Gazette

Tibetan Terrier

September 2025

“Puppy Fever” Can Strike at Any Age!

Let me start with a confession- I am in my early 70s and I recently had a serious case of “puppy fever” (i.e. the strong desire to adopt a puppy or the emotional feeling of wanting a puppy, often- no, always- associated with cuteness and playfulness). Any dog lover of any breed can tell you that this fever hits without warning and all logic totally and unapologetically disappears when those little puppy eyes look deep into your soul and say “take me home”! And recently I came within a signature of getting a gorgeous Tibetan Terrier puppy, but my “voice of reason” (aka my husband) stopped me in my tracks and got me thinking about something that had never been an issue before- my age. I have been blessed to be owned by 14 Tibetan Terriers over the past 30+ years- most were puppies, some older adults- and not once did I hesitate to bring any of them into my life because of my age. We all know there are no guarantees that any of us will live long, healthy lives, but the thought of any of my dogs outliving me never crossed my mind  . . . until now. But I sure wanted that puppy! I currently have two TTs, ages 8 and 11, so enough time has passed that I have totally forgotten how much energy goes into having a little canine whirlwind in your life! I know fully well that Tibetan Terriers often live well into their teens, so if I did the math today, that would put me in my late 80s when my little one would be a “senior”. All this got me thinking about my responsibilities as a dog owner and how a breeder, who doesn’t know anything about me, might react to an application from someone in their seventies. Age alone cannot be a valid reason to refuse to sell a dog to an individual but concerns about a person’s ability to care for the animal throughout its life can be legitimate reason for denial. I asked for feedback from a Tibetan Terrier Facebook group and got some consistent answers. Age, for most who responded, was not as much of a concern as were the lifestyle and health of the individual applicant, experience with the breed, and having a documented plan in place if the owner and/or breeder were no longer able to care for the dog. All that made perfect sense, but I am still conflicted about the wisdom of getting a puppy in my later years because it is the later years of the dog’s life that worries me the most. Will I be around to “grow old together”? Right now, I am fortunate to be active and healthy, and I have the time, energy and resources to be a great dog mom; however, there are certainly no guarantees that will continue as I celebrate each birthday. I decided that I had forgotten about how much work a puppy can be and whose life may extend well past mine, and that was enough to convince me to say no to that little bundle of adorableness that I really wanted to take home.

Each of us, old or young, comes to the table with different circumstances and realities, and I know there are amazing people out there who are “up in age” who would give a puppy the perfect home, and who would benefit greatly from that relationship. But as we grow older, age should always be part of the conversation each potential buyer should have with themselves and with the breeder. To this day, I still wish I had said yes to that puppy, but I know he is spoiled rotten and living his best life with his new family, and I take comfort in knowing that I made the best decision for both of us. I always see my future with a TT or two in it, so when the time comes to look for another companion, I will seek out a senior Tibetan Terrier in need. That will be the perfect cure (if there is one!) for my ongoing “puppy fever”!!

Janet Krynzel

Tibetan Terrier Club of America    http://www.ttclubofamerica.org

Janet Krynzel, Editor

Articles Published in

The AKC Gazette for the American Kennel Club Non Sporting Breed Column about The Tibetan Terrier Breed