Tips for bringing in a puppy when your have an older dog

[TeenLifeMum]

I think this is happening, but we have a while to decide as mating only just occurred and puppies won’t be ready until spring.

Ddog is a gorgeous 4yo cocker spaniel with leukaemia. We were devastated but he’s on chemo and you wouldn’t know anything was wrong except the weekly vet visits. His treatment goes on until early March. We know he doesn’t have the 12 year expectancy he should have but cherish every extra week. The gap he’d leave would be horrific. We’re coming round to the idea that a puppy would be able to settle and have his support to do so (he’s very gentle and patient with puppies), and a friend of a friend is hoping for a litter.

i am keen to use this time to prepare and read up so we get this right with number 2. I do remember the puppy stage and it wasn’t my favourite part but leads to a lovely family dog so I’m willing to put the time in. All tips gratefully received.

Don’t. Incredibly cruel and unfair to stress out a terminally ill dog with a new puppy. No matter how ‘good’ he is with then they’re exhausting and relentless whilst still learning boundaries with other dogs. He does not need that. Wait until he has passed to get one.

Agree with PP.

My cocker is good with every dog she has ever met and she attacked a 'new' dog to the house out of nowhere one day. This was after 11 successful fostering placements before and it came from nowhere. No dog is automatically going to be fine with another dog. Your dog is terminally ill and you should not think about inflicting that sort of stress upon them. Just because your dog is not showing any pain or discomfort does not mean it is not in pain.

Puppies are not just twice as hard, they are ten times as hard when you have a resident dog. Dogs may be good with puppies outside the house, or even in the house, but living with them is an entirely different beast.

I'm sorry if this sounds callous: but you do not get a replacement dog whilst the existing dog is still alive - because that is effectively what you are doing. Cherish your existing time with your current dog and get a puppy once he is gone. The last thing you want is to look back at this decision in ten years and regret inflicting a puppy on your dying dog. I"m really sorry you're going through this, but I don't think you're considering the impact this will have on your dog.

Introduce them on neutral territory.

Don't. It's not fair on him. Let him have his treatment and enjoy the time he has left.

Above are totally different experiences to mine.

We have had elderly dogs and had new puppies. If done correctly it can give new life to the elderly dogs/ill dogs.

In the case of ill dogs we had a young dog with kidney disease and did not have a good future. Kindey disease can make the dogs feel really poorly but again with correct management the ill dogs life was enhanced with having a puppy. Ill dog love to intiate play with the puppy and would actively encourage sleeping with the puppy. We gave plenty of rest time to both puppy and ill dog.

The puppy was managed well. The other dogs had opportunity to leave the area the puppy was in and not be followed. We managed all interactions and did not expect the dogs to "train" the puppy we would step in if needed.

It of course does depend on each dog and the puppy but our experiences have been very positive.

I have a multi dog household and the oldies/iller dogs and puppies can be walked together as they just need little strolls and experiences. We used to go and watch the world go by. They left were then lefft to chill out at home whilst the younger middle dogs go off for a long hike.

It can work really well.

We got a puppy as a companion for elderly dog because he is so sociable and loves other dogs, we thought it would be great for him to have a friend and maybe keep him active a few more years.

Reality is the puppy jumps on him at every opportunity, tries to eat his food and gets in his way on walks, basically generally annoying.

I wish we had got the puppy when old dog was younger and more able to put up with the puppy stage. I would not wish that on a sick dog.

Stop your puppy from being annoying!

Feed separately
Use stair gates
Let your elderly dog have its space and quiet time
Walk the dogs separately

It is not the dogs job to train the puppy that is your responsibility

Okay, vet has been consulted and it will be post treatment when he’s in remission. He doesn’t have symptoms and is very well - bombing around our country park, full of energy. We’d review before end of March once treatment finishes but he’s not a “dying dog”.

i know many people do this with elderly dogs but he’s not elderly, he’s 4 and still full of beans and likely to live another year at least post treatment. We also have space to separate them so older dog can have quiet time.

The problem is that while he's still very young, he is unwell and that can lead to behavioural changes and a need for routine - my priority would be making sure your dogs' time is as happy and settled as it can be, I wouldn't be introducing an annoying, bouncy puppy that's going to take up all your time and energy.

I think the thing is, OP - and I am trying to be really kind here but it’s really hard get the tone right on text form - is that your dog is going to have a much reduced life and he will be in a lot of pain eventually and you won’t know because dogs hide their pain really well. Even vets can struggle to tell if a dog is in pain. And when that happens, do you want a young bouncy dog frustrating him or do you want him to be able to suffer in peace?

I think you need to ask yourself this: who are you getting the dog for? You, because you cannot bare life without a dog and want something to fill the void when your dog goes, or your dog. And if its the former you need to consider how your decision will impact your dog - less time for them, less quiet time, another dog in their territory that they have to ‘manage’ and if its the latter then you should really consider whether you’re being naive. Getting a dog for a dog rarely ends well - as I’ve said above, even the most placid dog can turn against a new dog in their home (and particularly a young puppy) - and ultimately your dog sounds happy without a companion, so why risk it?

It’s your decision but I would strongly caution against optimism it will all be fine for the existing dog, because there’s a good chance it won’t.

I’ve been fairly transparent, the decision is for me and my family. Do I have to make all decisions around what’s best for my dog over what’s right for the wider family? Obviously I want ddog to have a good life and if I felt his personality or illness meant this wasn’t fair, I wouldn’t do it, but he’ll be in remission at the point I’m talking about, not even on treatment at that stage. So, not an ill dog. We can also separate to give ddog peace if that did happen.

It’s called animal welfare. If you seriously can’t see why it’s important to prioritise an ill dog in what is likely his final year of life then you shouldn’t even be considering getting another. Pets are not material items to replace when the other start to wear out a bit - that fact that you seem to think they are is quite alarming and says an awful lot about you as a dog owner. Not exactly a good example to your DC either.

A good owner would 100% put what is best for their dog above their families wants. This isn’t what’s right for your family, it’s what you want.

I think you should put your dogs' welfare above what you want, yes.

Yes, you absolutely should be putting your existing dog first, above your own selfish wants and needs. He has no choice and relies on you to do what is best for him. This is definitely not what is best for him.

From the tone of your posts I think I’m probably wasting my breath but please don’t do this. Let your dog live out his life in peace.

Do I have to make all decisions around what’s best for my dog over what’s right for the wider family?

In this case: yes. When you got a dog, you knew that you and your family would have to cope with the death of that dog at some point. You knew that dog could become ill and die young. It is a sad turn of events but you went into it with your eyes open or you should have done so at least. Your dog has no say in this decision which will effect his or her life and possibly in a very negative way.
Don't do it but when the time comes for you to get another dog, adopt, don't shop especially not from some hobby/backyard breeder.

I realise that I have totally wasted my time writing this post because you're clearly going to go ahead with it so I will say I hope things work out for your dog, new pup and the poor bitch who is being used to make the friend of a friend a bit of extra cash or perhaps because, aw puppies.

We got a puppy when we had a very elderly dog. It was a fantastic decision in our case.

The old dog was not bothered by the puppy and the puppy soon realised there would be no running around and playing. They did lie together on the sofa though and it meant that we had no crying at night, not once. I think the old dog liked it as they were always snuggled tight.

Old dog continued as she had done and was perfectly content. When she died, 6 months later, it made things much easier having the pup.

OP you say your dog is likely to have ‘at least a year’ post treatment, so really maybe only one or two years to go? Personally I would wait. I suspect you’re excited by the idea of the friends litter coming along? That does feel a little selfish, when really you probably won’t have to wait that long to bring in a new puppy. Why not spend the time you have looking after your existing dog? My aunt always brings in a new puppy when her DD is getting to its mid years. She did this once with a sick dog and she regretted it. She is an experienced dog owner, attends Krufts etc and knows how to keep them separate. It was still too much for the ill dog.

It’s really interesting and I’m not rushing at the decision. I just know lots of people who have done this with older dogs and it’s been a really positive thing to do. I do think I can consider the balance of dog needs and family and they should both be considered. So many people with this breed have more than one so it’s quite usually round here so maybe that’s why I am struggling to see the issue on the levels expressed here. This isn’t a dying dog who is suffering. He has mild symptoms and they’ve now gone since treatment started and remission will be the same. People questioning my animal’s welfare really are hearing their own narrative. He’s well cared for and a very happy dog with 2 owners working from home etc. It’s a busy house of 5 with other pets and space.

as I said, I am reading the posts and we will make the final judgment in the spring. His welfare is a priority. Learning he was ill made us realise how big a hole he will leave and made us think maybe we’re a 2 dog family. I’m not sure that’s as outrageous as some posters think. If he was 10 and frail, I wouldn’t consider it.

Lots to think about.

See, this is how my dog is with pups, except he’d definitely bomb around with a pup and lap them many times over. I’ve just got back from a walk where he did just that with a lab pup. Vet thinks that he’s now far enough into chemo that the response we’re seeing will continue and he’ll be “well” by end of March… so not a sick dog. He will have an increased risk of the cancer returning but that is very unknown and should be at least a year in remission. If he became ill, the puppy would have been here for 7 months minimum and we could give ill dog the space he’d need. People seem to imagine a “sick” dog and that’s not what I’m describing. If he were “sick” by end of March, we’d not take on a puppy.

Dogs can be fine with dogs outside their homes, and even in their homes, but until they actually live with a puppy and realise it’s not going anywhere you cannot say for sure it’s fine.

Even if your dog is fine with visitor dogs it doesn’t automatically mean your dog will be fine with a new permanent dog. The two are chalk and cheese - you cannot compare them at all, and you certainly cannot compare how a dog is with dogs on walks to how it will react to a new dog in its home.

If your dog wasn't unwell, you'd be getting very different answers.

The issue with a dog living with a terminal condition is that, while they may not show any pain or discomfort, there's no guarantee that they won't be struggling - there's also the sadly inevitable problem that, one day, your dog will become very unwell and will need palliative care - is it really fair to bring a bouncing puppy into all of that?

Managing the needs of one dog is very, very different to managing the needs of an unwell dog and a hyperactive youngster who still needs tons of walks, stimulation and input - will you able to still give your oldest the right level of care and input?

the puppy would have been here for 7 months minimum

So the older dog's health will probably be declining right when your puppy is hitting boisterous adolescence.

I know how it feels, believe me. We had a dog diagnosed with epilepsy at 2 years old and he died before he was 5. There is no way we would have expected him, as a dog with a life-limiting illness, to accept a puppy. He needed a lot of care towards the end of his life but we were able to give him our full focus. Because you owe it to your dog to do that and to allow it a peaceful and dignified death.

We did get another pup, but 6 months after the ill one had died.

Blimey you are all so negative.

The OP dog is having treatment that should prevent the horrendous pain you are all discussing. If not (dont read this op) then I guess the dog will be pts when the situation cannot be managed. The OP is not going to have a dog dying and in pain.

The dog is having treatment and will be monitored by vet for pain and wellbeing etc.

Having a puppy and another dog is not the mega issue you are all talking about. Being sensible, looking at the dogs interactions, observing body language ets.

A good owner can manage the situation , train the situation and make sure all parties are happy. Yes occasionally it may not work but less likely with an older dog and young puppy.

I have a multi dog household at the moment 6 dogs and I foster. The dogs are all managed and all their needs are meet.

I absolutely never ever let my dogs sort out any issues and I never let the older dog teach the puppies how to behave. That is my job.

Op I am pretty sure the comments on this thread are not giving a MN reaction rather than a real life reaction to the situation.

@KeenOtter
With respect, I had a multi dog household for many years, but introducing a puppy to a healthy older dog is very different from bringing a puppy into a home where the existing dog has a life-limiting illness.