This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks—and Showing Them Love

Celebrate Adopt-a-Senior Pet Month by taking home a pet.

Each year, November marks national Adopt-a-Senior Pet Month. Sadly, older homeless pets are often overlooked for their younger counterparts, and many people shy away from adopting senior pets because they are afraid of how soon they might lose them. But every animal needs and deserves love—even the older ones. Their lives, and yours, will be richer for helping these precious pets live out their golden years in loving homes.

All animals are different, but cats and small dogs are generally considered seniors at the age of 7, while larger breed dogs are considered seniors when they are about 6 years. Here at the Escondido Humane Society, we consider our pets seniors when they are 7 or older.

There are many benefits to adopting senior pets, including:

Find out what's happening in Encinitaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • They have calmer temperaments and better manners. But don’t let their calm side fool you: Senior pets are still very active, but they are less likely to have that puppy energy that challenges even the most patient owners. Seniors often enjoy just lounging with their family or going for short, quiet walks.
  • Senior pets are easier to train and maintain their focus. Younger dogs especially have short attention spans, while older dogs learn quickly and are eager to please.
  • Older pets settle into your household a lot easier. Dogs are often already housetrained and will know how to ask to be let outside, and cats will know how to use their litter boxes. Older pets also are past the chewing and scratching stages and are content to find a soft place to nap.
  • You’ll have more time for yourself and to enjoy your pet, instead of cleaning up after them, attending to frequent bathroom breaks, teaching them manners, and all the other stuff that’s necessary when you have a youngster.
  • What you see is what you get. You know how big your dog or cat is going to be, his or her temperament and personality, and their activity level.
  • Senior pets have a lot of love left to give and form bonds easily.
  • Senior pets usually need less exercise and have less energy than their younger counterparts.
  • No matter the age, pets provide us with love and companionship and improve mental and physical health. In addition to the benefits of the heart, independent studies have shown that owning a pet can lower blood pressure, reduce stress levels and depression, increase physical activity and lengthen your lifespan.

Just like people, pets can experience mental and physical changes as they age, such as loss of sight or hearing and incontinence. Scheduling regular veterinary exams is one of the most important steps you can take to keep your senior pet healthy and happy. It is recommended that you schedule check-ups every six months to make sure they head into the twilight years with ease. It’s also important to make sure your senior pet stays active—mentally and physically—to keep him or her sharp and in tip-top shape.

If you would like to make a difference in a senior pet’s life, stop by your local humane society or rescue group to meet their super seniors, or visit their websites to view senior pets available for adoption. Here at the Escondido Humane Society, all senior pets (ages 7 and older) can be adopted for no fee in November. Our Adoption Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

Find out what's happening in Encinitaswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated with the correct byline of the author.

About this column: Parenting a pet can be one of the hardest jobs you'll ever have. With years of pet parenting experience, the folks at the Escondido Humane Society understand that. 


 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?