with congenital defects that affect quality and quantity of life?

And I don't know the answer to that. Are all Irish wolfhounds, Great Danes, etc., dying prematurely, or are they just living out the lifespan that is right for them?

As for whether I'd have a large breed - I am drawn to deerhounds but I don't think I'd have one because when they get old it just seems that there's too much dog for them to have the strength to carry around - maybe their heart isn't up to the job the body requires? Jasper is eight now and is as healthy as ever, so it's scary to think if he was a deerhound chances are we'd be saying goodbye very soon.
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
ZaraD
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by ZaraD »

JudyN wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 10:41 am
As for whether I'd have a large breed - I am drawn to deerhounds but I don't think I'd have one because when they get old it just seems that there's too much dog for them to have the strength to carry around - maybe their heart isn't up to the job the body requires? Jasper is eight now and is as healthy as ever, so it's scary to think if he was a deerhound chances are we'd be saying goodbye very soon.
So would you have a deerhound if the short lifespan was normal?
Shalista
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by Shalista »

The next dog i adopt is gonna be a senior so im deliberately signing up for a shorter time with them. :cry:
Baxter (AKA Bax, Chuckles, Chuckster) Rat Terrier, born 01/16/13
JudyN
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by JudyN »

ZaraD wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 10:51 amSo would you have a deerhound if the short lifespan was normal?
Like I said, I have doubts about the way they age, but then my experience is very limited. But if I could say that an eight-year lifespan was 'normal' and healthy for them and not a 'defect', in the same way a 2-3-year lifespan is normal for a rat and 15ish is normal for a cat, then I wouldn't let the short lifespan put me off if I loved the breed. Whenever they died it would of course be devastating, but they will only die once.

Though remember, I'm still in my first dog, not counting childhood pets. Ask me again in a decade :wink:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
DianeLDL
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by DianeLDL »

JudyN,

My friend in Albuquerque is on her second pair of big dogs since I met her 9 years ago. She has buried 6 big dogs, as far as I know. Now, she has a St. Bernard & another large dog, but I forget the breed.

We knew a man in Maine who had cancer. He had a small dog like a bishon. His biggest fear was if he died before his dog did, & what would become of his dog. He didn’t have the money to have him cared for.
Ironically, his dog died a few months before he did. He had his dog cremated & his remains are, yes, buried in his casket with him.

Chihuahuas are known to live about 18 years. Sandy is 8 & half now. OH is 74 & he is fighting his 3rd type of cancer (thank G-d, his bladder is clear, but he has immunotherapy every 3 months). I’m nearly 67 with chronic illnesses. So, we keep wondering. If Sandy lives 10 more years & OH is doing well, he will be 84, & I’ll be going on 77. We have no one who could take Sandy if he were to outlive us.

My aunt is nearly 91, & I’m not sure how old her pug is, but another niece has a couple of pugs, & the dogs get along, so I’m sure she will inherit Dolly, if needed.

So, I guess it depends on one’s health & age when one gets a dog. I can see a young person having problems owning a dog with a short lifespan. But, for older people, it can be a worry if something happens & their dog ends up alone.

I like Shalista’s idea of adopting a senior dog, such as one who has outlived their original owners.

But, as mentioned, life is fragile for man & dog alike. My brother was murdered when he was 23, so my parents took care of his dog until he died.

We never know. Dogs & cats also get cancer, & debilitating diseases. Life is fragile. So, it’s up to us, no matter what the breed of dog, to give It as great a life as possible with lots of love & fun during its lifetime, no matter how many years it is

FYI-We keep getting emails & cards to have Sandy have twice a year physicals now that he had turned 8yo. We disagree for him as a small dog, since they don’t age as quickly as larger breeds. I think they just see his age at 8yo lump them all in as far as the computer is concerned to get more money. They are also trying to sell us a health insurance policy for Sandy. But, since we spend time in Maine, their policy is useless there. We also plan to sell the house in Albuquerque so the plan & money spent on the plan would be a waste. I would just rather save the money in the bank & use it as needed for Sandy. And, until he shows real signs of aging (he still is jumping & acting like a young dog) then we I’ll talk to vet here in Maine & get a 2nd opinion.

So, it depends on each person & their age & health as to the type of breed fits their lifestyle.
By the way, my friend in Albuquerque just imagines all her dogs playing together in doggy heaven :D
Diane
Sandy, Chihuahua mix b. 12/20/09
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Nettle
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by Nettle »

Grief takes different people different ways, but there is no good time or age for a dog to die. Some people get another right away, some people need time to grieve, some people name the new dog with the old dog's name - now that I can't understand!

So it's a case of do what is right for you. And what is right for me wouldn't be right for many.

Diane, OH and I are seniors as well, and we are not getting any more dogs or any more other creatures once these go, because we have nobody suitable to take over. And I see so many dogs in bad homes - some of them dearly loved, too - but not looked after.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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ZaraD
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by ZaraD »

Nettle wrote: Sun Jun 10, 2018 3:57 am Grief takes different people different ways, but there is no good time or age for a dog to die. Some people get another right away, some people need time to grieve, some people name the new dog with the old dog's name - now that I can't understand!

So it's a case of do what is right for you. And what is right for me wouldn't be right for many.

Diane, OH and I are seniors as well, and we are not getting any more dogs or any more other creatures once these go, because we have nobody suitable to take over. And I so so many dogs in bad homes - some of them dearly loved, too - but not looked after.
Do you know Nettle why giant breeds live shorter lives , is a shorter life normal for giant breeds?
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Nettle
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by Nettle »

Different breeds have different average lifespans. So it isn't a short life for the breed so much as a shorter life taken as an average over all breeds. Giant breeds all have shorter lifespans than some of the more normal sizes.

Some of it is due to susceptibility to certain illnesses, which again we can see across most breeds. Same susceptibility: different illnesses.

Good husbandry and good genetics give a longer life, barring accidents.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Lotsaquestions
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by Lotsaquestions »

Personally as long as the dog is happy and healthy throughout its life, no matter how long or short, then I would consider a shorter lived breed (generally giant breeds) if I wanted one. If people were concerned only with the length of life for their pets then everyone would own a chihuahua. :lol:
JudyN
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by JudyN »

Or a poodle - some really old poodles do look like they actually died a few years earlier... :shock:
Jasper, lurcher, born December 2009
Lotsaquestions
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Re: Could you do it?

Post by Lotsaquestions »

JudyN wrote: Mon Jun 11, 2018 8:25 am Or a poodle - some really old poodles do look like they actually died a few years earlier... :shock:
Haha! They do look a bit 'ruff' later in life, especially if they are shaved down so we can see their old man wrinkly faces.
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