Is Adopting an Older Dog Right for Your Family?

At Pet Wants, we’re committed to making high-quality pet food that helps pets live happier and healthier lives. In addition to making great food from fresh ingredients, we also want to support current and potential pet owners in any way that we can. One issue we talk about with plenty of people who are interested in pets is adoption. With millions of dogs and cats across the United States in need of good homes, we always recommend going to a local shelter in Dallas instead of buying a dog.

But prior to going to a shelter, it’s important to spend a little time thinking through your family’s readiness for bringing a dog home. As you’re thinking about this topic, we encourage you to consider the age of the dog you want to adopt. Many families default to wanting a puppy. However, we want to cover a few different reasons why giving an adult dog a home may ultimately be the best choice for your household:

Easier Transition

People who haven’t been exposed to puppies often underestimate just how much work they can be. When you get a puppy, you’re responsible for potty training it. Not only does that process take time, but puppies are only physically capable of controlling their bladders for a few hours at a time.

So if there are times of the day when no one is able to be at home to take a puppy out, accidents are going to happen. And since puppies are full of energy, they’re going to start doing destructive things like chewing on furniture whenever they get bored. Although adopting an adult dog is still a big commitment, they aren’t nearly as time-intensive as a puppy.

Can Still Learn

One of the most common myths about older dogs is they can’t learn anything new. In reality, adult dogs can definitely learn new tricks or commands and are often easier to train thanks to their long attention span. And as mentioned above, chances are they will already know basic commands like sit.

Will Give Their Love and Loyalty

Dogs are very loving and loyal animals. When a dog comes from a situation that wasn’t so great, they may be even more giving in these ways to their new family. You’ll also have the fulfillment that goes along with knowing you brought home a dog who may have otherwise been euthanized due to overcrowding.

If you want to see for yourself what it is like being around an older dog, we encourage you to take your family to a local Dallas shelter so you can all spend some time interacting with dogs of different ages.

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