A four-legged senior dog can grow older calmly with a puppy. What should you watch out for with these two new friends?

An aging dog can lose its good mood for various reasons. Either the body no longer fully cooperates, or the temperament is more gloomy than happy and lively. Here, a new, young playmate can work wonders and bring the older dog out of its shell.

How can you get a puppy used to an older dog?

Introducing a puppy to an older dog is not always easy. Once they get along, it is certainly a wonderful experience, but the initial period carries certain risks that you should be aware of. The puppy is a challenge for the older dog. Therefore, you should slowly and carefully acclimate the two to each other. Many older dogs get excited, jealous, or even angry at a new puppy, especially if the older dog was an only dog. Similar to introducing dogs and cats, it is important to ensure the older dog receives plenty of attention to ease any hurt feelings. You shouldn’t wait until he feels neglected to give this extra love; instead, give him special attention from the moment the puppy comes home.

A good approach is to have special treats or toys ready and teach him that the puppy means special treats. So don’t give him extra treats or petting when the puppy is not around. For your dog, that would mean the puppy’s absence equals special treatment. Instead, he should think that the puppy equals good things. Even if the older dog is stubborn in the first weeks, this is a good way to get them used to each other.

Which older dog is suitable for a puppy?

The best big siblings for a puppy are a healthy, active, well-socialized, well-trained, friendly older dog who has already had experience with puppies in their life. Such an older dog can help you with the puppy’s training. Together, you can work to introduce the young one to living together, allowing your first dog to age calmly.

Of course, not all older dogs have all these qualities, so you should realistically assess your old dog. The following questions might help:
Is he well socialized with other dogs and puppies? Will he be friendly to your puppy? Is it likely that he will be grumpy or even aggressive? An older dog who is unfriendly, possibly aggressive, or scares a puppy could negatively affect the puppy’s future relationships with other dogs for life. Does your old dog have any bad habits that the puppy shouldn’t pick up? If your old dog has house-training issues, barks excessively, or has other problems, keep in mind that he might be a bad role model for your puppy. Try to change these unwanted behaviors with plenty of training before bringing a puppy home.

Your choice of puppy also needs to be well considered. If there is a significant size difference between the two puppies, you might have to intervene more often. A large puppy will bite, jump around, chase, and make the older dog’s later years difficult. A smaller puppy is less bothersome for most older, larger dogs, but the bigger dog could more easily injure a much smaller puppy. Weigh these size difference aspects before making a decision.

When the puppy won’t leave the older dog alone

You shouldn’t hesitate to intervene if the puppy is bothering your old dog. If your old dog tries to take a nap, eat dinner, or chew on a toy and is disturbed by the newcomer, you can take the puppy aside or distract him with something else. Take the puppy to another room from time to time to play with him. This way, the older dog can relax peacefully and come to you when he wants to hang out with the pack again. Often, the older dog will also act as a teacher and teach the puppy something. Depending on the puppy’s attention span, this will be more or less successful. Regarding feeding, of course, pay attention to separating their diets accordingly and consult your veterinarian about a  personalized nutrient mix for dogs .

If your old dog tries to teach your puppy something, let him try as long as his corrections are appropriate. Growling, strong eye contact, and turning the puppy onto its back are okay. To us humans, the growling and whining of both may sound harsh, but these are the sounds of the learning process. This is fine as long as you don’t notice clear signs of aggression or risk of injury. Therefore, it is important that you always observe both parties and carefully assess the newcomer’s reactions. Young dogs often roll onto their backs or whine as a sign of submission when respecting the older dog.

Gradually, the two will hopefully get used to each other. This process can take weeks, months, or years – harmony takes time so that older dogs can age calmly with young puppies.