Real Estate Innovation

Senior Golden Retrievers for Adoption

If you would really love to own a Golden Retriever but are hesitant about taking on a puppy, then adopting an older Golden may be the answer. These lovely dogs when they are mature settle in very easily to a new home and they do not need nearly as much attention as a puppy as they like to have some time to themselves. Regardless of their age you will find that your new friend very quickly becomes a welcome member of the family.

People sometimes say to me “yes, I agree, it makes good sense to adopt an older Golden, but where do I find one?” Good question, and the answer may surprise you - try your local breeder. I know, its seems on the face of it to be an unlikely source for a mature dog, but in fact there may well be quite a few reasons why a breeder might have an older dog for sale, and this can all be to your advantage.

Most older Golden Retrievers are already housebroken, and know a lot of behavior patterns and how to adapt to a new and loving family. Although it will be a little hard on your new dog at first, if you give him plenty of love, attention, and patience, he’ll be just fine. You need to keep reassuring your new Golden on a regular basis, and let him know that you are his new owner and that you love him and you are glad he’s a member of your family.

When you meet your Golden for the first time you may well be so taken with them that you are tempted to ‘wrap them up and take them home’ straightaway. But, avoid this temptation. Take a bit of time to get to know them, and to know all about them, just to make sure that they are right for your lifestyle. Also, do involve the other members of your family in all of these initial decisions, as it is important that everybody feels happy about welcoming a new member into the family.

If you had a guest staying with you in your home you would of course take some time to show them where everything is, where the bedroom is and the bathroom and so on, and it is just them same when you introduce an older dog into your family. Allow some time in your busy schedule to ease them in to your home and routine, and this will pay dividends in the long run.

People often ask me how long it will be before your new Golden is comfortably settled in to your family routine, and I would like to suggest that it takes about a month, give or take a week or so. After this do consider taking them to a dog obedience training class somewhere because you will find that this pays handsome dividends. Yes, they will probably have been trained already before they came to you, but this will act as a sort of ‘top up’ training.

All Golden Retrievers, regardless of their age, love attention. Older Golden’s on the other hand, may have medical problems that you aren’t aware of. You shouldn’t let this stop you from getting one though, simply because the rewards that you’ll find are far greater than any cons that may come to mind. Although many people don’t give a lot of thought to getting an older Golden Retriever - they are perfect for families who don’t want to put up the time and troubles of raising a puppy.