Article: What we Can Learn From Old Animals

Hey Everyone,

There is a NY Times article that I think is a 'must read.' Take a look.

It is not hard to argue that we live in a youth-centric culture, one in which young age and beauty are almost synonymous. And that obsession does not end with humans. Puppies and kittens melt hearts; images and videos of baby animals flood the Internet. But rarely does an image of an animal in old age ignite the same interest and adoration.

To read the rest...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/what-we-can-learn-from-old-animals/

Cheers
James

My mare turns 32 this year and hopefully I can post some wonderful summer images of her this coming season. Right now she is tucked in a warm barn under a very warm blanket! Thanks for sharing this lovely article.

The dog show world may be a contradiction to that trend, James. We who show always venerate the veterans. We applaud them when they return to the ring despite their limited ability to run the way they used to. We applaud each and every one of them. We cry when we watch them "regain their youth" whenever we put on their show collars. We realize they are getting closer to leaving us. But they are still the puppies we delivered with our own two hands or brought home to become -- the great dogs they have grown to be. I love puppies. But I adore the old guys and gals. The ones who remember me from when they were puppies. The dogs of every breed who see me at shows and run over to me with their graying muzzles just to give me some puppy kisses.

In our household at the moment we have Scamp at 5 months of age. And he gets a lot of our attention. But we also have his grandma Cassidy at 9 years of age. And, staying with us while recuperating from a broken front leg, his Great Uncle Jag, who we bred, at 11 years old. Each of them gets as much of us as they need. And we love each of them equally. Most people avoid old dogs because it reminds them of their own mortality. Dog show people venerate their old dogs. They honor them. They respect them. They reward them.

Wouldn't it be nice if people did the same for the elderly people among us?

Jim