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Older pooches are just so cute, in fact, I’d go as far as to say they might even bemore adorable than puppies!I know what you’re thinking -Whoa, that’s a pretty big statement.
But when you see their graying muzzles, little chubby bellies, and slow excited jogs to welcome you home, you won’t be able to help butfall in love with older pooches too!
Let’s run through five of the greatest reasons that you can adopt an older dog, and you never know; you might even be so smitten that you think about adopting one for yourself!
If you’ve ever owned a puppy, youknow the potential, and to be honest - theprobable destruction of your belongings that will ensue. It’s just one of those things that happen when puppies are young; they have to learn what is and what is not acceptable. For example, chewing the legs of the coffee table is most definitely NOT OK.
Teaching a puppy not to constantly bark - can be especially tough, and that’s not to mention teething time, witheverything within reach going into their mouths and meeting those razor sharp little teeth!
Whereas with older dogs - they have already experienced a lot of life, they’ve learned the house rules; they’re well past teething. And to be honest,they’re just too old for that kind of nonsense!
You’re far more likely to find a senior pup spending their days napping, asking for belly rubs, or finding a nice sunny spot to sun themselves in the backyard.What a life!
If you thought that watching Netflix with friends was fun, wait until you try watching it with your senior pooch. Older dogs, unlike puppies - aren’t all about running around, going on mega walks, and playing fetch until the sun goes down!
Most older canines simply enjoy hanging out with their humans in the pleasant warmth of the indoors, and it’s all the better when they’re allowed on the couch!
Of course, you do need to get up and take them out on walks occasionally, but that’s a good thing because they’re saying you from the trap of unproductive Netflix binges.
Another reason to choose to adopt an older dog instead of a puppy - is that they already have some training. You get to skip those weeks of potty-training, and cleaning uplittle puddles all over your house which is a big win if you ask me.
Not to mention, they will most likely also have some level of obedience training, which is not only convenient but is important to keep your dogsafe as well. There have been manyincidents narrowly avoidedin dog parks thanks to obedient dogs listening to their owner and staying put, or getting out of the way.
In fact, just today I heard from a friend who owns two Belgian Malinois, they managed to avert a potential fight with a loose and very aggressiveBoxer dog all thanks to their dog’s high-level of obedience.
You won'ttruly understand this until you’ve rescued your first older small dog.
Rescue centers do an amazing job and save countless canine lives year in and year out. But, it’s impossible for them to replicate the feeling of having a home and a family for each of their dogs.
For dogs that have spent much of their lives in a rescue kennel, or for those that have been in a loving home - and then suddenly placed into a rehoming center.You can see the appreciation and love in their eyes when they realize that they have a family and home for the rest of their fluffy little lives!
But as much as they may be grateful, you’ll always be just as thankful that you have them in your life; after all, doesn’t the saying go, I rescued them,but actually they rescued me!
An unfortunate reality is thatmany older dogs don’t get a second glance when potential owners go to pick out their new dogs. In fact,the older the dog - the less of a chance he has of ever finding a home.
It doesn’t seem quite fair, does it? That these little dogs end up living out their lives in a kennel when they have so much love left to give. And while canine rescue organizations do their best to find their older dogs a home to live out the rest of their lives; a lot of it comes down to us.
As dog owners, we should be doing our bit to help out these doggies, and we can do this by recommending an older dog to friends on the lookout for a dog, or by welcoming them with open arms into our own homes!
When I was younger, I too, wasguilty of gushing over the puppies and not even thinking about the older dogs - in no way was this on purpose, it was just a case of going with societal norms, and society says - when you get a dog, you get a puppy.
But I now know that’s completely wrong. And luckily many others do too! I’m determined to help change others opinions on the subject.
With so many cute, loveable, and well-trained canines out there without a family to call their own - we should all be adopting senior dogs and hopefully putting an end to this trend of aged dogs never finding their forever homes.
by Alexandra Seagal
Editor, Animalso
