puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

[loops]

ok folks, i've got this great deal on a puppy dangling in front of my face and i'm having a real difficult time resisting.

a friend of mine has 12 golden doodle puppies, ready to leave the nest next friday. she's worried she wont' be able to find homes for them all, so has offered me one for a hundred bucks. A HUNDRED BUCKS! I've seen pics...and they are so freaking CUTE!

my concern is this.

i have a very old (15) golden retriever...sadly, her days are numbered....still a decent appetite, drinks nuff water, seems happy and enjoys people....but she's not very mobile at this point. she has a hard time getting up, sitting down, walking...it's pretty sad.

should i introduce a puppy into this situation? is that cruel?

hellllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllp

[Jamaicamiss]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

My daughter has an older bulldog with hip problems and showing signs of aging. The family introduced a rat type little dog to the scene. At first it was a lot on the bulldog, but now I notice they romp a little when the bulldog feels up to it. Don't know if this helps Loops.

[loops]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

moxie will fall over if she attempts to romp.

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

It is hard to say. The older dog may enjoy the puppy being around or not.

[loops]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

thinking i could crate the puppy during the day? i hate the thought of that tho

[jamaica_dreamin]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: loops</div><div class="ubbcode-body">thinking i could crate the puppy during the day? i hate the thought of that tho </div></div>

That may be wise.

[kia027]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

The upside is the older dog will teach the younger dog the ways of the house

the downside is the older may not want to be bothered romping with the younger dog and teach the younger dog that barking in your face is a way to greet other dogs

I say take the older dog to visit the puppies and test her reaction.

[loops]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

good idea with a meet and greet. i hope to go visit them on sunday...will bring my dog who NEVER barks with me.

[Nanook]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: loops</div><div class="ubbcode-body">thinking i could crate the puppy during the day? i hate the thought of that tho </div></div>

How old are the puppies? They will be at least 12 or more weeks old, more like 16 weeks before they can hold it for more than a couple/few hours. Do you have an area you can build a little playpen type thing?

Is there a daycare where you can leave baby a few days a week?

[loops]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

i suppose i could bring the puppy to work while we're in training stage...wouldn't that be better? that way i can take her out several times a day. and yes, i could make some kinda barrier and keep her in the kitchen. The puppies will be ready to go on friday next....so how old does that make them?

[Suesumba]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

i'm not that experiened, but the puppy might cheer up the older dog. i love those loodles.

[loops]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

i know the puppy will cheer ME up when the older dog passes on.

[Nanook]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

I'm out mowing so had some time to ponder...

OK, because they are ready to go doesn't tell age, but a reputable breeder would never consider placing a puppy before 8 weeks of age (still too young), 10 to 12. weeks is best. I don't know a breeder that sends a baby out before 10 weeks, and most at least the 12. It is from the ages of 4 to 12 weeks that will imprint the MOST of the rest of a puppy's life. This period should be with it's littermates and learning from it's mother, as well as being handled by all family members where it is born and hopefully exposed to children and things. In other words, getting well socialized for the day when it leaves the mother. If your puppy will be younger than that, then you absolutely should bring her to work &amp; not leave her home alone all day. Then it will be up to you to make those few weeks her imprint.

That you could take her (I prefer her to &quot;it&quot;, and not guessing what you are getting but it's a girl, right? ) with you to work is a huge plus. You will have her house trained in a lot less time, and the socializing can continue. The more she sees in the younger months will make her so much easier to have around when she grows up.

I was also gonna suggest maybe you could take the baby home with you for a couple of hours on Sunday as well, and see how it goes. If they are old enough to leave home for good in a week, if the baby leaves for a short while a week earlier should be OK. Then you can better see how Moxie will feel, as it will be in Moxie's own house. How she will feel when she is in someone else's house is probably totally different.

That said...Even if Moxie doesn't love the idea and warm up to the puppy doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. It just means you will have to respect Moxie's privacy if she doesn't want the baby around her, and keep the baby away from her at times when she's full of [censored] and vinegar. (Remember what a puppy is, right! LOL!). I just keep Paris from my old ones, it works fine. Moxie will teach the youngster respect for older dogs if she growls and/or snaps at her and at the same time you tell her to &quot;leave it&quot;, or whatever command you want to use, just use the same one everytime.. It works in my house! I've had the geriatric 15 to 17 year olds with the youngsters all along.. It's just supervision to make sure Moxie is happy.

[loops]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

thanks nooks....thats very helpful advice. yes, i want a girl...absolutely.

i highly doubt moxie will snap at the puppy....she's beyond mellow, my moxie girl.

[Nanook]

Re: puppies and geriatric dogs....should i do this?

Good luck! I hope it all works out and I absolutely think you should get a puppy sooner rather than later. Losing the old ones sucks the big one. I've been down that road a lot in the past couple of years! I cannot even imagine it being an only dog. I have always had one to fall back on..

So even if Moxie won't growl or snap, you will know if baby is bothering, and needs a reprimand. They should be able to be in the same room, and Moxie not bothered when she needs quiet.

Waiting on pics now!