Five things I love about living with a middle-aged dog

My dog Ace is 8 years old. I guess that makes him a senior, but I prefer “middle aged.”

Most of the information available on dogs is about adopting a puppy or a young dog, which is great, but what about middle-aged, older dogs?

There are so many shelter dogs of all ages waiting waiting to be adopted. Many of them are far past the “naughty stage” and may even have years of training.

The following are a few reasons why I love my middle-aged dog. If you’ve ever lived with a middle-aged dog, I’m sure you can add a few additional ideas in the comments.

1. He’s lazier than ever (so am I).

Ace has always been a low- to medium-energy dog. He’s been a perfect apartment dog over the years, but I appreciate his general calmness even more now.

Sure, it’s nice to head out for a long walk, and we do this quite often. It’s  just that I appreciate how I don’t have to run with my dog for an hour every single morning, and he’s just fine with that. He loves to sleep in. He loves to take naps. He doesn’t mind if we spend an entire weekend at home watching a whole season of House of Cards.

2. My middle-aged dog has seen it all before.

Over the last seven years, I’ve taken my dog to countless new places. He’s met dozens of other dogs, if not hundreds. He’s lived with multiple foster dogs and cats. He’s gone on camping trips and roadtrips and he’s had the opportunity to meet a wide variety of new people.

Of course, this is all possible because Ace is a naturally laid-back, friendly guy. But I love that because I’ve been able to take him places over the years, it doesn’t faze him now if we visit a new coffee shop or walk in a new area. He just goes with the flow, for the most part anyway!

[quote_center]”It doesn’t faze him now if we visit a new coffee shop or walk in a new area.”[/quote_center]

3. He’s got the training down.

Sure, I’m the type of person who will always be training my dog, but it’s nice that Ace knows and obeys (usually) the basics like sit, down, stay, come and heel. This allows me to do more than ever with my dog.

4. My middle-aged dog doesn’t get into things.

The days are gone where my dog might chew on or rip up something that’s not his . Recently, I was about to take the trash out before leaving, and my husband asked why I was bothering. “Well, I don’t want Ace to get into it,” I said. And then we both had to smile because we knew our dog would never even consider doing such a thing.

We never have to “dog proof” the apartment anymore. And there’s no need for a kennel. I think there’s literally a zero-percent chance that Ace would chew up a shoe or a book or an expensive gadget. It was a different story seven years ago.

5. We know each other well.

I feel like I can predict all of my dog’s actions, and I know he does the same with me. We’ve reached a comfortable point where our lives are predictable, yet of course my dog is willing to goof off or head out for a hiking adventure at the spur of the moment.

It’s just that there’s no stress worrying about how Ace might act or what he might do. I know exactly what he’ll do. This doesn’t mean he’s perfect. He’s just predictable. Yes, he’ll whine in the car. Yes, he tries to pee on potted flowers. Yes, he chugs his water and then pukes multiple times per week.

But I know these things, and I prepare for these things.

How about you? What do you love about your “middle-aged” dog?

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