Believe it or no, our Saints were great swimmers and loved the water. It really saved us when they became older and arthritic, as gentle swimming several times a week in the spring/summer/fall kept them somewhat excercised and pain free (and very happy …)
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I miss having a dog, but I will not have one while living in a condo, and I don’t see that changing. Maybe I am lazy, but I want a back door into a fenced yard where a dog can be let out on their own to do their business. So, I think it is good that I know that about myself.
I have loved seeing all the dog photos on here, though!
On a different note, the parents of one of our friends (parents are 81 and 83 years old respectively) just got a dachshund puppy!! Truly a terrible idea as they are both in precarious health. Not uncommon for them to have trips to urgent care followed by transfers to the ER. I have NO idea what they were thinking, but their getting a dog is only going to complicate an already difficult situation for our friend and his sibling. It’s one thing to get a puppy at age 60 if one is in good health. Of course, the future is unknown and unexpected things can happen, but I think their getting a puppy at their ages and with their poor health is extremely selfish on many levels.
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Dogs need room to roam, even the little ones. Agree that a dog in a condo is not a good situation.
Hoggirl - that does sound like a tough situation (puppy + precarious elders).
I did get my parents a dog in their late 70s. My dad was spending the vast majority of his time watching TV in a recliner and not moving. The dog (small, quiet, older) got him outside walking every day (and brough a lot of happiness to their lives). They also had a spacious fenced yard. My brother took in the dog when my parents moved out of their home (it worked out well, athough my dad missed the dog a lot).
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After having small dogs (in a condo) growing up, and now a big dog, I’ve come to understand that dog size doesn’t seem to matter much in terms of home size. My Cairn and Westie growing up were so busy and noisy and active they would have been better off living somewhere with a lot of outdoor space. My 90lb lab/mystery mix sleeps all day like a cat, usually right next to my desk. We could be living in a studio apartment and he wouldn’t live any differently!
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I thought of this thread this morning - we’ve had what the weatherman terms “inconvenient weather” here in Virginia - i.e., more snow than usual. Monday was terrible - but the dogs were thrilled with the wet, heavy snow - because you can play “snowball”. This morning the snow that fell last night was light and powdery - hard to make snowballs. They still had a blast chasing disintegrating snowballs. The pure joy of being a Labrador!
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Yes, I missed our one snowfall in December while I was in Texas so today is my first snow day and I can’t wait to play with our Aussies outside. 
My dog hates the snow, refused to go out this morning, my husband shoveled the porch and a section of grass and had to take her out on a leash to get her to pee. We are home with her so she’s on no schedule (ring the bell when she wants to go out), now that winter is here I have to remember to walk her at night if we will have snow in the morning.
A quiet adult cat would have been a better choice for them.
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Some dog humor. My husband, who really isn’t even an animal lover, insisted I take this photo of my goofy boy because he looks so much like the meme! And yes, I was offering him a snack!
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I almost choked on my drink!!! Lol. Have to say, my tabby cat periodically looks like the cat from Shrek 
!!
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I love Puss in Boots….one of my favorite Antonio Banderas’ roles
(Shrek/ Puss In Boots- All cute eye's scene's 😍😂💗😎 #shrek #pussinboots #cuteeyes #dreamworks #cat - YouTube)
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Update
Applied to a few rescue/adoption sites and kept just missing out on “the one” that sounded like a good fit. Looked at several puppies of various ilk over the last few weeks, and today brought home THE ONE (I knew within 1 second, and yes, another Saint Bernard). He is 10 weeks old and asleep on my foot as I write this.
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Happy to hear, Balletmom! Sometimes when you have a breed you like, you just like it. Congrats on the St. Bernard. We have a particular breed we like in our family too - some day may be able to fill that hole left by lost pups.
Enjoy the puppytime!
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Awww… congrats! We want pix!!! 
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Those paws! 
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Balletmom - oh my, I can’t even…so cute…
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