5 Great Reasons To Adopt A Senior Dog!
So many people around the world share their lives, and their homes, with dogs. Pooch, fur kid, pup, man’s best friend. Whatever you choose to call your canine companion, there’s no doubting the joy dogs bring into our lives. But, an unfortunate reality is that many will never find their forever home. With a lot of soon-to-be-pet parents searching for young puppies in shelters, we thought it was about time to advocate for the senior citizen canines. Read on to find out the top five reasons you should adopt a senior dog!
1) Pre-Trained
Wouldn’t it be great if your dog came home fully potty trained? I’m talking about no puppy pads to clean up and few surprises left on your carpet. When you bring home a young puppy, they don’t have full control over their bladder yet. Plus, they haven’t yet learned where they should and shouldn’t go. That’s not the case for most senior dogs, though. When you bring home a mature dog, they are often times house trained, obedience trained, and crate trained already!
2) Less Work
Most older dogs will have gone through their exuberant period of puppydom by now. They’ve settled down to be calm members of dog society. Who wouldn’t prefer to welcome a new member of the family that doesn’t chew furniture and pee everywhere?! With such busy lives and full-time jobs to contend with, the ease of an older dog may be just what your family needs.
3) Save a Life
It’s very rare that a dog shelter will have the resources to be 100% no-kill. Unfortunately, the dogs at the top of the euthanasia list are the ones who have been at the shelter the longest. So if you’re in a position to adopt one of these lovable older pups, just know that you’ll be saving an innocent life.
4) Grateful Pooch
It’s almost impossible to describe the appreciation you receive from an older rescue dog. When an older dog spends a prolonged period of time in a rescue kennel, it can lead to depression and anxiety. Many rescue centers do an amazing job, but, of course, they can’t recreate the real feeling of home. When you adopt, you’re removing them from this environment and offering a comfortable home. You’ll see such joy in their eyes. And, in fact, many of these dogs immediately seem years younger thanks to the sheer happiness of being in a family again!
5) They Have A Lot Of Life Left
When you hear the word “senior,” people tend to think old. But, in fact, in doggy terms it usually just means mature. Many dogs are considered “senior” at the young age of five years (depending on the size/breed). In my experience, though, they’re far from old!
There are many ways you can help to keep your older dog healthy—from frequent exercise to a good senior diet. Also, keep an eye out for body changes and deal with them before they become an issue.
