Getting a dog later in life: benefits, the fall risk, and what if it doesn't work out anymore

A dog at seventy, at eighty? For many people that question feels like a trap: is that still sensible, who will walk the dog eventually, and what happens if it really doesn’t work out anymore? The honest answer is more nuanced than the enthusiastic “dogs keep you young” the topic is usually dismissed with, and more nuanced too than the worried reaction that advises against it outright. This article tries to do justice to both sides: what research actually shows, where the risks lie, and what exists in Belgium and the Netherlands for the moment things stop going smoothly on their own.

What a dog really does for you later in life

The strongest evidence concerns physical activity. A cohort study among Australian seniors (Adams et al., 2025, published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health) found that female dog owners walked on average 17 to 26 minutes more per week than peers without a dog, men about 20 minutes more. An important caveat from the same study: owners who didn’t walk their dog themselves were just as active as people without a dog. It isn’t ownership that makes the difference, but the walk.

That movement effect seems to carry through over the longer term. The American Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging followed 637 people aged 50 to 100 for an average of 7.5 years (published 2023 in Innovation in Aging): dog owners were 12% more active and showed a slower decline in walking speed and cardiorespiratory fitness. There are also indications for cognition: a large English study of nearly 8,000 seniors (Li et al., 2023, JAMA Network Open) saw a slower decline in verbal memory among dog owners, especially people living alone, and a Finnish study among people with early Alzheimer’s (Rusanen et al., 2021) found slower disease progression among pet owners.

The picture on loneliness is less clear-cut than you might expect. A 2026 French study of 160 community-dwelling seniors aged 75 and up (Segaux et al., International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry) found dog ownership associated with less emotional loneliness, and 81% of participants named companionship as their motivation. But a broader 2024 Australian study (BMC Psychology) found mostly small or non-significant results for that same link. The most plausible explanation: a dog doesn’t so much reduce loneliness by itself, as get you out more often, where incidental social contact can happen.

And life expectancy? Here you have to resist the temptation to lump everything together. Some cohort studies find a link between pet ownership and lower mortality, but a large European study with data from 23,274 people across 15 countries (Christopoulos et al., 2022, European Journal of Ageing) found no significant link between dog or cat ownership and overall mortality in people over 50. “A dog extends your life” is therefore not an established fact, more a hopeful assumption that the available research doesn’t support unambiguously. What does keep coming back: more movement, and for some people, less loneliness and slower cognitive decline.

Which dog suits a quieter life

Vets and shelter staff almost unanimously name the same rule of thumb: small to medium-sized, a calm to moderate energy level, affectionate, and not too demanding to care for. That isn’t a fixed breed list (character varies a lot between individual dogs), more a rule of thumb for staying realistic.

Even more important than size is the dog’s own age. A puppy needs years of training, nighttime walks, and an energy level that doesn’t suit every older owner. An adult or older dog from a shelter has already been through that phase: calmer, more predictable, and often already housetrained and sociable. Some Belgian shelters, such as Ganzeweide, even charge a reduced adoption fee for dogs over 7. For anyone who’d rather not bring a dog into their own home but still enjoys having one around, initiatives such as the Dutch Stichting OOPOEH match people aged 55 and up without a dog of their own to a neighbourhood dog for regular walks.

The fall risk you rarely hear about

One risk gets surprisingly little attention: falling while walking a dog. An American study based on the national injury registry (Pirruccio, Yoon & Ahn, 2019, JAMA Surgery) saw the number of fall-related fractures from dog walking among seniors rise from 1,671 in 2004 to 4,396 in 2017, with hip fractures the most serious injury. A Johns Hopkins study confirms the picture: seniors who walk a dog face three times the risk of a fall, twice the risk of a fracture, and 60% more risk of head injury than younger dog walkers. The mechanism is always the same: a dog that suddenly veers, stops to sniff, or crosses behind your legs causes an unexpected weight shift that’s harder to recover from as you get older.

That’s no reason to stop walking a dog altogether. An Irish study of more than 4,000 seniors (Gallagher et al., 2025, Journals of Gerontology) found that regular dog walkers walked faster, had 40% fewer unexplained falls, and were less afraid of falling than those who didn’t. The authors themselves point to the reverse relationship at play here too: people who already feel unsteady on their feet walk the dog themselves less often. The two lines of research don’t contradict each other, then, they’re looking at different things: the walking itself is healthy and keeps you mobile, the risk sits in the unexpected tug on the leash. A dog that walks well on the leash, a sturdy leash with a hip strap rather than just a hand loop, and extra care on slippery or busy paths meaningfully reduce that risk.

Who helps when walking it yourself stops working

Getting a dog later in life doesn’t mean you have to do every walk yourself. In the Netherlands there are concrete, affordable options for this: Dierenzorg Eemland (Soest/Baarn area) runs a specific “HondenZorg voor Ouderen” service for anyone who temporarily can’t walk their dog themselves, and the platform Hondjeuitlaten.nl matches volunteer walkers for a small membership fee. A professional dog-walking service typically costs €10 to 15 per walk, or €50 to 200 a month on a subscription.

Budget €1,000 to 3,000 a year in general for food, the vet, insurance and supplies for a dog, and keep in mind that an older dog needs the vet more often (every 3 to 6 months is advised, rather than annually). That’s precisely the age bracket seniors often adopt.

If it really doesn’t work out anymore

This is the part most people would rather not dwell on too long, but thinking it through in advance is exactly what makes the difference between a dog ending up with people you trust or ending up in a shelter at the moment you can no longer decide for yourself.

In the Netherlands, a pet is legally just property: without a will, it automatically goes to your legal heirs, who decide its fate themselves. A pet clause in your will sets out who inherits your dog and what amount is set aside for it. In Belgium this can be arranged through a testament with a charge: an heir cares for the dog in exchange for a fixed amount, optionally with an executor who oversees this. Keep in mind that in Flanders, gifts to someone outside the family (a friend, a shelter) are taxed heavily through inheritance duties, up to 80% for non-relatives. Discuss this with a notary beforehand if you want to leave a sum for your dog’s care.

Before it comes to that, preventive help also exists in the Netherlands: Dierenbescherming Nederland’s Dierenbuddy programme matches volunteers with seniors or chronically ill people with insufficient support networks, helping structurally with tasks like walking or accompanying someone to the vet, with the explicit goal of preventing owner and dog from being separated. If it genuinely doesn’t work out, Dierenbescherming has its own helpline that first looks within family and acquaintances before a shelter becomes the last resort. Some shelters, such as the Dutch Brammelo, also offer temporary or longer-term “senior care” for dogs of sick or elderly owners, with the option for family to visit the dog.

Can you bring your dog to a nursing home?

Here Belgium and the Netherlands diverge. In the Netherlands, a good number of nursing and care homes allow a resident’s own pet, without a national rule, but always on condition that family or a caregiver remains responsible for its care and that there’s a plan for when that’s no longer possible. In Belgium the picture is more cautious: most nursing homes keep out large pets as a resident’s own animal, but often do allow small pets with written permission from management, and visitors can simply bring their own dog in many institutions.

The alternative gaining ground in both countries is the petting team or visiting dog: trained volunteer-and-dog duos who visit regular residents. In Belgium, Aamaai runs such a service; in the Netherlands, among others, Kwispelhelden and Stichting ZorgDier Nederland. For residents with dementia, the effect is often described as comfort and distraction, with a calming effect from the petting itself.

Either way, always check directly with the institution what’s possible: policy varies a lot from one centre to the next, and what’s taken for granted at one nursing home simply isn’t possible at another.

In short

A dog later in life demonstrably brings more movement, and for some people less loneliness and a slower cognitive decline, but not a guaranteed longer life. Prefer an adult or older dog with a calm temperament, be aware of the real fall risk when walking and take precautions against it, and arrange in good time (a will, a power of attorney, a trusted point of contact) who will care for your dog if you no longer can yourself. That last part may feel uncomfortable to sort out now, but it’s exactly what makes the difference for your dog when it’s needed.

Frequently asked questions

Is a puppy or an older dog better for a senior? Vets and shelter staff usually recommend an adult or older dog for seniors: no training phase, a calmer temperament, and a pace that often suits an older life better. Some Belgian shelters even charge a reduced adoption fee for dogs over 7.

Is walking a dog dangerous for older people? The walking itself is healthy, but a sudden tug on the leash is a real fall risk, particularly for hip fractures. A dog that walks well on the leash, a sturdy leash, and extra care on slippery paths meaningfully reduce that risk.

What happens to my dog if I move into a care home or pass away? Without arrangements, your dog goes to your legal heirs, who may hand them to a shelter. A pet clause in your will (Netherlands) or a testament with a charge (Belgium) sets out who cares for your dog and what budget is set aside for it.

Can I bring my dog to a nursing home? This varies a lot by institution. In the Netherlands a good number of care homes allow it under conditions; in Belgium it’s more often limited to small pets with written permission. Always check directly with the institution itself.