This is the adoption story of two wonderful dogs who show us that even senior pups can have a trick or two up their furry sleeves.
Dane and Alex met Sydney, the first dog they adopted from FLPS, at an adoption fair in February 2017. At that time, they were not set on getting a senior dog, or even getting a dog, but adorable Sydney caught their attention.
Dane and Alex noticed right away that Sydney was very calm and peaceful. They thought they could provide her with a nice, quiet environment that would suit Sydney, so they decided to adopt her.
Bringing her home was uneventful — in a good way! She fit right in with the household and to this day, Sydney does her own thing and is quiet and easy-going. “She is no fuss, no muss, and she is just the sweetest thing,” says Dane.
Sydney may be calm and quiet, but she is full of fun surprises. One day at the mailbox, Dane handed Sydney a letter. She surprised him by taking the letter in her mouth, bringing it inside, and dropping it on the floor. Now she gets to deliver the mail regularly.
Just a couple months ago, the couple was watching a hockey movie with a lot of loud whistle sounds. With each whistle, Sydney would immediately come over and sit by Dane and Alex’s feet. After three years, they discovered Sydney was whistle-trained!
Sydney was working out so well Alex and Dane decided to adopt another senior dog from FLPS. They found out about Daisy, who was missing hip sockets and had a hard time getting around. They had been watching the FLPS website and noticed Daisy wasn’t getting adopted.
Alex and Dane decided to adopt another senior dog from FLPS!
“We knew going in that with her not having hip sockets she might not be with us very long, and we wanted to give her a home for however long she had remaining,” explains Alex. They brought her home for a weekend, and Daisy was very sweet and loved being around Sydney.
The couple decided to adopt Daisy, who also had a surprise to reveal. FLPS had loaned the family a playpen to keep Daisy in at first until she was fully acclimated.
When Dane and Alex stepped out of the house, they left Daisy in the playpen, about 3 1/2’ high. When they returned, they were very surprised to discover Daisy had escaped and was laying on the floor with Sydney. “To this day we don’t know how she did it,” laughs Dane.
Sadly, Daisy has since passed away, but she was a great addition to the family and they truly enjoyed her company. Sydney, now approximately 14, continues to be a wonderful, mellow companion. Alex is working from home during the pandemic and Sydney likes to keep her company, in her dog bed right next to Alex’s desk.
Alex and Dane hadn’t previously considered adopting senior dogs, but now they are converts. Having a puppy, Alex says, takes so much time, with the training and high energy levels.
“Senior dogs are just great,” says Dane. “They’re calm and less work.” And who knows? They may offer a fun surprise or two.
Wanting to be pleasantly surprised, too? Check out our adoptable dogs. Do you have an adoption story we can feature? Contact us! For more FLPS happy endings, read Nita’s story or Max’s story.
