Why Adopting a Senior Dog Is So Rewarding

Adopting a senior dog isn’t always the obvious choice for people looking to add a dog to their family. Senior dogs might have fewer years ahead, and they don’t always move as fast, but there’s something uniquely special about them.

Puppies are hard to resist, and young dogs are often framed as still trainable without having the “puppy phase.” Senior dogs offer something else. The story that emerges when you talk to anyone who has witnessed senior dogs transform with the right care captures everything that makes the bond between people and dogs so rewarding.

I spoke with three experts: a veterinarian, a dog trainer, and the operations manager of a senior dog rescue. Not only did they discuss how senior dogs bring joy to people’s lives, but they also shared tips to help them thrive, including home setup, enrichment, and training.

“Many people are familiar with the idea of puppy proofing,” said Dr. Bethany Hsia. “Preparing your home for a senior dog requires a thoughtful assessment of their physical limitations, such as decreased mobility or vision loss.”

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Dr. Hsia is one of the three co-founders of CodaPet, a mobile veterinary network. According to Hsia, senior dogs end up in shelters for a variety of reasons, such as the death of an owner. One thing she notices when people adopt a senior dog is that they often form an instant bond with their dog.

“People often fear the short time they will have together; however, the quality of the time spent with a senior dog often outweighs the quantity,” Hsia said.

How to Prepare Your Home for a Senior Dog

Setting up your home for a senior dog means thinking about both the dog’s safety and comfort. Hsia’s advice is to identify areas of your home that may be difficult for a senior dog to navigate and to make adjustments accordingly. This might involve adding rugs or mats to slippery floors for traction and providing dog beds to give senior dogs a warm, comfortable place to rest, rather than resting directly on cold floors.

When a dog moves from a shelter to a loving home, the positive changes are noticeable. Many adopters report that their dogs begin to look younger. I asked Hsia whether she had seen this herself and what the dogs are experiencing that makes them appear to age backward, sometimes even living beyond what adopters expect.

Hsia smiled, and before she began answering, I already knew my question carried a lot.

“I think that it’s so heartbreaking and so rewarding all at once,” she said. “It’s heartbreaking that they were that timid or insecure or uncomfortable in that (shelter) environment.”

Simple Enrichment Ideas for Older Dogs

Enrichment ideas Cruz suggested include playing soothing music and training dogs low-impact and suitable tricks. Another idea all three experts I spoke with on senior dogs mentioned was encouraging dogs to sniff, whether by hiding food or by playing scent-work training games.

A Second Chance Can Change Everything

Alex Petrarca, Operations Manager at Vintage Pet Rescue, has been helping senior dogs find homes and enjoy their senior years since she first got involved with the organization. She shared a story with me about a dog she adopted.

“Even though we only had him for a few years before he passed, because they were his final years, I don’t think he remembered his past once he got to experience everything life had to offer,” Petrarca said.

The dog Petrarca adopted had spent most of his first ten years locked in a crate.

“Being able to take him on our family vacation, or letting him run off leash in the yard, was so rewarding because he never got to experience anything like that before,” she said.

In 2018, Petrarca became involved with Vintage Pet Rescue, which is a Rhode Island-based rescue for senior dogs founded by Kristen and Marc Peralta in 2017. Her involvement began after seeing a picture of a dog named Franklin.

“He was this 18-year-old little gremlin with crusty eyes and thin fur and a bony little body,” said Petrarca.

“He was just like the ultimate picture of a senior dog,” she said. “Like they could have used him in an SNL skit about a senior dog.”

Franklin lived to be 21, and Petrarca said his birthday was a huge celebration. The once-overlooked dog won everyone over, and Vintage Pet Rescue, both volunteers and supporters, made him feel like the most important dog.

For potential adopters, Petrarca notes that all dogs are different, and that just because a dog is a senior doesn’t mean they are at the end of their life.

“Senior dogs can go for hikes, run around the backyard, play fetch, and contrary to popular belief, they can learn new tricks!” she said.

What to Know Before Adopting a Senior Dog

Like all pets, senior dogs can take time to settle into a new routine. Some dogs need space, and Petrarca advises letting them take their time warming up if that’s what they need. Not all dogs will want space, though. Some may want to be close to people all the time.

“Let them be with you as much as possible to show them that you’re there for them and that they’re safe with you,” Petrarca said. “When you adopt a senior, you’re given an opportunity to give them a good life regardless of what their beginning looked like. They live in the moment and don’t dwell on the past.”

For anyone considering adopting a dog, it’s important to plan for the best possible care, regardless of the dog’s age. If a senior dog is the right fit for your home, providing a dog with meaningful final years might be called “rescue,” but as many people will share, it feels more like a gift.