Reasons to adopt an older dog

Best Friends Animal Rescue believes that every dog deserves a second chance at happiness.

Dogs are labelled as seniors around the age of 7. However, the size of the dog should be considered in this categorisation. Small dogs tend to mature slower than larger dogs. You will find a lot of rescue groups and shelters are filled with healthy and active senior dogs that are looking for a forever home.

If you are thinking about extending your family, here are a few reasons why you should consider adopting an older dog.

1. Older dogs are calmer

Older dogs have an established temperament and demeanour. They know who they are and don’t need to explore and learn about everything around them. They are quite happy to settle. This gives you an instant idea how it will fit in your household. Many of them do well with young children as they have lower energy level and have possibly lived with them in their previous homes.

2. Older dogs are not problem dogs as most people might think

A lot of senior dogs lose their homes for a variety of reasons and it has nothing to do with their behaviour or temperament. Often, it’s due to things like death of a guardian, unemployment, novelty of owning a dog has worn off, new baby and time poor, relocation, and many other reasons. These dogs need a second shot at happiness, so don’t overlook them.

3. Old dogs can still learn new tricks

Older dogs are actually surprisingly easier to train. Dogs can be trained at any age, and seniors have greater attention span than a puppy.

4. Older dogs make immediate companions

Most older dogs come with prior training. Therefore they won’t need leash and toilet training. A senior is ready to accompany you for a long walk, probably already knows how to fetch, and is definitely a snuggle buddy.

5. You’re saving its life

Older dogs are often the last to be chosen and the first to be euthanised. Most people are more interested in getting a dog under the age of 5, and shelters are overcrowded. Best Friends Animal Rescues aims to savc as many of these seniors as we can, but we can’t save more if the ones we have don’t get adopted.

Ready to adopt a senior?

Check out our rescue dogs here.