Q&A: Extraordinary Old Dogs by Laura Greaves

Puppies are wonderful, but there is something truly special about an old dog. It’s the grey muzzle and salt-and-pepper eyebrows; the face that says ‘been there, sniffed that’. More than anything, it’s the lifetime of love, laughter and licks. Most dog lovers wish their four-legged friends could live forever, and yet senior canines are surrendered to shelters and rescue groups in heartbreakingly high numbers. But every day, all over the world, elderly dogs are doing incredible things.

Dogs like Maya, a rescue dog who pioneered the technique used to save koalas after the Black Summer bushfires. Or Haole, who continued working as a surf therapy dog while battling cancer, and eighteen-year-old Holly, who survived for days lost in the outback. There’s Chilli, who found television fame as a senior, and Chaser, the ‘talking’ dog who even in old age could identify over 1000 different objects.

From saving lives and breaking records to leading online movements and surviving against the odds, stately seniors are wringing every ounce of joy and adventure from their lives. In Extraordinary Old Dogs, meet the geriatric tail-waggers proving there’s plenty of life in the old dog yet. gr sat down with author and self-professed 'crazy dog lady' LAURA GREAVES to find out more about her passion for senior pups.

How did you begin your journey to a self-professed ‘crazy dog lady’?

I’ve loved dogs since day one and was fortunate that my family always had dogs – I never had to beg my parents for a puppy as so many children do! I was ten when I got the first dog that was truly mine. His name was Robbie and he was a West Highland White Terrier puppy, a Christmas gift from my parents. Tragically, Robbie died just a year later when he was run over by a car whose driver did not stop, but left him to die in the gutter. I was beyond devastated by the loss of my sweet little dog, but beyond that I was absolutely incandescent with rage. How could somebody be so callous as to hit a tiny dog and just keep driving? So I channelled my tween fury into a letter to the editor of my local newspaper. It was published, and the editor also called me to say how sorry she was about Robbie’s death and how much my letter had moved her. It was the first time I realised not only how important dogs are to people, but that the written word was enormously powerful. I often wonder if I’d be writing books about dogs now if not for that experience.

What inspired you to write a book about senior dogs?

Extraordinary Old Dogs was inspired by my own senior gentleman, Tex, a 13-year-old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Tex has a laundry list of ailments that includes (but is sadly not remotely limited to) leukaemia, epilepsy and an incurable lung disease. He takes so many pills each day that he practically rattles. One day I was trying to find a food that he would deign to swallow with a tablet concealed inside it and a thought struck me: So many people would not bother with you. So many people would take one look at Tex’s advancing age, and his expensive and time-consuming medical needs, and send him to a shelter or ask their vet to put him to sleep. And yet he’s so beautiful and hilarious and perfect in every way! I knew immediately that I had to write a book that would highlight how wonderful and valuable old dogs are.

When researching for Extraordinary Old Dogs, was there anything you discovered that surprised or shocked you?

I was pleasantly surprised to have my suspicion that senior dogs are amazing confirmed beyond a shadow of a doubt! I already knew that old dogs are brilliant, but their boundless capacity for that brilliance surprised me. Age means nothing to dogs. They can do so much more than humans give them credit for, and they will wring every drop of joy from each day until their last breath. We can learn a lot from the wisdom and serenity of old dogs.

It’s a bit like picking a favourite child, but is there a particular pooch from Extraordinary Old Dogs that touched you the most?

The first story in the book, about Haole the surfing dog, is so heart-warming. He had a truly profound impact on the lives of so many kids. But I also really love the stories that involve a dog serendipitously choosing their human, like Suzy, who sought shelter in a random house on a stormy night and found the most incredible new life, and Chloe Bear, who was unknowingly reunited with her original owner a decade after being rehomed. Stories like that just prove that dogs are magical beings!

In dog shelters and rescue initiatives, older dogs are often looked over in favour of younger pups. What are some lesser-known benefits to adopting an older dog that readers might not know?

Senior dogs are often quieter and more settled than their younger counterparts. They don’t tend to require as much exercise or mental stimulation, but are instead happy to while away their days napping in a sunny spot or curled up beside their human. They’re also usually already house trained and won’t chew everything in sight, as puppies are notorious for! But the most important benefit of adopting an old dog is that you’re saving a life. Adult and senior dogs are usually the last to be adopted from shelters, and so many beautiful souls are euthanised each year simply because they were overlooked in favour of a puppy. They give so generously and joyfully of themselves for their entire lives, and it’s up to us to return the favour. Old dogs are intelligent, faithful and wise, and they deserve to live out their final years surrounded by love.

Extraordinary Old Dogs by Laura Greaves is published by Penguin, rrp $34.99.