Entertainment | 12/18/2008 11:45 am

Old Dogs Are the Best Dogs Pays Tribute to Loyal Friends (Photos)

Back by popular demand, wowOwow has updated this slideshow with five new photographs and personal stories about man’s loyal, best friend. … Also visit wOw Readers’ Bow to Their Old Dogs (Photos).

Photo Essay

In this slideshow, author Gene Weingarten and photographer Michael S. Williamson share stories and photographs from their book Old Dogs Are the Best Dogs.

Old Dogs, published by Simon & Schuster, pays tribute to unforgettable older companions.

“This is a tribute to old dogs, a celebration of their special virtues,” Weingarten writes in the book’s dedication. “All dogs profiled in this book were at least 10 years old when their portraits were made. If you ask us which of them are still alive, our answer is: They all are. May old dogs live forever.”

Do you have an unforgettable old dog? E-mail photos to submit@wowowow.com and we will feature them in a future slideshow.

Want more dogs?
wOw Readers’ Pampered Pets (Photos)
Photos of Marlo Thomas, Julia Reed and wOw Women With Their Favorite Pets
wOw Readers’ Bow to Their Old Dogs (Photos)

38 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

How timely! My black lab, Bailey, just had his 14th birthday. He has been with us since he came (just for a sleepover…really, mom, he’s not staying) as a puppy. Totally friendly and loveable. He lives for food and affection. He used to obsess about playing ball (he is a retriever after all) but now is content to lay around, occasionally raising an eyebrow at the squirrels out the window. He’s been my shadow for all these years and now it’s sad to see that his arthritis keeps him from easily bounding after me when I take walks or go upstairs. I know where to find him, sleeping on the rug in front of the door. He has always had a sweet disposition (I should be so nice) and he’s gotten even mellower and sweeter as he’s aged.

By Barbara on 12/18/2008 12:50 pm

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There is so much wisdom in an old dogs eyes.

By Catherine Kaiman on 12/18/2008 2:33 pm

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OMG I LOVE this slide show! i’m going to amazon to buy that book for a friend of mine this very second! sooooo lovely…

By Chrome Toe on 12/18/2008 2:39 pm

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Our Little Guy died last summer when he was 12-years old. We only had him for his last 5 years, but I encourage anyone who is able to adopt an older dog to do so. Geez, I’m tearing up again… http://hillsboroughnjjournal.blogspot.com/2008/08/good-bye-little-guy.ht…

By Susan Gee on 12/18/2008 3:06 pm

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So sorry you lost your Little Guy. You’ve made me cry. And “Rainbow Bridge” is it? I’m so silly. I really want that to be true. I still miss a dog that died (was killed) when I was a girl. Can’t stop tearing up …

By rocky rocky on 12/19/2008 12:58 am

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I’m so sorry… we lost our big guy nearly 4 years ago, and I still tear up when we talk about him. We also adopted a mini poodle about 12 years ago when he was already 14, and we had him for another 5 years. It never gets easier to lose a beloved pet.

By Lorraine Bates on 12/19/2008 9:15 am

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Susan, I’m very sorry for your loss. I went through the same sad time with my shelter dog, Lilly, nearly 5 years ago, and I still feel sorrow — even though I still feel her presence. Could that be happening? Our dogs are precious companions to our souls, each and every one. We lose a little bit of ourselves when they pass. I love the poem, it touched me deeply, and you words about Little Guy were straight from the heart and true. I hope you’ll be ready to soon return to a shelter and bring home the dog that’s waiting for you.

By Susan B on 12/19/2008 10:47 am

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Sincerely, Tahoe H.

By Maurine H on 12/18/2008 8:35 pm

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My old dog is only ten, but she is a real character! She’s a German shepherd/sharpei mix and the vet thinks she’s a doll! She’s my dearest pal and even has her own dog, named Mackinac Island Fudge!

By Chris Broersma on 12/18/2008 9:03 pm

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I love old dogs. They do have a wisdom and dignity. I love new dogs, too and everything in between. My old dog was blind, deaf and had many health problems when I finally had to have him put down. I couldn’t stand to see him suffer any longer juat because I didn’t want to let him go. He was very patient with me and went along with all the medications and procedures the vet and I put him through to prolong his life. That was a few years ago. I have a new puppy now that runs me ragged. I love him but I miss my old dog.

By JJ GB on 12/18/2008 10:00 pm

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I like dogs so much more than I like people. My dog Allie is asleep on the couch right next to me. Her snoring soothes me. Thanks for the pictures of these kind old souls. Oh, I wish I could hear what they are saying.

By Lou Hoover on 12/19/2008 12:06 am

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I love my dogs more than a lot of people! Nothing’s better than a big, old, sloppy dog to brighten your day! The bigger the better, in my book!

By Lorraine Bates on 12/19/2008 9:16 am

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I worry about anyone who DOESN’T like dogs (or animals in general) more than people…frankly.

By Kryssi K on 12/21/2008 3:14 am

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Not only do I worry about them, I don’t trust them. We used to have an old dog, Bobo, and we did what we called the Bobo test. If he didn’t like you, you didn’t last long in our circle. He only reacted badly to two people, one was a teenage friend of my daughter’s best friend…. he turned out to be trouble on a stick. The other was my brother-in-law and he shortly divorced my sister for a younger woman. He also tried to get out of his financial responsibilities by driving her insane and trying to get her to sign away her marital rights. He was truly vile. He was not successful.

By Lou Hoover on 12/21/2008 1:01 pm

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So gorgeous! Every one of them. I really love Fudge (slide #5). So beautiful. Reminds me once again about a dog I’ve written about on this site before—the one perfect love of my life. (sigh) Thank you, wOw!!

By rocky rocky on 12/19/2008 12:52 am