A majority of dog lovers look to breeders and classified ads when in search for their potential companion. Most are in search for young puppies that they can raise to be their four-legged confidant; I was not one of those people. I searched through the websites of shelters, human societies and numerous rescues before I found a dog that I knew would fit my lifestyle and that I could take care of. I officially adopted my dog the first week of August, 2016, and he is about 8-9 years old. Many people gave concerning looks when I told them my new pet’s age, as they assumed if I was paying an adoption fee that I would be adopting a young dog or puppy. But honestly I knew adopting an older dog was the right move for me, and I think others would also benefit from adopting older dogs.
Initially I wanted an older dog because it would be an easy transition with my lifestyle. I am a student, so I knew I did not have the time or financial resources to raise a puppy. I was also leery of adopting a puppy because I knew with my vigorous practice, school, and work schedule the time I would have with my potential dog I would be fatigued. As older dogs have less energy and are calmer, I figured they would better adapt to my lifestyle. I concluded I did not have the time, energy, or money to adopt a pedigree pup, but I still had a desire to have a furry friend of my very own. As I searched through rescue pups online I realized that there were so many other reasons I wanted to adopt a senior rescue.
Most see puppies or young dogs in shelters and are heartbroken by their need for a home, but older dogs have the same need for a forever home. Most older dogs used to have a home, but for whatever their reason their previous family was no longer able to take care of them. The need is much more severe in cases of dreaded kill shelters. Adopting an older dog would save its life, as senior animals are usually the first to be euthanized in the event of an overcrowded shelter. So in adopting them, you do have less years with them than you would with a puppy, but you make the later years in their life so much better by opening your home to them.
Other than saving your dog’s life, adopting an older dog is not as difficult as it may seem. Most older rescues have learned some commands, are crate/kennel trained, and/or house trained because they had a home earlier in life. In addition, in some lucky cases like mine you have agencies that foster rescue dogs in order to prepare them for their forever family. While some say “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” this is far from the truth, in fact, dog whisperer Cesar Milan explains that most older dogs are easier to train than puppies due to their increased attention span.
So if you ever make the decision to adopt a canine companion, please don’t count out senior dogs, or rescues in general. Regardless of breed, age, or pedigree, dogs have so much love to offer, and all deserve to find their forever family instead of spending their lives in shelters and humane societies. I chose to adopt an older dog, and it has made me happier than I have ever been. I often joke that my dog, Calbert, was just looking for a retirement home when he was being fostered, but he found his forever home instead. And in my old pup I found my best friend, my therapist, and someone I love waking up to every day.
