November is Adopt-a-Senior-Shelter-Dog Month

One of the most overlooked dogs at a shelter is a senior dog (any dogs over the age of 7 or 8 years).With many years of love and life left, most of these amazing dogs sadly never leave the shelter. There are many wonderful qualities about these life-wise dogs such as these from the The Senior Dogs Project .

Top Ten Reasons to Adopt an Older Dog
Housetrained	1. Older dogs are housetrained. You won't have to go through the difficult stage(s) of teaching a puppy house manners and mopping/cleaning up after accidents.
Won't chew inappropriate items	2. Older dogs are not teething puppies, and won't chew your shoes and furniture while growing up.
Focus to learn	3. Older dogs can focus well because they've mellowed. Therefore, they learn quickly.
Know what "no" means	4. Older dogs have learned what "no" means. If they hadn't learned it, they wouldn't have gotten to be "older" dogs.
Settle in with the "pack"	5. Older dogs settle in easily, because they've learned what it takes to get along with others and become part of a pack.
Good at giving love	6. Older dogs are good at giving love, once they get into their new, loving home. They are grateful for the second chance they've been given.
WYSIWYG	7. What You See Is What You Get: Unlike puppies, older dogs have grown into their shape and personality. Puppies can grow up to be quite different from what they seemed at first.
Instant companions	8. Older dogs are instant companions -- ready for hiking, car trips, and other things you like to do.
Time for yourself	9. Older dogs leave you time for yourself, because they don't make the kinds of demands on your time and attention that puppies and young dogs do.
A good night's sleep	10. Older dogs let you get a good night's sleep because they're accustomed to human schedules and don't generally need nighttime feedings, comforting, or bathroom breaks.

If you have been considering adopting a buddy this month, please consider a senior pet. You can find them at your local shelter, on Petfinder.com,  at animal sanctuaries, or at rescues all over the country. And if you need any more reasons on why a senior dog is an excellent choice, just watch this Video Tribute to Senior Dogs.

My Little Max (a.k.a. How it all Began)

I can't tell you whether or not there was life before July 11th, 2008. All I know is that my world began that day when little Thomas (as he was known at the shelter) was placed in my arms.

And as I drove him to his forever home the gravity of what had just happened began to sink in. I had just become a mother! I was now responsible for his nutrition, exercise, education, manners and a million other things. I had thought I knew everything from having dogs while we were growing up but as each mile ticked away toward our home I suddenly realized that I knew nothing. What if I fed him the wrong stuff? And what was the wrong stuff? What if he got sick? How do I teach him manners and worst of all, how will I ever get over leaving him at home to go to work? Will I ever know what I'm doing?
Well, it turns out that with a little research, a big bag of treats and a whole lot of love, you can get through just about anything. So whether you already have "kids" at home or you are thinking about adopting, I hope you'll tune in for some truths, funny stories, heart warming videos and much, much more as we explore our part in the lives of our best buddies.

And that little guy above, who slept all the way home, is still the love of my life 2 1/2 yrs later and the greatest teacher I have ever had. I love you Max!