In our society, most people want to adopt a dog from adulthood or Puppyhood. However, the harsh reality is that many of them abandon older dogs to escape responsibilities such as extra care and vet requirements. Eventually, these dogs die from starvation and massive mental trauma. Dogs always sacrifice their happiness to make us happy. But the harsh reality is that when it comes to our responsibilities, we often try to escape them. Adopting a Senior Dog has some Pros and Cons. Before adopting one for you, you should be aware of these pros and cons. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of Adopting a Senior Dog.
Adopting a senior dog shows a noble personality. You will get these advantages if you adopt a senior dog.
PROS 1: Low Exercise Requirements
When adopting a senior dog, you don’t have to spend much time on exercise. Senior dogs require low-impact exercises such as walking and swimming. According to the Farmers Dog Digest, 30 minutes of regular exercise is enough for Senior Dogs.
Therefore, if you are not very interested in running with dogs or spending time on exercises, you should consider a senior dog for you because Anyone can manage 30 minutes a day for their dog’s well-being.
PROS 2: Calmer Temperament
Senior dogs tend to have a calmer temperament than adult dogs or puppies.
Senior Dogs love a relaxed lifestyle, and they are very intelligent enough to differentiate between good and bad things for their owner. They will never do anything that will make their owner irritated. But, yes, it depends on the specific dogs’ behavior.
They are not very energetic and don’t get bothered or frustrated easily, as they are more mature and understand things better.
PROS 3: Senior Dogs are Pre-Trained
Most dogs get training during Puppyhood and adulthood. Therefore, there are no training requirements. That makes life easier for first-time owners or owners who don’t want to spend their time on training or don’t know how to train.
Yet, if you want, you can train them in your ways to get the dog used to your family rules. Senior dogs are quick learners and always eager to bond with you, so you can easily give obedience training. Also, they will surely respond if you want them to learn new things.
But make sure they are seniors. That’s why they may not have the same energy level and willingness to learn the problematic training commands. They also may show stubborn behavior if you force them to learn something that is an outreach of the dog.
Tip: Always check out breed characteristics before getting the dog.
Therefore, if you are not interested in training your dog, you should choose a senior dog.
PROS 4: Predictable Size and Personality
For puppies, you never know what their size will be when they grow up. However, you will have the exact size as breed characteristics for senior dogs.
The same thing applies to personalities; you can get the correct information from the previous owner. So, you have the chance to select a dog by his nature according to your requirements, making your life easy to achieve specific goals.
Knowing the dog’s size and personality is a great advantage for persons who have specific goals with their dog. That doubt often comes when adopting a puppy because of some irresponsible breeders. But in this case, there is nothing to worry about.
PROS 5: Good with Children
If you have younger children in your home, then it is a great matter of concern whether you should adopt a dog or not.
It is better to choose senior dogs in this case because puppies may often hurt children unwillingly.
However, Senior dogs are very mature and show very affectionate and playful behaviour towards childrens. They are careful about their moves towards childrens. Never get bothered or frustrated by a children easily.
Thus, if you are worried about the dog’s behavior towards children, you should consider senior dogs for your family.
PROS 6: Intelligent and Smart
Senior dogs are mostly very intelligent and smart because they are very mature and can understand things. They can ask for help from strangers and alert their owners when they have significant health problems.
Thus, having a senior dog is a blessing for a household. They will be your shadow when you need them. They will run for help and will help you by risking their lives.
Cons Of Adopting a Senior Dog
There are some cons too while adopting a senior dog, but these cons are easily negotiable. But, knowing these cons will help you to understand your dogs requirement better.
CONS 1: Extra Expenses
Adopting a senior dog may lead to extra expenses for their health issues and vet requirements.
Health issues increase with age. Dogs are prone to various health issues. According to Small Door Veterinary, some common health issues in senior dogs are Cancer, Heart Disease, Kidney Disease, Diabetes, Arthritis, CCD, and Dental Issues.
In addition, Senior Dogs need to see a veterinarian at least twice a year or more if required.
Senior dog’s health issues must be treated early before becoming more significant.
Thus, senior dogs come with extra expenses, and you must fulfill these requirements for their well-being.
CONS 2: Require Frequent Grooming
Senior dogs require frequent grooming because as they get older, they face arthritis or other health issues, which reduce their liveliness and lead to increased matting, tangles, and dirt in their fur. In addition, their skin may face problems like dryness, flakiness, or dermatitis.
Regular grooming should also include dental hygiene, as senior dogs often face dental problems like periodontal disease or tooth decay.
Also, Senior Dogs are prone to developing eye and ear problems. So, regular grooming needs to include eye and ear cleaning.
Therefore, senior dogs require more grooming than puppies and adult dogs to prevent these health issues.
CONS 3: May Shed More
Dogs’ coat texture may change with age. It can become coarser or thinner, and senior dogs shed more as a result.
Senior dogs may also develop fur-like puppies that shed more frequently than their previous adult coat.
Therefore, senior dogs shed more than adult dogs and may produce more allergens in their surroundings, causing allergies in people who are allergic to dogs.
CONS 4: Short-term Companionship
Generally, Senior Dogs are between 7 and 10 years old for larger breeds and 5 to 6 years old for small breeds.
A dog’s lifespan is between 10 and 13 years. It can vary depending on Breed, Size, Genetics and Overall Health Care.
Therefore, you will have a short-term companionship with your dog, which will be very heartbreaking because getting rid of the dog’s affection is much harder than you can think of.
N: B It is a disadvantage for someone willing to have long-term companionship but not for those who are afraid of long-term commitment.
So, if you are a working or busy person who can’t give your dog enough time and has to leave it alone for a long time, you shouldn’t consider yourself for getting a senior dog.
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