Considering getting a puppy when we have a senior dog

[Anonymous]

I always assumed I’d wait until my dog of 14 is no longer with us. I had never considered overlapping dogs, until recently. My kids are begging for a particular breed of puppy that we have all decided would be great for our next dog. Their excitement actually makes me even more reserved about getting a new puppy while our dog is still alive. I would hate for them to shower the new dog with attention and overlook our dog. My dog has been around long before my children. Current dog is awesome and very easy going. She has no issues with other dogs (no aggression or fear or anything) but she is kind of indifferent and I don’t think she could care less about a dog companion.

However, I’ve been reading about overlapping dogs and there are a lot of benefits. Apparently puppies are much easier to house train if there are older dogs for them to learn from. They can be more mellow because they are following the lead of an older dog in the home. They learn the “rules of the house” and it seems like if you have a well behaved/tempered and well trained dog, that will rub off on the new dog.

Our current dog has some health issues, but nothing serious. She is a small breed so she probably has another 2-3 years. If I’m going to overlap, I would do it soon while our dog could tolerate a puppy. otherwise I would wait.

Any advice, thoughts or firsthand experience?

[Anonymous]

We just did this last year. Our older dog was 12 when we got the puppy. Overall it has been a good experience and it really brought our older dog back to life in a wonderful way. However, this puppy was a beast to housebreak despite older dog being like clockwork. Also: puppies are a TON of work. Do not underestimate this. Also, our older dog does bark at the younger sometimes. It’s like she’s talking to him. Cute but can be annoying.

Good luck with your decision!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We just did this last year. Our older dog was 12 when we got the puppy. Overall it has been a good experience and it really brought our older dog back to life in a wonderful way. However, this puppy was a beast to housebreak despite older dog being like clockwork. Also: puppies are a TON of work. Do not underestimate this. Also, our older dog does bark at the younger sometimes. It’s like she’s talking to him. Cute but can be annoying.

Good luck with your decision!

Agree with ALL of this. Might I add, I have such a soft spot for older / senior pets. So please, even if your kids favor the new pet (I don’t judge, lots of kids would), do your best to also shower your senior baby.

[Anonymous]

You might be able to prolong the life of your current dog with the new puppy, too do it!

[Anonymous]

We did this and I won’t ever do it again. I felt terrible taking the puppy out for walks when the older one couldn’t even walk around the block. It wasn’t fair to my old guy. It broke his and my heart.