My dog is 9 years old and is considered a senior dog for her breed. Since she's a bulldog she's had a lot of health issues that I've had to care for (sight, ears, torn ACL, etc.), but she is very healthy, just a little slower now-a-days. We do have a lot of stairs so please keep that in mind for your older animals. If the dog is smaller I have no problem carrying up and down the stairs if necessary. I have a medium sized crate that is not being used, however if your dog is larger than that and needs to be crated, you will need to supply the crate. As far as sleeping at night, they can sleep in beds on the floor in our bedroom so they are near by, unless they are not potty trained, then we would prefer to crate them at night. Otherwise, they will be able to go outside as often as they want/need and I can also take them for walks at least twice a day, sometimes more if they need it.