It& #39;s now just short of 7 months since we adopted Toby, the 15-year-old Jack Russell terrier. He arrived just before lockdown and has been a lovely addition to our family. I am going to write a few words in this thread on adopting older dogs.
Adopting an older dog was a great move. They are often left until last in the shelters and are very upset at the horrible change. It& #39;s heartbreaking. So if you can, please do consider this. They also can, often, be calmer than younger dogs.
At the same time, older dogs require a lot of patience to adjust to a new home. They do not know the new rules and are often frustrated at trying to communicate things that their previous owners would have understood.
Finally, it& #39;s really important that if you take on an older dog, you commit to him/her fully. The _worst_ thing (and this happened to Toby) is when an interim adopter takes them home and then BACK to the shelter, not being able to cope. Terrible for his confidence.