Why Senior Dogs Are The Best Dogs

All of my dogs are old. This is part of why our training videos and articles are somewhat slow to be developed. (It’s hard to capture how to train an action when your dog already knows what to do. I’m seriously thinking of training one of the chickens to show new behavior training.) My youngest is a middle-aged 8, while my eldest dogs are 10, 11 and 12–solidly in their senior years.

Thankfully, apart from some arthritis issues, my dogs are all in excellent health. I actually find I enjoy their senior years as much as I loved their younger years, and here’s why.

I don’t miss potty training

Don’t get me wrong, my dogs still have the occasional accident, but gone is the puppy madness of waiting outside for them to poop, only to go inside and have them immediately poop on the floor. (I know all the tricks now. 4 chihuahuas will teach that to you quick.)

If there is an accident in the house, it is almost always by the door. No sneek-a-poos behind the couch, no getting up 5 times a night to let them out. It’s nice.

My shoes are intact

In their younger days, my dogs loved to chew–well—everything. These days my dogs are content with bully sticks, toy puzzles, and other appropriate chewing items. They don’t chew the walls, wistfully peep through x-pens at the electrical cords beyond, or turn my table legs into toothpicks.

Lower Energy Levels

In their younger days I would hike with my dogs for miles. Even after an 8 mile or longer hike they’d zoom around the house with their squeaky toys, begging for more fun and games. We’ve done agility, obedience, rally and herding with our dogs at one time or another.

Now that they are older, they still love to go and run an agility course or do some training–but they’re also content to snooze on the couch on lazy days.

We Understand Each Other

My dogs can’t speak to me in English, and I can’t speak to them in dog. Yet over the years we have formed a language that reaches beyond that. We call it “Doglish.” My open hands mean they can rush over, ears folded back, for snuggles and play. They give upside down looks to tell me they want more petting when sitting on my lap.

All the hundreds of signals we use back and forth to communicate don’t come overnight. They’re learned and exchanged through a lifetime of love.

Senior Dogs Are The Best

I have loved every life stage of the dogs that have come into my home. I enjoyed the silliness of puppy hood, the long hours of training, walks and fun in their adult lives, but these senior years are some of the most special.

Old dogs are the best dogs. Do you agree? Let me know in the comments below.

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