good dog for elderly mother

Question
Hi Becky,

My family loves dogs and have owned various dogs our entire life.  My mother is 81 years old and just lost her best friend, Dixon, a 9 year old 100 lb yellow lab.  She is devastated and says she can't replace or deal with a new dog.  However, she lives alone and we (children) really want to get her a grown dog for companionship.  We want a dog(midsize?)that would be easy for her to handle and is relatively low maintenance.  My mother is very with it but just moves slowly.  She has a 3 1/2 year old granddaughter and another one on the way so we need a dog that is good with children.  Based on this information is their any particular breed you'd reccommend? I'd appreciate your input as it seems you have been around all types of dogs.

thanks,

Meg

Answer
Hi Meg!

I think it is very wise of you and your family to think about getting your mother another companion.  She misses her dog but I bet she will be thrilled to have a new companion.  Why don't you go to the local animal shelter and see what they have to offer?  You can often find a wonderful pet there and most shelters will have some type of background on the dogs they have and will not place one with you that wouldn't "fit" into the lifestyle that it is going to.   Labs are great dogs, but it might be wise to get a different breed, however, she may welcome another Lab!  Maybe a different color? Golden Retrievers are very gentle dogs too.  If I were you, I would go to the AKC website and read about the different breeds and see what you think would best suit your mom.  But remember, sometimes a good ole mutt makes the best pet!

God Bless,
Becky