Why you should adopt an older dog

A puppy's smushed up face and cartoon eyes might make your ovaries explode, but an older dog can truly make a house a home. As we found out. 

November is Senior Dogs Month, but that’s every month at our house, where 10-year-old cocker spaniel Lizzie reigns supreme. And rightly so. 

She joined our family almost three years ago, the result of a boring evening, a rainy day and a guilty husband. At the time we were living in a tumbledown villa, complete with leaky roof and unscrupulous landlady (who still owes us Dhs20,000, not that I’m bitter…) but it also had a dog flap, which was begging for a purpose.

One Friday night I was browsing Dubizzle, and saw a post about a cocker spaniel needing a home – she had been taken to a ‘doggie resort’ for boarding, but her owner had called to say he wasn’t coming back for her. Unforgivable.

I called but there was no reply, and woke up thinking about this poor dog, abandoned in a strange place during a thunderstorm. I rang again, and was told that she was called Lizzie, was five years old, and in good health – and that lots of people were interested in her.

Jeans, jumper and boots on, I drove to Ajman in the lashing rain. Lizzie was there with a boisterous bulldog, and was cowering behind a tree, shy and very overweight. She immediately came to me, nuzzling around my knees, and it felt like she chose me.

Lizzie on the day we adopted her, complete with blonde quiff.

Next, I had to call my husband, who was working on a Saturday and feeling suitably sheepish about it, which I quickly turned to my advantage. The kennels said they needed half an hour to give her a bath and get her ready, so I headed to a local mall to get cash out for the donation (her owner hadn’t even paid her boarding fees) and call Mr Farmer. I distinctly remember him saying, “If you think we can give her a good home and a better life then go for it”.

Permission granted, I returned to pick her up and buy everything we needed. The kennels passed on her previous owner’s contact details so I could ask him about paperwork and vaccinations (he even delivered her passport to our house – I couldn’t even look at him).

That journey home was tough. She shook as I lifted her into the back of the car, and was silent all the way to the vets, despite my constant chattering and singing. Once there, he said she was closer to eight years old, which her passport confirmed, but was in good health – nothing some eye drops and a diet couldn’t sort. Then it was time to get her settled, and it all fell into place. 

As I write this, Lizzie’s whiskery chin is resting on my leg, sweet little snores coming from her soft mouth, stubby tail twitching as she sleeps. And as soon she came home it was like she had relaxed. She gleefully trotted out of the dog flap to the garden, snoozed on her oversized cushion and helped herself to leftovers from the bin (naughty) and loved, and still loves, long walks and swimming in the sea.

As she approaches 11 years old, it’s fair to say Lizzie’s best days are behind her – her eyes are getting cloudy, her back legs are weakening and we’re spending a small fortune on arthritis medication. But I don’t for a day regret adopting an older dog. When I look into those brown eyes it’s pure love that shines back. 

There are a huge number of senior dogs needing good homes in Dubai because expats often don’t want the expense of transporting an older animal when they relocate (how you can abandon a family pet is truly beyond me).

Here’s why you should consider a senior…

1. They (usually) don’t need training, so you won’t spend your days wiping up wee, or mourning chewed flip-flops. And they can be taught new tricks. Lizzie can high-five. Oh yes.

2. There’s life in the old dog yet. A senior dog is technically seven years or older, and with many breeds this is relatively young, so you could have years of love and fun with your new addition ahead of you.

3. They don’t require as much exercise. Sure, puppies are adorable, but good grief they have energy. A more mature pooch, however, makes the perfect snuggle buddy on the sofa.

4. You know what you’re getting. With puppies, especially cross-breeds, there’s no guarantees in terms of size or temperament when fully grown, while you get what you see with a senior dog. And if you’re searching for a pedigree chum, then you’re more likely to find a purebreed older dog – without the eye watering price tag of a puppy.

5. It’s your chance to offer an animal happiness in its last few years. No dog deserves to spend his or her last days on the street or in a shelter.  

According to her paperwork, we’re Lizzie’s third (and final) family. And, when the time comes to say goodbye, we’ll make sure she has the best day of her life – lots of tummy scratching, a whole cooked chicken to herself and a lovely long sleep on our bed.

For more information, visit Dubai Senior Dogs Project and K9 Friends.

You give me road rage: the 10 worst offenders on Dubai roads

I don’t use the C word often, but there are some real clowns on Dubai roads at the moment. Maybe I’m noticing it more because my baby is often on board, and with seriously precious cargo I feel a bit more vulnerable, it's possible that the quality of driving is getting worse, or perhaps after nine years in the UAE I have finally run out of patience, but I’ve had enough. With a recent study showing that ‘sudden lane changes’ are the main cause of fatal car crashes on our roads, I wanted to outline some of the other gripes I – and no doubt many of you – have with Dubai drivers.

1.        Not indicating

Whether it’s cutting in front of you without indicating, or failing to let other drivers know that they’re about to turn into a junction you’re waiting at (so you sit there like a wally) I truly don’t understand the UAE’s aversion to indicators. Are they not taught by driving instructors? It’s the ultimate arrogance – they’re basically saying that their car is more important than yours, and you can adjust to their driving. Extra clown points if they do a six-lane swerve on the highway, with not a flashing yellow light in sight.

2.        Lack of stopping distance

I had a bad car crash in my early 20s when the van behind me ploughed my car into the one in front, so I’m understandably a little twitchy about there being enough space between vehicles. Try to leave a gap of more than two metres, however, and some moron will see it as their chance to get ahead – especially common in crawling traffic. My favourite thing is to watch them cut in front of someone else, make a poor lane choice, then merrily sail past them.

3.        Thinking lane markings are just a suggestion

Speaking of lanes… Those white and yellow lines? That took ages to paint on, and a few of us make an effort to drive inside? They are not a suggestion – they are to be obeyed. Cruising along with your car straddling two lanes is guaranteed to make the red mist descend, with the second most common outburst in my car being ‘PICK A DAMN LANE!’.

How to use a roundabout in Dubai e.g. not as difficult as you might think...

4.        Improper use of roundabouts

The most common cry you’ll hear from me is ‘THAT’S NOT HOW ROUNDABOUTS WORK!’ – people don’t give way to the left, they change lanes mid-junction, turn off from the wrong lane, randomly brake while they make a decision, block the junction, cut off other drivers and generally don’t understand what each lane is for. I’ve included a helpful illustration above. Please share. Please. I beg you.

5.        Intimidation

In the UK, a flash of the lights from a fellow driver is the vehicular way of saying “After you, my good man/woman, I insist”. In the UAE, however, they are used most often to mean “Get out of my way before I mow you down – I’m coming to get you and don’t care if there’s nowhere for you to go. I’m king of the road, and don’t you dare disrespect me by not doing as I tell you”. Or something like that. My favoured technique is to stay exactly where I am, driving about 10kmph below the speed limit and let them get angry. Don’t give in to bullies. 

6.        Speeding

I don’t really understand why speed cameras are so visible here. Surely it makes more sense to hide them and catch more people, rather than encouraging drivers to slam on the brakes when they spot one, then put their foot down as soon as they pass it? Anyway, speeding is a big problem (too many powerful cars, too many big egos…) and while fines do help, I’d like to introduce financial penalties based on the value of the car – for lots of drivers a mere Dhs600 is not enough to put them off. On this basis, with my battered 2007 Volvo I’d be paying about Dhs25 a time.

Equally unsafe is driving too slowly, making cars back up, and leading to dangerous overtaking (no indicating again…). And remember, the outside lane is for overtaking, and the slow lane is for exiting. Simple. 

7.        No seatbelts or car seats for kids

It’s very straightforward; if you love your child then you want to keep them safe, and in a moving piece of metal, that means strapping them in – guess what – whether they like it or not. As the parent, you’re the boss, so act like it. Also, it’s not just dangerous for your children when they’re running wild in the car, if they’re distracting the driver the situation can turn very nasty for other people on the road. A friend, who shall remain nameless, now pulls up alongside those who don’t strap their little ones in, winds down the window and asks “Is it the blood money you want?”. Horrifying, but fair. 

8.        Using hazard lights in a non-hazardous situation

It’s raining? Put on the hazards. A traffic jam is approaching? Put on the hazards. Bit foggy? Put on the hazards. Unsure how to use a roundabout? Put on the hazards. You need to sneeze? Put on the hazards. No, folks, the only time you should use your hazard lights is when there’s an emergency such as if your car has broken down and you’re on the hard shoulder waiting for help. Otherwise people can’t see when you’re indicating. Oh yes, I forgot, that’s a strange concept too…

9.        Cutting into queues

I need to exit a busy road and know that I need to be in the right-hand lane in advance. I dutifully move over, traffic slows as the exit approaches and my fellow sensible drivers and I wait patiently. Then some moron decides he’s too important to do that, bombs along the queuing cars and cuts in, right before the exit. Or worse, drives like a maniac up the hard shoulder. Guess what? If you miss that exit, you’ll have to take the next one, like other people. It’s not the end of the world. You’re not that special. Disclaimer: if a woman if giving birth on the back seat of your car I’ll forgive you. And I do love it when the drivers waiting work together and block out queue jumpers. Stay strong, brothers. 

10. Rubberneckers

Ooh, flashy lights, how exciting, let’s all stop and see what’s happened, even if it’s on the other side of Sheikh Zayed Road. No, let’s not. And invariably it’s someone who’s car has a flat battery and is being loaded onto a recovery van. Aren’t you pleased you waited 20 minutes to see that? To be fair, I do love it when after the accident site the road empties out and I can drive at a normal speed again. 

Okay, I feel better now. Did I miss anything?

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