Adopting a puppy into a house that has a mature dog

_Andy_

Hi,

I am looking for people who have done this or professionals that know about it. I am thinking about adopting a puppy, but I am wondering if my older dog may have problems with it.

Some background info on my dog:

I have a Springer Spaniel who is about 15 years old, though she is determined she is half that. She is on tablets to help get excess water out of her lungs, her back legs get a bit stiff and she has serious "selective" hearing, but other than that she is grand. Runs around the garden and likes her occasional swim. She is an indoor dog who loves her comfort, and is very gentle, has never snarled at or bitten anyone.

It really hit her harder than I thought when our cat (of 18 years) died about a year and half ago, so we got a kitten which helped cheer her up. I noticed that she even tried playing with the kitten, but the cat never really played back.

I have been thinking about this for a while and have come up with some pros and cons but I would really appreciate some first hand experience.

Pro:

Make my dog feel younger
Help train the puppy
Bring out my dog's maternal instinct
Keep her company

Cons:

Make my dog feel older
Make her feel like she's being replaced
May bring on jealousy

I would really appreciate any advice anyone can give me on this, I only want the best for my dog.

Thanks in advance,

Andy

Cherry Blossom

I got my pup last year when my old lab was 14. It was absolutely the best thing and it was great having him here in the early puppy days, it's just a pity we didn't have him with us just a little longer. My situation was a little different as the old lab never came into the house unless all the doors were left open (he'd panic if closed in the house) so he was basically an outdoor dog and the new one an indoor dog. This led to indoors becoming the pups territory and her standing on the door step barking at the old fella :rolleyes:. On the plus side she now barks if people approach the door but not people passing by if she's out in the garden so that actually turned out great. The old fella did seem to get a new lease of life and seemed delighted to let the pup pull on his ears and climb and sit on him. I would say it depends on the individual dog but if your dog has never had any issues with other dogs I would go for it.

_Andy_

Thanks for the reply. Good to hear that it worked out for you. I like what you said about it giving your older dog a new lease of life. Yea, my dog hasn't really had any issues with other dogs, to and extent that she would normally ignore them, which concerns me that she may not like another dog around the house.

Thanks for the advice

Blueprint

You could try fostering another dog first and see how your dog gets on before making up your mind. That way there's not so much pressure on you and you don't have to feel bad if it doesn't work out. Most rescues around the country are always looking for good foster homes and they generally have puppies who could use a few weeks in a home rather than kennels while waiting for their forever home to come along.

**Vai**

You can strike your first 2 cons Andy, dogs dont think like that. Its true that it may bring on jealousy but its important for all dogs no matter what age to have a companion of the same species. Just make sure the new pup earns the privileges that your older dog has to help with any jealousy.

Walter11

Such problems are usually common in aging animals.No need of worrying. Look for a nearest puppy care center and contact them. They will help you to solve the problem and also give essential training to the puppy.You can also contact them through online.