If you’re considering adding a furry family member to your home, have you thought about adopting a senior dog?
While puppies and younger dogs are adorable, there are so many wonderful benefits to giving an older pup their second chance at a loving forever home.
From their calmer dispositions to already being trained, senior dogs make fantastic companions that can seamlessly integrate into your life. Keep reading to learn four great reasons why you should consider adopting a senior dog!
They’re Calmer and Less Destructive
One of the biggest benefits of adopting a senior dog is that they tend to be much calmer and less destructive than puppies or younger dogs.
Senior dogs have matured past that crazy puppy phase where they want to chew on everything in sight and havebound-less energy that needs to be exercised constantly.
With a senior dog, you’ll likely have a more relaxed companion who is content just cuddling on the couch and taking shorter, leisurely walks.
This makes them a great choice for people who live in apartments or have more sedentary lifestyles. You won’t have to worry as much about coming home to shredded pillows or other destruction.
They’re Often Already Trained
Another fantastic benefit of adopting an older dog is that they frequently come already trained with basic obedience commands and are housebroken.
Puppies require a ton of time and effort to train properly, but with a senior dog, that hard work has likely already been done.
Not only does this save you the hassle of training, but it makes introducing them into your home and life so much easier.
You can feel confident they’ll already understand basic commands like sit, stay, come, and won’t have as many accidents in the house. It’s such a relief!
You Can Get a Great Read on Their Personality
With puppies, you never quite know how their personality will develop as they grow up. Will they be shy, energetic, stubborn, or friendly?
It’s always a bit of a guessing game. But with a senior dog, what you see is what you get in terms of their temperament and personality.
Animal shelters and rescues are great about evaluating each dog’s behavior and providing that information to potential adopters.
This allows you to select a senior dog who has the exact personality traits you’re looking for, whether that’s calm and gentle for families with kids or playful and energetic for active households.
You’ll Be Giving Them a Second Chance
Perhaps the most meaningful benefit of adopting a senior dog is that you’ll be giving that animal a second chance at having a loving forever home.
So many older dogs end up in shelters or rescues due to no fault of their own – their owner passed away, went into a care facility, or encountered difficult life circumstances.
Whatever the reason, these sweet souls find themselves without a home to call their own through no fault of their own in their golden years.
By choosing to adopt a senior dog, you’ll not only be giving them a loving family to live out the remainder of their life with, but you’ll be opening up space and resources at the shelter for another dog in need.
You’re Saving Not Only Their Life, But Giving Them a Beautiful Retirement
The reality is, senior dogs have a much harder time getting adopted from shelters and rescues. But these older pups make absolutely wonderful companions!
They’re typically calm, already trained, and so appreciative of a second chance at having a cozy home to spend their remaining years in.
While their time with you may not be as long as a puppy’s life, you can rest assured that by adopting a senior dog, you’re truly saving their life and giving them a beautiful “retirement” with all the love and care they deserve. It’s such a rewarding experience!
As you can see, adopting a senior dog comes with so many amazing benefits for both you and the pup. You’ll be giving that sweet soul a second chance at happiness while welcoming a calmer, likely already trained companion into your home.
Why wait? There are countless older dogs out there just waiting to share their love and gratitude with a new family.
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