Every single day, countless dogs who have entered their golden years, sit in shelters, waiting for the chance to find their next home. They watch puppies and young dogs come in and leave with a swiftness that they probably will never know. After all, why get a older dog when there are young ones to adopt!
The truth is, senior dogs (age 6+, depending on the breed) have a lot of life and love left to give. In fact, if you’re looking for a laid-back, easy to manage, housebroken, and low maintenance dog, an older dog would be a perfect fit for you.
Most senior dogs aren’t found on the streets as strays. Younger ones, particularly between the ages of 1-3 years old, are much more likely to have entered shelters as strays, or for behavior problems, meaning that they will require a lot more time, energy, patience, and training to fit nicely into a family when compared to an older dog.
Senior dogs generally end up at the shelter due to an owner passing away, or an owner being unable to afford their dog any longer. They are usually housebroken and know at least the basic obedience commands. And please, don’t think that just because a dog is labeled “senior” means that he or she doesn’t have energy! I have met many incredibly energetic dogs who are 9+ years old. These dogs are perfectly content to snuggle with their owners on the couch during a rainy day, but are also thrilled when walk time comes around. Best of both worlds.
I’m sure, also, that you’ve heard the old adage, “You can’t teach and old dog new tricks,” but I’m here today to tell you that just isn’t true. One of my clients has a 9 year old, 10 year old, and 12 year old dog, all living together in the same house, who have all learned new skills during private lessons.
While older dogs are absolutely still capable of learning, there are a few things you’ll need to take into consideration when training an older dog.
For instance, sometimes medical conditions (hip displasia, etc.) can limit what these dogs are physically capable of. It is just fine to teach dogs with these conditions commands, but be patient and understanding if they are slow to follow, or if they can only repeat the command a few times before growing tired.
Older dogs also need more rest. Generally, training sessions with young dogs and puppies should last about 10-15 minutes. With older dogs, shoot for 5-10 minutes then take a break so they can rest up. Believe it or not, learning new things is mentally taxing (think back to math class in high school!) and can be a great way to tire out a dog of any age on a bad weather day.
Golden-aged dogs are at a special place in life. Much like our human senior citizens, these dogs deserve a chance to just enjoy life at their own pace. No dog should have to live out their golden years in the high stress of a shelter. For everything they have been through in life, they deserve a nice warm dog bed, human companionship, toys, and love.
If you have any questions you would like to ask a Certified Dog Trainer, you can submit them right here at Naptown Buzz. Every week, Elizabeth Wilhelm, Certified Dog Trainer, will tackle one of the submitted questions. For more information about Elizabeth, you may visit her website at www.TrainingKarma.com.
Very nice story. We have a dog that we have had for two years now. I was leaving work one day and a man had this little dog sitting out on the lawn and I said how cute she was. He stated not to worry about her as she couldn’t go anywhere and he was going in for an MRI. I asked him what was wrong with her and he said that he accidentally dropped her out of a truck and that she was paraplegic. I told him if he was ever looking for a good home to remember where I worked and he stated he actually was then. I took her home with me that night and she has been such a blessing. She actually was not paraplegic after taking her to the vet but her poor little legs were broken severely and unfortunately they were not able to fix them as they would have had to rebreak them and they stated she was too old for that. We bought her a huge orthopedic bed that she lays on and she manages to scoot around on it pretty well. She takes pain meds (Rimadyl) in the morning and evening. It is very hard on her in the winter as we have to take her out and lay her right on the ground to go to the bathroom. We wish we had a ground warmer or something. We tried the potty patch but that did not work for her. She loves to go on walks still in her stroller and basically loves to be with us anywhere we are. Anyways, even though she can’t jump around, as you stated in your story, she gives us an abundant amount of love and I’m am very lucky to have found her. Thanks, Shelley
I am very happy to hear that you have found such a wonderful canine companion! It is always great to hear stories like yours from people so willing to jump in and help out dogs in need as you have done. It is incredibly unfortunate, what happened to her, but you are definitely helping her make the best of her situation. She is a very lucky dog to have found you – Thank you so much for sharing your story!
Sincerely, Elizabeth