I agree. Everybody, including yours truly, loves puppies, but old dogs are indeed noble. That’s definitely the word. I’ve especially admired their stoicism in their old age as they transcend their infirmities. We can all learn form it.
We have a beautiful 13 year old Siberian Husky (old for a Husky). She is truly noble, even with her infirmaties....hip dysplasia, arthritis and cataracts. We manage her pain with prescribed medications. Every morning, we take Alyeska Blue on a quarter mile walk (we live in the country) to pick up our newspaper. She is always anxious, nose and tail held high, to go. If we happen to sleep a bit late, she nudges us to wake up to go for that daily walk. It’s the highlight of her day. Mostly she sleeps in her orthopedic bed, or in the front yard on a pile of snow. The deer are so accustomed to her, they just walk around her. On rare ocassions she might chase a wild turky (for about six yards) that invades her territory.
We love her and will keep her as long as she is willing to live.
I also care for my 96 year old father. Except for sleeping in a snow pile and chasing turkeys, he is in the same condition. A very noble WWII veteran and I will keep him as long as he is willing to live. He and Alyeska are the best of friends.