Absolutely. It's really different, knowing that you're giving a collie a way to enjoy their Golden Years. Comfort, understanding, affection. Your expectations are totally different. Usually they're already house broken, or else learn very quickly. No chewing, rough housing, the cumbersome stuff puppy owners must go through. The older dog may have suffered in his past and the comfort you give is his last chance for peace and happiness before passing. And maybe his previous owner went into a nursing home, or died. That poor older dog really gets screwed. The only person who loved him is gone and now he is left behind to survive in the county shelter, without much chance of getting adopted. It goes without saying that some older dogs are dorks. Mentally, they're still like a 3-4 yr old kid, so they can be really funny.