No.It does not have the charm, nor the energy, of youth. Yet adopting an older dog may be the right choice. To give him even just a few years of a peaceful life. With positive consequences also for the house that opens its doors to him. The elderly dog will in fact be able to reciprocate with gratitude and very quiet dedication. Tiziano Ferro has chosen to adopt an elderly dog several times who in 2022 welcomed Gianni, 8 years old, a month after Jake’s death, adopted when he was already an adult and ill. And also Valentina Bagnato, head of international relations at Oipathat adopted 13-year-old Baloo as early as 3 years ago, and he would not come back for any reason. Here is the story of her and the 5 benefits of adopting an older dog.
Valentina and Baloo
“Baloo was 13, his masters they left him at the kennel where I volunteer in early summer, but they never came back»: So Valentina Bagnato chose to adopt him. «He was a small dog full of health problems, from arthrosis in the paws to an onset of cataracts. He wouldn’t have survived the winter in the kennel, for older dogs it’s an impossible challenge. She has lived with us for three years, three extraordinary years in which we wake up every day with her stubborn desire to live ». Not enough for you?
Adopting an older dog, the advantages
Those who decide to adopt a dog often have an ideal furry in mind, and mostly it is a puppy, tender and full of desire to play, a little furry to see growing day after day. It is not certain that the right choice is this: why not, instead, be won over by the eyes of the grandfather who saw hundreds of people parading in front of his garage?
Few do it. To encourage people to adopt an elderly dog, a municipality in the Brescia area (Castelmella) has even inflated its “voucher for happiness”: from 100 euros for those who welcome a puppy to 200 for elderly people. Bonus aside, here are the concrete advantages of this choice.
1. Older dogs are generally calmer
While puppies can’t get enough of playing, older dogs appreciate rest times “and have greater ability to adapt to family rhythms and habits,” Bagnato confirms. They doze, they don’t complain if they are left alone for a while and are satisfied with a short walk around the block. Quiet strolls rather than wild runs, naps in the sun instead of fights with his fellows. Of course, there is a difference between race and race but even the most active “types”, over time, learn to enjoy the quiet.
2. He already knows how to behave
Anyone who fears that an adult dog housed in a kennel necessarily has a difficult history behind it that has made it unmanageable is wrong. They are usually abandoned pets due to changes in the personal or professional life of the previous owners. As a rule, they are cyears that have assimilated the main rules of family coexistence. «They are already structured», Bagnato confirms: «They know that at night we sleep, we eat at a certain time and that needs are done outside, during the walk on a leash». At best, they also react to basic commands. In short, they are already educated.
3. Adopt a grandfather with the certainty of size and nature
When buying a puppy, it is worth inquiring well about the characteristics of parents and grandparents, to get an idea as realistic as possible about the type of development it will have: “It is very important that the animal is chosen carefully considering the characteristics of the family. who will welcome him, his habits and his rhythms ”, explains Bagnato. Older dogs? They don’t change anymore. And not just from an aesthetic point of view. Before even choosing him, you can know more or less everything about him: character, possible tendency to overweight or to some pathology. Propensity for sociability, irritability, shyness. “Adopting an older dog is therefore generally much more conscious.”
4. Adult dogs are prone to listen and learn
Even in the event that the adult dog is not yet educated, there is good news. Often the age makes him more calm, relaxed and less distracted from the surrounding environment than the puppy, therefore more willing to learn. In addition, older dogs who have been in distress love to show concretely that they are grateful to those who have changed their lives. “Like men, they never stop learning,” Bagnato confirms.
5. They could also be cheaper
Usually, at the time of adoption from the kennel, an adult dog is delivered already vaccinated, dewormed and equipped with a microchip. Many senior dogs have also already been neutered. Even in the case of a breed, the purchase price of an adult or senior specimen is much lower to that of a puppy. “Of course,” explains Bagnato, “he might need extra veterinary care. But these are expenses that the adopter must take into account, regardless of age ».
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