Adopting a senior dog is a significant step that allows you to give love and affection to your fur animal towards the end of their lives. In addition, senior dogs are more chill and have long outgrown their hyperactive days.
Granted, senior dogs come with their fair share of challenges, including regular vet visits and the need to keep them comfortable in their final years. Therefore, this investment will require you to put in the effort while enjoying the incredible benefits of having a senior dog.
Taking care of a senior dog requires you to offer love and commitment and be patient with the journey of unpacking what your dog has been through. Be present with your senior dog and enjoy every bit of your journey together. You’ll significantly transform your dog's life and bring back the vibrancy it once freely enjoyed.
Why You Should Adopt a Senior Dog
Adopting a senior dog is a significant step, especially if you are willing to take your time and nurture the connection. Here are a few reasons why adopting a senior dog would be the best decision.
Senior Dogs Are Housetrained
It can be daunting to train puppies to learn where they need to relieve themselves, sleep, and follow basic commands. You’ll often have a few mishaps before they understand where they need to go once their bladders are full.
Luckily, with a senior dog, this is a struggle that you can altogether skip over and enjoy being a pet parent. These dogs often come already housetrained and understand how to carry themselves. They can follow basic commands like come, sit, and stand, making them a great option when looking to adopt a dog.
They Are Not as Destructive Compared to Puppies
Puppies come with a hyperactive energy that leads them to run around the house and knock over things, mess up that beautiful rug, and leave you a bit frustrated. Of course, there's nothing against puppies, but adopting a senior dog is the best option if you'd like to avoid this.
Senior dogs are active, but they do not have as much energy to expend compared to puppies. Additionally, given that senior dogs are well trained, you’ll not have to worry about destruction in your house. However, if you still find yourself drawn to bringing home a new puppy it would be safe to take a look at Mawoo's directory of French Bulldogs for sale. Bulldog puppies as well as senior dogs both make up for great companion pets in every household.
They Have a Predictable Personality
When getting a puppy, you expose yourself to changing personalities as it gets older. But unfortunately, you can not easily predict your puppy's personality in a few months or years. This is mainly because puppies are incredibly impressionable and may shift characters as they grow older.
However, you know exactly what you’ll be getting with a senior dog from the information gathered from different sources. The shelter staff, previous owners, and common breed knowledge will help you determine your dog’s personality.
They Need Minimal Supervision
Puppies require round-the-clock supervision until you have successfully housetrained them and trust that they can behave accordingly. The only exception is when you specifically go for common breeds of lazy dogs that would instead be cuddling or napping.
On the other hand, senior dogs require minimal supervision, if at all. They know how to behave and have the necessary training instilled in them. This makes it easier for you to enjoy being a pet parent without the constant anxiety that your dog will knock over your favorite flower vase.
They Easily Learn New Tricks
It is easier to train an old dog new tricks compared to training a puppy. This is because senior dogs have been through training, eliminating the challenging stages you may encounter with a puppy.
Senior dogs are always willing to learn and grow when provided with the opportunity to do so. So if you were concerned that adopting an old dog will rob you of the training experience, worry not.
Offers a Great Sense of Satisfaction
Adopting a senior dog means that you’ll be saving a life, offering it home, and showering it with much-needed love. But unfortunately, when most people hear of senior dogs, they immediately assume that the owner abandoned the dog because of its behavior or health condition.
However, this is not always the case, and we should be more willing to adopt senior dogs and give them the care they deserve. Additionally, caring for an old dog and nursing it back to health will bring you incredible satisfaction.
Senior dogs are unique and know what good and bad treatment look like. When a senior dog is treated with love and compassion, it will thrive and be the perfect fur baby. The progress of your senior dog and the experiences you have together will make your commitment and investment worth it.
Conclusion
As an adoptive parent, you get great satisfaction seeing your dog thriving and happy. Adopting an old dog also allows you to enjoy the company of a pet without constant supervision or personality shifts.
However, before bringing a senior dog into your home, ensure you can adequately provide for them for the rest of their life. For example, an elderly dog may need specialty food, treats, and medications. In addition, it would be best to look into the costs of euthanasia for dogs. End-of-life care for pets can be expensive. Therefore, before adopting a senior pup, ensure you are ready for the financial commitment.
Making room for a senior pet is the right step, especially when looking to share your love and commit to caring for another living thing.