We love a happy ending here at Mayhew, and even more so when it is about an older dog being given their forever home.

The lovely Casper, came from a loving home but due to his owner’s ill health, they were no longer able to look after him. Paul and Lisa tell us what it is like living with a friendly, older dog and why they chose to adopt from Mayhew.

“We were looking for a dog to love, and not too specifically fussy about their age. We knew we didn’t want a puppy; they can be more energetic and require more work getting them trained and were worried a puppy might chew everything in the house.

When we discovered Mayhew, we signed up to receive updates of dogs that met what we were looking for, and Casper was our first alert email.  Casper looked gorgeous and seemed to have a very loving character, just waiting to be loved.”

We asked Paul what is has been like adopting an older dog and he said:

“Casper has been a great addition to our family. An older dog can give you as much love as a puppy can. An older dog is already set in their ways i.e. knows themselves and are assured in what they like and don’t like. Casper is a very vocal on what he wants and very clear on what he wants to do, so we let him lead us. So, expect a chilled dog, that is independent and content with life! “

The adoption process

While we explain the adoption process on our website, we wanted to ask Lisa and Paul how they found the experience. Our team works extremely hard to match the right people to the right dog or cat, and while committing to adoption can seem daunting at first, our team, Chloe and Matt are here to help you through it. They make sure potential adopters know of any issues and can ask questions and discuss any concerns.

“The process was very thorough; the steps were explained to us and the whole process was very straight forward. We first completed a form, then we received an email asking for few more questions, followed by a quick phone call to set up an extensive interview. After successfully completing that we then had a video call to show to the assessor our home, to make sure it was dog friendly and appropriate. We also received a comprehensive number of files and reports regarding Casper’s behaviour and medical history for us to review. When we decided to go ahead with the adoption, we had the chance to meet Casper before making the final decision to adopt him.”

Meeting Casper for the first time

“It was a both scary and exciting, as we didn’t know what to expect. We knew Casper had some behavioural issues and was a very cautious character, so we were not sure he would have liked us. We immediately bonded on the fact he liked food (cheese to be precise) and he was brave enough to trust us and let us give him some cuddles, especially belly rubs which are his favourites.

While Paul and Lisa had concerns, they didn’t need to worry as Casper has happily settled into a routine in his forever home. He likes to be both outside and inside but when in the house he wants to be with his humans. He has his morning walk with Paul and will then either chase pigeons in the garden or have a nap. Casper has a snooze on his throne (a footstool) or keeps Paul’s feet warm by lying on them when he is working at home.A midday walk is either in his favourite park where Casper runs laps and races against Paul, although Lisa has said the dog has learnt to cheat by running across her partner! When he is tired out, he is back on his leash. The lucky pooch can also enjoy the sensory garden in another park where he will sit transfixed by the smells.

Paul and Casper have lunch at the same time although a certain husky attempts to steal as much human food as possible. It’s then time for digging holes in the garden until Lisa comes home from work to give Casper his third walk. He is spoilt for choice as Paul and Lisa live near to a dogs’ park where Casper can run free and socialise with other dogs in a safe environment.

Lisa and Paul keep Casper stimulated by doing activities with him after his dinner, either playing hide and seek or play to catch a ball or do a bit of training or unboxing exercises as he loves tearing boxes apart. He will sometimes have another walk around the block in the evening or he chills with the couple in the living room – taking up most of one sofa so Lisa has had to move to a smaller chair!

Casper is a much-loved addition to their family and Paul and Lisa love his big character. Lisa says: “We can’t forget to mention that wherever Casper is located, inside or outside, at any point in time, day or night, he will be behind us every time we open the fridge with the biggest eyes he can manage to have/ He moves silently and quickly when there is food involved like a friendly ghost.

And finally, his favourite thing is howling at any siren he can hear (way before we can) and makes a funny noise and rolls his eye at us while walking away, when he has decided he wants to do something, and we say no to it (Mr Grumpy). “

If you are looking for a dog that has a fully formed personality, knows their own mind and is both affectionate and loving but happy doing their own thing, then check out our older dogs including the three lovely girls below. And did you know, Casper’s sister, River is also looking for her forever home?