Best Dogs for Seniors: Support for Your Elderly Loved Ones

Senior individuals in our communities can often benefit from the addition of dogs to their lives, as these friendly pups can help encourage routine, bring joyful moments, and keep our elderly loved ones company when they aren’t surrounded by their friends and family.

While dogs can be a great addition to a senior’s life, your chosen dog breed must be a good fit for your senior loved one to ensure they have fun and ease with their dog instead of stress. Our article tells you about the best dogs for seniors to adopt.

How Can Seniors Benefit From Dogs?

Seniors can benefit from dogs in the same way that many of us can – these pups provide support, companionship, and comfort, and owning dogs can encourage routine and help dispel negative feelings or emotions. Seniors are especially vulnerable to loneliness, anxiety, and depression, and owning a dog can help to combat these feelings.

Is It Safe for Seniors to Own Dogs?

It is perfectly safe for seniors to own dogs, as long as the dog breed chosen by your senior is easy to handle and relatively low maintenance. Dog breeds that make great companions for seniors include those that are friendly, not likely to develop serious behavioral issues, and generally smaller.

Qualities you should look for in a dog that indicate that they can be safe for your senior to adopt include:

• Low-energy – Many seniors cannot upkeep hours of exercise with a dog each day, and dogs that need extensive playtime and walks can put your senior at risk of falling or improperly caring for the dog.
• Easily trainable – Not only can training a dog make for a great bonding experience between a senior and their pup, but it can also keep a dog out of trouble and ensure they have good manners; this is important for seniors who may not be able to handle rambunctious pups.
• Low maintenance and grooming needs – Grooming a dog can be hard for some seniors and dogs that need lots of high maintenance and professional care can add stress to a senior’s life instead of bringing them joy.
• Sociable and loving – Dogs that are friendly, loving to their owners, and generally pleasant to be around make it much easier for seniors to enjoy the dog’s presence in their lives.

Best Dogs for Seniors

The following dog breeds are some of the best pups that a senior can own due to their personalities, size, and friendly natures.

Maltese

Maltese dogs are lap dogs, and they are content to curl up next to their senior owner and cuddle or receive pets all day long. These dogs are loving, friendly, and low in exercise needs, and they enjoy spending all of their time at their owner’s side. The Maltese does have slightly higher grooming needs, and they do need regular brushing, but professional grooming appointments can relieve some of this work.

Bichon Frise

One of the most iconic small lap dogs, this pup is perfect for seniors. These dogs are sociable and loving, they are lower on the shedding scale, and they are easily trainable. Bichon Frise dogs do need some brushing, but they do not have incredibly extensive maintenance needs.

Miniature Schnauzer

The miniature schnauzer is intelligent, affectionate, and very easily trainable. These dogs love to be around their owners, and their small size makes them a good option for most seniors. The miniature schnauzer is known to be more vocal and bark quite a bit, and seniors should keep this in mind.

Shih Tzu

Shih Tzus are some of the best dogs for seniors, as these dogs are highly adaptable, friendly, and happy to be around people all day long. Shih Tzus have very sweet dispositions, and they love to play with their owners. This breed will require regular grooming to keep their coat looking nice.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Gentle, sweet, and affectionate, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel doesn’t need to be groomed often. These dogs are relatively low maintenance, and they are highly trainable. They are also known to be friendly, loving companions, and they will enjoy playing with their senior owner or taking a nap at their side.

Greyhound

The greyhound may seem like a poor choice for seniors, but these dogs are actually couch potatoes. These dogs are fast when sprinting, and they really only need one or two daily walks to stay healthy and happy. Overall, greyhounds are calm, affectionate, and relatively easy to care for.

How Do I Make My Senior’s Dog an Emotional Support Animal?

For many seniors, having their dog classified as an emotional support animal (ESA) takes a lot of stress out of owning their dog. With a valid ESA, you can bring your dog into any suitable living space without needing to worry about breed restrictions, pet restrictions, or pet security deposits and fees. For seniors who may be on a limited income or no-pet policies where they live, this makes all the difference in keeping their important animal by their side.

A licensed mental healthcare provider will need to evaluate a senior’s need for a dog, and once they are approved, they will be provided with an emotional support animal letter attesting to this need. It is possible to get a valid online ESA letter.

Supporting Your Senior Loved One

Dogs make wonderful companions to many, and the senior in your life can greatly benefit from having a friendly, affectionate pup by their side. Dogs that are smaller, low maintenance, and overall sociable make great companions and emotional support animals to seniors, and these dogs are sure to make your loved one’s day.

When choosing a dog for your senior, make sure that they can physically care for the dog and that they are prepared for dog ownership to ensure both your loved one and the pup live happy lives together.

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