By Tom McGee

Nothing can warm the cockles of the heart like a small ball of playful fur. I’ve met many seniors who have been given or purchased a puppy. They’re cute and fun, for a while, but once the initial endorphins wear off, is a puppy the best choice for seniors? Instead, senior dogs offer companionship and love without all of the hassles of a puppy.

The number one complaint I hear about people not wanting to acquire seniors dogs is they’re already set in their ways. You know the old saying, “You can’t train an old dogs new tricks.” But it that fair? You know a puppy will have to be trained. Almost all older dogs are house broken, which is rarely the case with puppies.

How do you train an old dog? Exactly, the same way you do a young dog. It takes patience, love and consistency to train any dog. The fear that you will be taking on someone else’s problem when you adopt an older dog are not true. With so many people having financial problems, many well-behaved dogs are ready to adopt and easily adapt to your routine.

All dogs need exercise, but older dogs tend to have less energy and require less attention than puppies. They’re less likely to chew on favorite slippers and rarely have other destructive behaviors.

One reason to adopt senior dogs is they need you. Many people are reluctant to adopt an older dog. Therefore, they’re more inclined to spend the end of their lives in a shelter. Many dogs were devoted pets for years and it’s a very sad way to end their lives.

Before you adopt an older dog, learn as much as you can about the dog and its prior owner. Based on what you learn, you should be able to determine where or not it is a good fit for you.

As many seniors feel a sense of isolation, a senior dog will provide devotion that a puppy is unable to do. Senior dogs for seniors are a great win for both humans and canines.