WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET. They are at their full grown size, personality and grooming requirements, this make for better understanding where your new, older dog will be able to fit in with your lifestyle, with little to no fuss and surprises.
EASY TO TRAIN. Old dogs can learn new tricks. Older dogs are calmer and more focused on you than a younger dog would be. Nothing is new to them. They are quick to figure out what it is you are asking of them.
OLDER DOGS DONT NEED BABYSITTING. Senior dog dont need to be constantly monitored, unlike puppies do. With pups you are always on the look out for puddles to clean up or that they aren't chewing the electric cabals. Giving you more free time, freedom, and peace of mind.
ALOT LESS, MESSES. Senior dogs are most likely to be house trained, and even if not, they have the mental and physical abilities to pick it up really fast. Plus, with their teething far behind them, they are much less likely to be destructive chewers.
COUCH POTATO. Considering a canine retiree, rather than a young dog full of energy and needing lots of time, exercise and your energy, just to keep up, if you aren't the sporty go hiking type. A much older dog will still require exercise, however, at a much easier pace to keep up with.
A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP. A puppy/young dog can be very demanding, from wanting cuddles coz they cant settle, and very early morning walks, an older dog is in no rush, they like a little more peace and quiet and work with the slower pace of life, when you sleep, they sleep.
THEY HAVE ALOT OF LOVE TO STILL GIVE. Older dogs may have had a few hard knocks and bear a scar or two physically and emotionally, but they dont let their pasts keep them down. Dogs have a way of forgiving and living in the now. If you give your love to an older dog, they will devote the rest of their life loving you back.
THEY MAKE EXCELLENT THERAPY AND COMPANION DOGS FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. Since older dogs have gotten over that "puppy" phase and its all out of their systems, senior dogs are fantastic at performing service tasks like visiting retirement homes and hospitals. They are perfect BFF'S for senior citizens to adopt.
NOT A LIFETIME RESPONSIBILITY. If you are a young family or a retiree yourself, you may worry that making a commitment that may last 8-20 years could be too much responsibility to take on, with your own changing futures. Adopting an older dog is still a big commitment, however, it is a shorter one.
SAVING A LIFE. At shelters, older dogs are the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized. A very sad fact, as shelters do all they can to re-home all the dogs, however, spaces are limited. Saving an older dogs life, offers an unparalleled emotional return, and you will feel the rewards everyday you both spend together.
