Adult and senior dogs spend the most time in a shelter. Approximately, about a year (11.7 months) before being adopted, while puppies remain less than a quarter (2.8 months) until they join a family.
This is reflected in the latest study He Would Never Do It on abandonment, loss and adoption of pets in Spain, prepared by the Affinity Foundation.
Of the 170,105 dogs collected by protective associations in Spain in 2022, 28% were puppies, 57% were between one and seven years old, and 15% were elderly, which translates into 25,515 senior dogs collected.
According to this study, the adoption of older dogs is complicated by “the belief in certain myths that are not true.” One of them is that it is difficult or even impossible to establish a bond with older animals.
However, it does not correspond to reality. According to this organization, the connection that the majority of the population establishes with companion animals crosses borders of gender, age and even culture.
“The important thing is to create good communication based on understanding the real needs of the dog or cat. This is key for this relationship to be satisfactory and lasting,” says the director of the Affinity Foundation, Isabel Buil.
Another “false myth” is that a puppy cannot be educated in the same way as an older dog because this process develops only in the first years of life.
“The education of dogs is the same regardless of age, as it is formed from the combination of their innate instincts and the influences of the environment around them. This includes what they learn from their mother from an early age and how they are educated by their owners,” the organization emphasizes.
The third refers to the fact that an adult or senior dog does not interact in the same way with its adopters: “When the animals are older, they moderate their behaviors, that is, they are more relaxed and less reactive. But this does not mean that they are very passive. or that they don’t play. In fact, they can be ideal dogs, for example, for an elderly person.”
