How to Determine if Your Old Dog Can Handle a New Puppy
Think about your dog’s personality., Think about your older dog’s health., Think about how much space you have., Consider your schedule., Take your finances into account., Don’t worry too much.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Think about your dog’s personality.
If you’ve introduced your older dog to new puppies before, you should reflect on that experience to determine if you should do so again.
If your older dog has demonstrated disinterest in or hostility towards other dogs, especially puppies, you should think twice about introducing a new puppy to your household.
On the other hand, if your old dog enjoys company and easily cultivates new friendships, they can probably handle a new puppy.If your older dog has an “alpha”-type personality (i.e., dominant, protective, territorial) introducing a new puppy into the mix is probably not a good idea. -
Step 2: Think about your older dog’s health.
Older dogs are often frail and have mobility problems.
Other health concerns include vision or hearing loss, chronic pain, or stiffness in their joints.
These health concerns can lead to anxiety and even depression, and any disruption in your older dog’s routine can lead to undue stress for them.
Dogs with minimal mobility are also less able to escape an abusive or irritating puppy.If your dog does have poor health, consider introducing another elderly dog or a cat to your household instead of a new puppy. , Dogs need space to run and jump.
Neither the new puppy nor the older dog will be happy if you’re all tripping over each other.
If you’re already cramped for space, you won’t be able to accommodate another dog.Even if you have a large backyard or live near a park, sometimes the weather is bad and your dogs will need to work out their pent-up energy indoors.
If you want another pet but lack space, think about investing in a small fish instead. , Adding a new puppy to your household won’t significantly increase the amount of time you spend on pet care in the long term.
After all, if you’re hanging out with one doggie, you can hang out with the other at the same time.
But in the short term, you might have to spend extra time taking your puppy out and training it to indicate when it needs to go out.
It’s important that you pay your older dog an equal or greater amount of attention as your new puppy during this introductory period.
If you don’t have this time, you should reconsider investing in a puppy.
If you’re pressed for time, you could hire a dog-sitter to watch your puppy and train it to go out when you’re unavailable. , An extra dog means an extra mouth to feed.
It also means extra visits to the vet or pet dentist.
If you don’t have the funds to provide a decent quality of life for another animal, you should not invest in a new puppy.
This is especially true when your older dog is likely to need increased medical attention as it ages.Remember, different dog breeds grow to different sizes.
Find out from your vet how large your puppy will be when it is full-grown. , Most dogs get along with each other and enjoy meeting new friends no matter their age or species.
Typically, the most extreme measure a pet owner has to take is to basically keep the dogs separated until the puppy grows up a bit.
If you believe your old dog is up to it, take a chance and introduce a new puppy to your family. -
Step 3: Think about how much space you have.
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Step 4: Consider your schedule.
-
Step 5: Take your finances into account.
-
Step 6: Don’t worry too much.
Detailed Guide
If you’ve introduced your older dog to new puppies before, you should reflect on that experience to determine if you should do so again.
If your older dog has demonstrated disinterest in or hostility towards other dogs, especially puppies, you should think twice about introducing a new puppy to your household.
On the other hand, if your old dog enjoys company and easily cultivates new friendships, they can probably handle a new puppy.If your older dog has an “alpha”-type personality (i.e., dominant, protective, territorial) introducing a new puppy into the mix is probably not a good idea.
Older dogs are often frail and have mobility problems.
Other health concerns include vision or hearing loss, chronic pain, or stiffness in their joints.
These health concerns can lead to anxiety and even depression, and any disruption in your older dog’s routine can lead to undue stress for them.
Dogs with minimal mobility are also less able to escape an abusive or irritating puppy.If your dog does have poor health, consider introducing another elderly dog or a cat to your household instead of a new puppy. , Dogs need space to run and jump.
Neither the new puppy nor the older dog will be happy if you’re all tripping over each other.
If you’re already cramped for space, you won’t be able to accommodate another dog.Even if you have a large backyard or live near a park, sometimes the weather is bad and your dogs will need to work out their pent-up energy indoors.
If you want another pet but lack space, think about investing in a small fish instead. , Adding a new puppy to your household won’t significantly increase the amount of time you spend on pet care in the long term.
After all, if you’re hanging out with one doggie, you can hang out with the other at the same time.
But in the short term, you might have to spend extra time taking your puppy out and training it to indicate when it needs to go out.
It’s important that you pay your older dog an equal or greater amount of attention as your new puppy during this introductory period.
If you don’t have this time, you should reconsider investing in a puppy.
If you’re pressed for time, you could hire a dog-sitter to watch your puppy and train it to go out when you’re unavailable. , An extra dog means an extra mouth to feed.
It also means extra visits to the vet or pet dentist.
If you don’t have the funds to provide a decent quality of life for another animal, you should not invest in a new puppy.
This is especially true when your older dog is likely to need increased medical attention as it ages.Remember, different dog breeds grow to different sizes.
Find out from your vet how large your puppy will be when it is full-grown. , Most dogs get along with each other and enjoy meeting new friends no matter their age or species.
Typically, the most extreme measure a pet owner has to take is to basically keep the dogs separated until the puppy grows up a bit.
If you believe your old dog is up to it, take a chance and introduce a new puppy to your family.
About the Author
Angela Jackson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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