Adopting a dog senior: Even our older dog friends need home and love
Adopting a dog senior might save his life. They also need stable home and love which unfortunately can never be fully provided in the shelter. Nevertheless, most people who are considering adoption as an option automatically look for a puppy or at least a young dog.
Adopting a dog senior might save his life. They also need stable home and love which unfortunately can never be fully provided in the shelter. Nevertheless, most people who are considering adoption as an option automatically look for a puppy or at least a young dog.
We intuitively associate many prejudices with dog seniors. We are afraid of more demanding care and of the fact we would have to say goodbye after a short period of time. However, the dog shelters are full of healthy and active dog seniors (according to many vets, a dog senior is considered to be from fifth to seventh years of age – it depends on the size, of course).
I was the same when I first adopted a dog from a shelter. I chose a puppy. Now, I am thinking of doing something good and making our pack bigger.
I tried to summarize a few advantages why it is good to adopt an older dog. Experience with the adoption of older dogs confirms that they will be great pets and companions as well as younger dogs.
Older dogs are not necessarily “problematic” as many people think. Some of them might have been put aside by their owners who were not able to take care of them any more from various reasons (the change in the health conditions or generally life conditions, a new baby in the family, a household member’s allergy or simple inexperience, etc.).
Older dogs usually know basic commands. This way, you will save time and energy you would otherwise have to devote to train your puppy or a young dog. But the saying “you can't teach an old dog new tricks” also doesn’t hold true. If the dog is in good mental and physical condition, it can learn new things its whole life.
Older dogs are generally much calmer. They are great with children. They don’t have sharp teeth puppies usually have, won’t wake you up in the middle of the night because they want their ball or to pee and they won’t chew your furniture.
Older dogs are loyal and devoted companions for both good and bad times. They have gone through a lot themselves so they don't get easily upset. You can go for a walk with them without a leash. They will guard you and won’t run away for no reason.
By taking an older dog into your family, you don’t only provide it with a better life but you can also save it from potential early euthanasia. However, this is really an extreme case which is known more from foreign countries than from the Czech Republic.
There are definitely a few disadvantages I don’t have to describe in greater detail here. The today’s article is not about them. All people who have ever had a dog know that it’s not easy when a dog is old as well as when a person is old. In spite of that, each beautiful moment with your companion will definitely be worth it.
Do you have any experience with adopting a dog senior? What other reason for adopting an older dog come to your mind?
Temperatures exceed thirty degrees Celsius, but not many people want to stay inside for days. And, to be honest, it often isn't much better inside. However, it's harder for our four-legged friends to bear the heat. How can we relieve them?
Do you have a pregnant cat at home? Is this stage slowly coming to an end and you are starting to panic about the birth? Let me take you through it from the beginning to the end. Let's take a look at when it is necessary to intervene, when the help...
Outside temperatures suggest that the boater season is just behind the corner. Many people take their family and children on a water adventure. Some boaters even take their four-legged friends along. What can you do to make sure your trip goes...
In the summer, most of us move to the garden, whether at our home or cottage. Of course, we also want to let our rodent friends loose, and simply bringing the cage out won't do it. How can we make a comfortable, safe outdoor enclosure?
Does your cat wander outside? Are you tired of constant meowing and scratching on doors, or constantly opened windows? Then it's time to get your cat a door.
The nutrient requirements of each dog varies depending on its age, physical condition, lifestyle and size. There are many aspects, and you need to take them all into account when choosing your food.
Cats can take a cold a lot harder than we do. For them it's a relatively serious and very contagious viral disease. A cat cold is a combination of diseases, whose symptoms include a cold.
What elements play an important role in cat nutrition, why do they need them and in what proportion should they get them? This is the alchemy behind the preparation of quality cat food.
Although traveling is fun, it can also be stressful. We have to make sure we don't forget anything and that everything goes according to plan. But what if you decide to travel with your little friend, a guinea pig? Let's take a look at what you...
It is a well-known fact about cats that they like lying in the sunlight. However, that doesn’t mean they are never hot and the risk of overheating is not real for them.
The fact that there are different cans and dry food for dogs and cats is not a marketing stunt. Both beasts have their specific nutrition needs which vary in certain aspects and if you give them the wrong food, they will start suffering quite soon.