Choosing Older Dogs Against Puppies
Older dogs can be an asset by you not having to drag them through all the stages a puppy goes through before it becomes an adult. Many older dogs can fit straight into your lifestyle with little effort, however many do not. An older or geriatric dog is usually classed as being in the last third of its lifespan.
Great care and thought are needed to decide what age of dog will fit your lifestyle. Like human beings the older we get the firmer we get set in our ways and so do dogs. Change is not something an ageing dog is going to take kindly too.
Bad habits (aggressive tendencies) in older dogs will take some putting right, and they will often need a behavioral dog trainer to over come this obstacle. Some dogs will be past helping, but many, with patience, can be retrained.
Treating aggression with aggression to punish them never really achieves the correct outcome and usually makes the dog even more liable to be troublesome.
A good point about elderly dogs is that they are often calmer and require less in the way of exercise, which can be an advantage for the older person.
If you go down the road of wanting older dogs try and find out why (if it is being held in a dogs home) the original owners ditched the dog in the first place. You can usually gather some vital information about the dog you fancy, which can help you make a better decision for both you and the dog. Make a point of learning all you can about the canine you are interested in. Do not feel sorry for a dog you think you can save.
Being kind to a dog is knowing you can cope with all the dog throws at you in terms of its bad habits and costly veterinary medical requirements. Remember these can run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars for an ageing dog.
Be logical about how much you can afford and ask your self if you have the right facilities and the experience to look after older dogs whether from a mixed breed or pedigree. You have to be realistic and allow for the extra expenses you will incur while taking on a more mature canine. This unfortunately is the name of the game.
A dog that is sent to a dog rescue center for rehoming sadly has no say in the matter. So give a thought to this when you are looking to re-home one. Very often they are treated like objects that are disposable at someones whim. I have strong thoughts on this way of thinking and these creatures need a better chance than we very often give them.
It can be heart rendering to visit one of these dog sanctuaries. You want to give every you see a home, but the reality is, you can not. Taking on an older dog is not for the faint hearted, you will have to be sensible and choose one that fits your lifestyle, with the knowledge that there is at least pooch you have saved from being put to sleep.
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