We Have A 16 Year Old Australian Shepard, Panda. Would It Be Ok To Get A New Puppy?
August 23, 2009 by admin
Filed under Care & Training Q&As
Panda has helped raise two children and a kitten and we love her very much. She is in OK health but spends most of her time sleeping. She occasionally wants to play, especially with her cat, but is usually inactive. We wanted to wait until she passed away, but hopefully that won’t be for awhile and I do not want to even think about that. We would like a puppy to take on walks, train and play with but we are concerned about making Panda jealous. Odd as this sounds, I was thinking Panda might like having a puppy she could pass on her knowledge to. I have been researching small breeds so if they jumped on her it would not hurt. Also, a breed that loved other dogs. I have come up with either a Havanese or a petite goldendoodle. Does anyone have advice or comments to share with me on this. Thanks.
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Only you can answer this question… you know Panda better than any of us.
I can tell you that I was faced with the same situation – my dog was 16 and was a sleepy-head too. But, in the end, I decided that it wouldn’t be fair to have any of our attention focused on another dog during his twilight years. As much as I wanted the joy that only a puppy can bring, I knew in my heart that it wasn’t the right thing for my particular situation.
I wish you luck in making your decision – Panda is lucky to have such a caring parent.
Getting a puppy really depends on your dog. Getting a puppy might not be as good an idea as getting a young adult. I brought in 2 greyhounds when my beardie was quite old – and he totally loved having them! It actually helped make him younger again. But a puppy, especially a young one, would be too much for an old dog to tolerate. You’d have to be prepared to keep the puppy away from Panda when it got to be too much for her. Puppies have so much energy it wouldn’t be fair to expect her to tolerate it all the time.
Getting a small dog wouldn’t be any better than getting a larger one – a small dog’s teeth are just as sharp! You’d still need to look out for Panda’s welfare.
Maybe jumping on Panda wouldn’t physically hurt her but don’t you think she would get annoyed? Do you want her to spend the last bit of time she has left being annoyed by some little punk of a pup? If you really want a puppy I would suggest getting two other dogs. That way they will rough play with each other and leave Panda alone when she doesn’t want to be bothered. That’s what we did. It worked out nicely for my 15 year old dog. He played when he wanted to, but when he wanted to be left alone the other two had each other.
Having a senior and two youngsters is A LOT of work though. If you’re up for, good luck, if not, I would recommend waiting until Panda is gone.
go for it but when you go to pick out the puppy, take her with you so that she knows that she’s included in the process.
I think that if she is introduced properly to a new family member she should not be jelous. The puppy may even help to cheer her up and make her feel like a puppy again.
yeah, go ahead but taking along your other dog may help this process as it will not feel left out.
yeah but take her along and let her pick it out