Adding A Puppy To Your Home
Many folks consider adding a young dog to the household when their current pet grows older. However, some people are often afraid that the presence of a younger dog will be a nuisance in the last months or years of the older dog's life, and don't want to cause their older dog grief or discomfort.
Dogs usually fuss less about this than the owners. In fact, the presence of a puppy in the house could invigorate the older pet. There's a new interest in life, and dogs of 10 or older could begin to respond to activity again.
Older dogs can teach manners and canine survival skills to pups. Your older dog may even help housebreak the puppy because he/she can detect when the puppy need to go out. The older dogs are better than humans at detecting subliminal signals.
There are a few things you need to remember when you introduce the puppy to the older dog:
Get a pup of the opposite sex from the resident dog.
Give the older dog a little more attention so there is no jealousy of the new addition to the household. (See And Baby Makes Four.)
Do not let the new puppy infringe on the privileges and routines of the resident dog.
Give the older dog a little more attention so there is no jealousy of the new addition to the household. (See And Baby Makes Four.)
Do not let the new puppy infringe on the privileges and routines of the resident dog.
By following these steps, your older dog will enjoy a new friend and your new puppy will have a great teacher.