5 ms·
Dogs from shelters are 100000% better IMHO.
by artur_makly 8y ago
Dogs from shelters are 100000% better IMHO.
- daveguy 8y agoWell, not directly from shelters, but those trained to be therapy dogs (temperament requirements), definitely.
- HappyAlbatross 8y agoYeah but they have a large maintenance requirement. These dementia sufferers are not the kind of folks that should own animals.
- linsomniac 8y agoI see two problems with this: old people are fragile and training dogs is expensive. I got a dog while my mother was in a nursing home. Additionally, my wife used to work in an assisted living facility. We would bring the dog to visit both of these, and everyone loved the visit... Except for me. It was nerve wracking. I had to keep her on a very short leash, and pay attention every second she was with an elder. In a heartbeat she can jump up or lean into someone and take them to the ground. Seniors falling is a big deal, broken bones or worse often happens. And training a dog to be a service dog costs well into the 5 figures. I've heard $40k for a fully trained service dog, it takes around a year to do. An elder can probably be safe with something less, but I'd guess we're probably still talking $10k. My in-laws got a dog 18 months ago and they are taking her through some of the service dog training and other training. My father in law has been out in the hospital once by the dog, and has fallen numerous times while walking her (sudden pulls or just getting mixed up in his feet).