Many ardent dog lovers have busy schedules. For them, an adult or senior dog can be a much better fit than a puppy — because puppies are hard!

Here, Gloria Acosta describes how easy-going and adaptable her rescue dog Murray has proven to be:

“I’m a nurse, and I have to work days together in a row — and then it ends and I have a week off. When I’m working, Murray kind of looks at me like, ‘Another day, Mom? When will this end?’ But he’s so good about it. And then we have all sorts of fun together when I’m not working. I do think it’s easier to have an older dog when you’re working, though.

“Murray is a Bichon, and he’s a people dog — very sweet and friendly, very loving. He’s 9 1/2 years old, so my efforts are all about trying to keep him healthy and youngish.

“He’s doing OK. He can’t quite jump on the bed the way he used to when I first brought him home. He does it, but it takes more effort. Sometimes I go around and I pick him up.

“He really is such a great dog. And being a small dog, I know he has more years. I’m really grateful for that!”

Love your old dog? Tell us why! Send your thoughts, observations and dog photos to stories@myolddogbook.com with “I love my old dog because” in the subject line. Your dog may be featured in a future post!

Love stories and photos of sweet senior pooches? The book “My Old Dog: Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts,” written by Laura T. Coffey and with photographs by Lori Fusaro, is due out on Oct. 6. It’s available now at Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com.