They love to be with their owners and enjoy attention. Dogs need to be walked or let out into a fenced yard regularly. Dogs or cats that are five, six, seven years old or even older may have ten or more years left to give. Older pets adapt more quickly to seniors' lifestyles and they have longer attention spans and are easier to train then young animals. Pets, particularly dogs, need daily attention.
Puppies are cute and fun to raise, but adopting an older dog has definite advantages.
Puppies are generally not a good choice in a busy household, as they take an enormous amount of time and energy to train properly. Older dogs are often already housebroken, are calmer, their personalities have developed and they have less of a tendency to chew. In an extremely busy household a more independent pet, such as a cat, may be a good choice. Your local SPCA or other animal welfare organization is an excellent place to find a pet. The shelter staff is often quite familiar with the animals in their care and can help you find one that will fit your lifestyle.