Older dogs are often overlooked in rescue centres across the country, but these canines have so much love left to offer! Find out why you should consider adopting an older dog in this article.
Older dogs are all too often overlooked in rescue centres across the country. It’s a heart-breaking truth that some will remain in shelters for months, sometimes years, and sadly many will stay there for the rest of their lives. A lot of potential adopters will avoid rescuing older dogs due to a mistaken belief that they don’t have much left to give, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
When you rescue an older dog you save a life, and you can rest assured your canine companion will be grateful for you for the rest of their days, no matter how long that may be.
Benefits of rescuing an older dog
Aside from the amazing feeling of offering an overlooked dog a home, there are tonnes of other benefits of adopting an older dog.
1. Older dogs are calmer
If you’re less active, don’t have too much time for long walks every day or are not as young as you once were, an older dog can be a great fit. Senior canines can still be playful and will appreciate a gentle stroll, but it’s likely that they won’t want to go for more lengthy walks or have frequent vigorous play sessions.
2. They don’t need puppy training
Most older dogs needing homes will have mastered the basics. They’ll probably be toilet trained and the majority will know ‘sit’ and ‘stay’, so you won’t have the stress and pressure of having to train them from the beginning – a lengthy process that can take months with puppies. Not to mention you’ll also miss that unruly teething phase, saving your sofa, shoes and sanity.
3. You CAN teach an old dog new tricks
Did you know there’s actually no truth in the saying ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?’Older dogs are more than capable of continuing their education, and it’s often easier to teach them new tricks as they have much longer attention spans than puppies!
