We spoke to our friend Taylor at Pink Paw Program about her experience with senior dogs and why it can be a fantastic idea to adopt an older and often wiser pup!
"We’ve all heard the saying ‘You can't teach an old dog new tricks’. You may also have heard that older rescue dogs are ‘untrainable’ or don’t bond well with their new owners. All these ideas are myths, and in fact, senior dogs (generally classed as seven years or older) are just as trainable, and bond just as well as young dogs do.
I have trained many new senior dog owners and a dog will always bond and develop a good relationship with a person as long as you implement the correct training and care. Miracles don't happen so remember that most dogs will go through a period of adjustment with a new family. It can take time, but it will happen.
One of the advantages of adopting an older dog is that you bypass the ‘puppy issues’ that can be difficult to deal with, such as toilet training, mouthing and biting, night-time crying, jumping and destructive behaviour. You can always train an older dog; you just need to work with them and not against them. Yes, they can be stuck in their own ways so you need to help transition them out of old habits by creating new ones and give your dog a reason to want to change.
Keep in mind that retraining a senior dog is not really about the tricks or teaching a dog a command that they don't necessarily want to do. It's about getting them to bond and be accepted into a family and creating a structured family ‘pack’.
Adopting a senior dog is a very rewarding experience. Older dogs make wonderful companions, they are generally calmer and usually toilet trained. There are some important challenges to think about when owning a senior dog too. The obvious disadvantage is that, because of their age, you won’t have them in your life for as long as you would if you take on a puppy. You need to be prepared to fall in love with a dog that may only be with you for three to five years. Senior dogs can develop medical issues; problems such as kidney disease and cancer are more prevalent in older dogs, so you’ll need to take extra vet visits and associated costs into consideration.
There are pros and cons to owning a senior dog but I can definitely tell you it's extremely rewarding to own an older dog who needs your love, care and companionship, so do consider this option when you are adopting."
If Taylor has convinced you, you'll find many seniors looking for a fresh start on our Adopt-A-Dog platform - just filter your search to "Senior"
