Adopting a Dog during its Golden Years
If you've been on the fence about adopting a dog of your own because you don't think you can provide optimal dog wellness, you're certainly not alone.
An old dog can learn new tricks more easily than you may think, and give you the companionship you need.
When you're thinking of bringing home a furry friend of your own, finding one that matches the speed of your lifestyle and activity level is vital to meet both your and the dog's needs. If you don't think that you can keep up with a spritely puppy or a middle-aged sporting dog, an older dog may be the right choice for your lifestyle. Here are a few benefits to consider that may convince you to give a wise old dog a good home:
Older dogs are housebroken.
One of the immediate benefits of adopting an older dog is the lack of training it will take on your part to get him adjusted to your home. Since most older dogs have already been housebroken, it will only take a slight adjustment period for them to get used to your schedule or the confines of your yard. This will help spare you plenty of accidents on your carpet and furniture, which will certainly save a lot of time and effort!
Older dogs are caught up on their immunizations.
Catching your pooch up on his shots can be an extremely expensive undertaking if you've adopted a puppy from a friend or a local pet store. Since you want to ensure that your dog has everything he needs to live a long and happy life, your dog's vaccination history will play a large role in determining whether or not he's the dog for you. Most of the time, these canines will check out, which will be an immediate benefit for you.
An older dog can learn tricks faster.
The old expression, "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," couldn't be farther from the truth. Because older dogs are far more mellow and receptive to commands, they can actually pick up on training much faster than a puppy or an adolescent dog. Whether you're teaching him to bring in the newspaper or play fetch, you will probably have an easier time with your older pooch.
There are countless middle-aged and elderly dogs that are just waiting for homes, and you may be the ideal person to give that canine the forever home he's always dreamed of during his golden years.
