We weren’t looking to add another dog to our family when a situation arose. My husband knew someone who needed to find a home for his 11-year-old dog.
Often, when people look to adopt a dog, they go to a shelter and usually pick a younger dog.
After all, how many people want to get attached to an older dog who probably won’t be around too long?
My husband and I knew if we didn’t take her in, she would most likely be euthanized at a shelter and the thought of that broke our hearts as we knew the dog and how sweet she was.
Did I mention she happened to be a pit bull and we all know what a bad rep these dogs have?
We decided to take her in. Her name was Scamp, and we decided to keep her name. At the time, we only had one baby, but over the course of the next 7 years, we added 3 more additions to our family; in each case, the babies and dog clicked. Scamp didn’t care if the children tried to climb on her or lay their heads on her body. She was just happy to get the attention.
Scamp’s Personality
Being a Pitbull, there was nothing mean or aggressive about her. None of the so-called stereotypes associated with the breed fit with her. She was the perfect family pet who also got along well with the family dog we already had.
As far as people coming over, she was always happy to see everyone and wagged her tail in hopes of being petted.
We were blessed to have Scamp for 7 years, as she passed right before her 18th birthday. Yes, we were lucky and no, not all senior adoptions go this well, but there are some advantages to think about.
Why Senior Dogs Make Good Pets
First of all, most likely the senior dog is already potty-trained. This means you don’t have to constantly guess when your dog needs to go aside, nor do you have all of the messes to clean up when there’s an oopsie.
You also don’t have to worry about an older dog teething and destroying everything in sight. My current dog chewed on everything from pillows to chair legs and even our wooden stairs when she was a puppy!
You’ll also most likely get a dog who’s a bit calmer, as they are older and many don’t have the same energy level they did when they were younger. Instead of hypercraziness, most likely you’ll get lots more cuddles.
I’ve also heard that some shelters (if you’re a senior and you adopt a senior dog), will waive the adoption fees.
Giving the gift of a longer life
Most importantly, by adopting an older dog, you’re giving them a chance to live out their life. Many of the senior dogs were part of a loving home for years. But, for one reason or another, the owners could no longer keep them.
Perhaps the owners moved and couldn’t bring their dog with them, or maybe they could no longer financially care for their beloved pet. Maybe they had a baby and didn’t feel they could properly take care of both. The list of reasons goes on and on.
I never dreamed that when we took Scamp in, she would live for so long, but she did. I can’t imagine her losing 7 years of life because no one would want to adopt her because of her age.
Our proof that senior dogs make good pets
This wasn’t the end of us adopting an older dog. We went on to take in a 7-year-old abused Dachshund. He came to us trembling in fear, but after only a few days, he had fit in perfectly with our family. In fact, he and one of our cats became the best of friends.
So the next time you think about adding a dog to your family, I hope you’ll at least consider a senior dog, and hopefully you’ll have as much luck as we did.
