I’ve heard that an older dog can help “train” a new puppy, has anyone had experience with that? Or do you feel it’s just better to keep the older dog alone so that he’s not harassed by a youngster?
Our Newfx is starting to get up there (8 or 9) and we’re starting to think about puppies (either a newf or berner).
Any thoughts/experiences or vote for newf vs berner would be appreciated.
About a year after 1 of my 2 dogs passed. I had the opportunity to adopt an adult retired show dog. She was beautiful and sounded amazing. As tempting as the offer was, after considering the personality and well being of the senior that was left, adopting was not in his best interest. He waited a long time to have me to himself.
I think the energy of a puppy with some seniors is not a good mix. What is your dog telling you??
I’m not sure what he would think. He would probably get tired of a puppy harassing him sometimes, so being able to separate them for “quiet time” would be important. That shouldn’t be too hard.
Have you found it to be true, that a puppy will learn from an older dog?
Yes, I do think puppies can learn from older dogs. Mine learned to climb on the furniture, beg for food, play hide and seek, run in the woods without getting lost, protect his girl, so many things… It’s been a long time. I miss those fun days. My second guy is 15 and it’s clear that he is in the months or days left category not years. It breaks my heart.
Older dogs are a wealth of info for a puppy. I tether my puppy to the older dog and let the old dog serve as an interpreter, they learn so quickly. It is especially useful at the barn where they learn to get out of the way of the horses from the older dog. It doesn’t take long at all.
oh yes, older dogs teach younger dogs the rules of the house and everything else- I teach my younger dogs obedience/tricks/agility by crating them where they can see the older dog going through the motions, and then the younger dog comes out and copies what the older dog was doing.
I have dogs now that are following rules made up decades ago by a very well behaved dog, the rules have passed down through the generations.
The fact that they copy each other is also why it’s a really bad idea to get another dog if your current dog is a poorly behaved- they readily learn bad behavior, too.
Older dogs are particularly helpful with house training. The new pup learns the routine very quickly with an older resident for them to mimic.
I’ve also had new pups learn to mimic behavior patterns I find the most charming in a senior resident dog. That is a priceless legacy to be left behind.
I’d agree with above.
About 13 years ago I had a 9 yr old dog; decided to get him a friend and went for another large dog, female, but not a puppy; she was around a year or so. He taught her our house routine in short order and they were solid friends for over 4 years.
She sulked after he died, so I got her a 7 month old pal, also on the larger side. Same thing - though he was never quite as perfectly obedient as she is.
Lost the younger dog at 7 to IMHA; by now the old girl was 12 or so; decided she still wanted a companion, but due to her age, I decided to get a smaller dog. He was about 2 at the time, watched and followed every thing she did. Even better, they would play, and due to his 28 lb size (and great respect for her!) there is no chance of her getting knocked over or hurt.
My recommendation is to do it before the dog is too old and crotchety for benefit of both old and new dog. And, give some thought to what might be the best match - ie similar size or breed, something smaller, energy level.
I always seem to go male/female. My old girl is now over 14 (shep/chow mix), mostly in good shape except for hind end weakness. They still play a bit and she loves her walks but I know our time is running out. When the time comes, I’ll look for something of moderate size, and my “little bug” will become the teacher.
I tend to be a mixed breed fan but to answer your question - Both of your choices are nice dogs but if I had to pick, I’d go w/ the Newfie. Based on my small knowledge base, they seem to be a bit longer in the lifespan. I love the look of the Bernese, however.
I’d agree with above.
About 13 years ago I had a 9 yr old dog; decided to get him a friend and went for another large dog, female, but not a puppy; she was around a year or so. He taught her our house routine in short order and they were solid friends for over 4 years.
She sulked after he died, so I got her a 7 month old pal, also on the larger side. Same thing - though he was never quite as perfectly obedient as she is.
Lost the younger dog at 7 to IMHA; by now the old girl was 12 or so; decided she still wanted a companion, but due to her age, I decided to get a smaller dog. He was about 2 at the time, watched and followed every thing she did. Even better, they would play, and due to his 28 lb size (and great respect for her!) there is no chance of her getting knocked over or hurt.
My recommendation is to do it before the dog is too old and crotchety for benefit of both old and new dog. And, give some thought to what might be the best match - ie similar size or breed, something smaller, energy level.
I always seem to go male/female. My old girl is now over 14 (shep/chow mix), mostly in good shape except for hind end weakness. They still play a bit and she loves her walks but I know our time is running out. When the time comes, I’ll look for something of moderate size, and my “little bug” will become the teacher.
I tend to be a mixed breed fan but to answer your question - Both of your choices are nice dogs but if I had to pick, I’d go w/ the Newfie. Based on my small knowledge base, they seem to be a bit longer in the lifespan. I love the look of the Bernese, however.
If the older dog is well trained then get the puppy, they will do what the older dog does. If you the older dog is untrained or poorly trained then wait.
We have multiple dogs that are spaced in age by about 3-4 years a piece. They just keep passing down the knowledge.
Thanks everyone. My current dog is just awesome. He is so, so well behaved. He was a rescue from the shelter, approximately 2 years old when we got him. We put A LOT of training into him. Hours upon hours upon hours, to fix some very undesirable habits. He’s an absolute saint now; he listens to everything we say and is just so well mannered we can do anything with him. If any of the routine can be passed along to the next dog, it will be such a blessing!
Another thing worth noting. Sometimes the tables turn on which dog relies on which. My older dog is now mostly deaf; the little guy has become her ears, and when she’s not out like a light, she keeps an eye on him.
No advice, but I have an “Omigod it’s so fluffy I could die!!!” thing for Newfies. Never had one, have no idea what it is about them, but I could just hug and squish them. Sorry, carry on.
We adopted “James” just over 5 years ago when our oldest boy, TC, was about 11. I was a bit worried as TC is our more alpha dog in what was our two dog pack at the time.
When we brought James home, TC IMMEDIATELY took him under his wing. He let him know what behaviors were okay and which were not. In addition, I found that TC became more active and seemed younger because we added the puppy.
Now that James is just over 5, and TC is definitely slowing down at the old labby age of 16, James attempts to show dominance over TC. It doesn’t take long for TC to shoot him down though. If the play between James and our middle boy, Louie, gets a little aggressive, TC will approach the two playing and make sure that the play doesn’t get out of hand. It’s a very interesting dynamic to watch.
The whole crew, IMO, are well behaved and really do balance one another quite well. TC, though, is definitely showing his age. He also has Cushings disease (his 3rd year post diagnosis) and he’s losing his hearing. I find that he has a tendency now to sleep and be closer to James, perhaps so that James can hear and alert him to the things he cannot hear himself.
[QUOTE=cloudy18;8021374]
No advice, but I have an “Omigod it’s so fluffy I could die!!!” thing for Newfies. Never had one, have no idea what it is about them, but I could just hug and squish them. Sorry, carry on.[/QUOTE]
:lol::lol::yes:
Bringing a new puppy into the home/pack is SO MUCH easier if you have a good role model!! If the old dog is still healthy and happy it should go well. If the old dog is getting “over the hill” and would be stressed by a new friend…wait. The puppy will learn to respect the older dog when he sets the house rules. I haven’t had a “sole” puppy in decades!!!
As Laurierace said - she tethers her pups to an older wiser dog. As does the Huntsman, who couples the hounds. As do some racehorse people, attach the young horses to a donkey, where the donkey goes, the baby goes, etc.
It would probably work if you were sensitive to the older dog’s needs.
My old largish dog has been a great example for new tiny dog who after a few walks with Dog and watching her, now knows to pee OUTSIDE. He also learned to sit by watching her get treats. She’s quite old and arthritic, but seemed to get a kick out of him at first. He was drawn to her and slept curled on her flank. I’m using past tense because he began, after 2 weeks of seeming to fit in perfectly, to attack her and we now have them separated at all times while a nice trainer tries to train his owner to train him. Argh. Basically, be cautious about declaring the new dog a success.
We just did this last fall. Our older dog turned 10 last year, and we got a puppy who was 10 weeks old when we brought him home. There was quite a bit of research and discussion to make sure this was good for all current residents, not just the human ones! Our older dog is very well mannered, loves other dogs (especially puppies) and was still quite active, so we wanted to make sure to get a younger dog when she could still enjoy the new friend, not when she was so old a new dog would just hassle her.
She’s taught him quite a bit about manners, how to recall when off leash, how to guard the yard from small animal intruders, how to get along with the cats, not to be picky about food, what behaviors to offer to get treats, toys, etc. As he’s gotten bigger, he has had to learn to be a bit more gentle when playing with her, as things that were okay when he came home at 19lbs she’s not appreciative of now, when he’s 70lbs!
He also has a fantastic “leave it”, which we use to not just keep him from getting into stuff he shouldn’t, but when he wants to play and she’s not interested.
Not to mention you get cute pics like these! The puppy becomes the wise older dog.
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