15 Reasons To Adopt Older Dogs Over Puppies

Many people tend to think about getting a puppy when they consider buying a pet, but why not consider senior dogs? Senior dogs can also be wonderful companions. Would you be willing to appreciate the beauty of an older dog waiting for a second chance at love?

Below are some of the reasons why you should consider adopting a senior dog:

1. Save An Older Dog’s Life

Older dogs are often overlooked compared to younger dogs and puppies. They will be the first to be euthanized if not adopted. Younger dogs have other opportunities for adoption, but can the same be said for older dogs? If you do walk into a shelter someday, be a life-saver, a hero, a person with compassion, and try to see if that one senior dog would be a good fit for you. That senior dog is looking for a second chance to live- and to love a new family.

2. Older Dogs Are Still Capable of Love

Older dogs have hearts of gold and can be just as sweet and loving as puppies. Dogs in general are loving creatures, and there is no reason to think that older dogs are any different. If you love them, they will love you twice as much.

3. Senior Dogs Have Good Temperaments

While puppies and younger dogs tend to be more energetic and always seek attention, older dogs are generally calmer and more stable. They do not mess up your furniture or house like puppies or young dogs do as they go through their maturation. They are simply gentle souls.

4. Learning Tricks is Not a Problem For Older Dogs

There’s a saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but this is not true. Older dogs can still learn tricks and perhaps even find the process easier as they are more calm and focused on what you are trying to teach them.

5. Older Dogs Like to Chill Too

Want to relax on a lazy day? Feel free to invite an older dog over to relax and cuddle with you. An older dog is more likely to welcome and enjoy naps with you after you have had a long day or just want to chill on a lazy afternoon.

6. Older Dogs are Good with Kids

If you have kids, adopting a senior dog is a good option. Older dogs generally are patient with kids. They are less rowdy and not as rough as puppies and younger dogs can be during playtime. In addition, they will also be protective of the kids. A senior dog may also have had experience living with kids within its lifetime so it should not be difficult for them to adapt.

7. Senior Dogs Make Great Friends for Human Seniors

If you are living with an elderly member of the family or thinking about getting a senior dog for an elderly person, it is a wonderful choice. Senior dogs are wonderful companions for human seniors. Not only will they help look out for the human senior when needed, they will also serve as a good friend since they are going through the same stage of aging. Some senior dogs may have had experience living with the elderly in the past too.

8. Older Dogs Have Learned Lessons

An older dog is more likely to have learned many lessons over their lifetime, such as not to chew on furniture or pee inside the house. They will notice human emotions and actions more than puppies and younger dogs who are not mature enough to understand that “no” is a warning to be obedient to your commands, for example.

9. Older Dogs Are Just as Cute as a Puppy

A puppy is cute- but so are senior dogs! They look just as cute and behave in a very cute manner too. You can take the same amount of cute pictures or videos of a senior dog as you can with a puppy. You will adore a senior dog just as much as a puppy, and maybe even more, if you only let them leave some pawprints across your heart.

10. Older Dogs are Loyal and Devoted

When senior dogs realize that they have a new family, they will likely give their owners 100% loyalty and devotion for being willing to take a chance on them. Seniors dogs will be forever grateful for your act of kindness.

11. Older Dogs Don’t Necessarily Have Problems

Some people tend to think that older dogs have issues and that is why they are abandoned at the shelter. This is incorrect thinking because many senior dogs have no issues; they may have just been abandoned due to the age of the previous owners.

12. Every Dog is Unique

Young or old, every dog is unique. An older dog can show you its own special personality and loving nature provided you give it a second chance to love again.

13. Older Dogs Don’t Change in Size

The size of a senior dog will not change. What you see is what you will have to deal with. While a puppy or younger dog may continue to grow larger in size, adopting a senior dog allows you to see from the outset the maximum size it will reach.

14. Older Dogs Get Along with Other Pets

Older dogs are more likely to have lived with other pets in their lifetime. As such, it is actually easier for older dogs to adjust to living with other pets, if you are concerned whether an older dog would fit in with your current pets.

15. Every Day is Special

An older dog may not have a long lifespan compared to a puppy, but that makes every day spent with them a special day. Every single day is worth something to them and you. It is not the number of days that matter, it is what makes each day special. Quality over quantity is always best.

What are you waiting for? Go and seek out a senior dog to be a part of your family. You will not regret it.

Featured photo credit: Celine Nadeau via flickr.com

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