Do we get another dog?

Spit That Out

Spit That Out

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We have a 14 year old dog that is the love of our lives, but he's starting to show signs of his old age.
He's a bit deaf, going a bit blind and back legs go every now and again. Hubby has to carry him up the stairs to bed!!! He doesn't bother to bark at the postman anymore, chase the cats out the garden or try and get on the bed/sofa!!!
On the other hand...he still manages to give the cutlery a pre wash as it getting loaded in the dish washer...stamps his feet when wanting some ham when making the hubbies sandwiches. He loves his walks, all be it a bit slower and finds amusement in playing with his chews.
We've had him since he was 6 months old and like any dog, they have been with you though the good and bad times.
We love our old man to bits and I'm dreading the day we have to make "that" decision.
However, we were talking about if we would get another dog. My OH wants a Lab and i want a (long legged) Jack Russel.
Do we wait until our old man goes to the big kennel in the sky or do we get one now so when the old man goes we have something to take our minds off it?
OH thinks that as we've had the one dog for so long it wouldn't be fair to get another as he's been the spoilt only dog all his life on the otherhand he doesn't know if a younger dog will give the old man a new lease of life?
Sorry if this has been brought up before but i just wanted some fellow dog lovers opinions.
 
hi. i know just how you feel. last week my 17 yo labby was put to sleep, this was the hardest thing i have ever done, i also thought of having another dog but decided to wait. my reason for waiting was that i thought a new dog would be a treat to him as he had been an only dog for all his life, he also was a bit deaf. hope this helps
 
We had the same dilemma and waited. Our old GSD x was 17 when she was PTS and in hindsight it made it much harder once she had gone to get another and we ended up waiting six months. OH still thought this was too soon.

Could you borrow someone else’s dog for a day or two to see how your dog reacts to having a younger dog around for a while?
 
When our dog reached the age of 14, he was also showing the same signs of old age. We decided to go ahead and get a puppy that could also be his companion. It turned out to be the right choice as he perked up and actually played with the pup (something he hadn't done in years). He died a year later, but the last year of his life he seemed the happiest.
 
Had the same situation when I had my old boxer. We were given a terrier pup by the farrier and like evelynrose said it perked him up and he played and went back to his youth for a while so if your dog is ok with others I'd go for it.
 
I'm with the perking up guys here. When my Lab X was getting on a bit we got Alan, an 8 week old Lab puppy, yes he was a bit manic at times but the old fellow never seemed to mind and actually joined in play fighting with us, which he hadn't felt like doing for a long time.

When I wanted to go for longer walks with the youngster I'd take them both out first, then Sam was happy to settle back at the car or home while I took Alan for some proper exercise.

I'm sure having the pup around kept him going a bit longer, he was a rescue who'd had a rough start and I finally had to call time when he was 14.

JDx
 
Thanks everyone, The problem we have with Charlie is when he was younger he was a fighter. He was attacked by a rotty when he was a pup and had been wary of big dogs ever since. He gets the first bark/growl in to make himself look hard!!! This also means we don't know which dogs he's going to get on with and has made us a bit wary. He hates horses so i can't even take him down the yard.
Don't get me wrong we have half an acre garden and he goes for 2 walks a day. At weekends we go to the local forest or lake for a squirrel hunt (haven't caught one yet!!) but he's never off his "let out lead" in case we meet another dog.
But, when we took him for his walk tonight we met his 2 Springer Spaniel friends, both are about 14 months old....Charlie loves those two and although doesn't play he does perk up. However we also met his evil nemesis...a sandy coloured lab cross and he was all teeth, barking and growling in fairness so was the other dog, they have always hated each other?!!?
So we have decided not to get another one just yet but we have arranged play dates with some of the owners and their dogs which we know he likes. That way he gets more play time but also gets to have a chillax without a young one climbing all over him!!!
One of the owners even offered to call on us when she takes her dog for a walk and take Charlie with her :)
He has a better social life than us!!!
But we have decided that when Charlie leaves us we will be getting another one...or two!!!

PS i love the name Alan for a dog, that's just Ace. :D
 
This time last year,I went into the vets to get some medication for Vixen[17] and came home with"Bossy Bessie"supposed to be a JRT but with a strong touch of hound.Vixen was slightly shell shocked as BB decided that she loved her,moved into her basket,shared her food and played incessantly with her but she soon got used to her and very much enjoyed her last 6 months with a friend.When Vixen was put down on Boxing Day,BB was devastated and looked for her for ages,tried to sleep with the otherJRT's without success and had no one to pester,then about 6 weeks ago along came V2,4months old terrierX,a very odd lookng animal but full of love,as I write they are wrestling in front of the fire waiting for walks and tea.
 
I'd wait, give your old friend a peaceful ending, pups and new dogs cause a bit of a fray and I bet he'll love having you two to himself as he gets close to his time. Plenty of time to replace him, but I'd devote your time to him now, he sounds gorgeous and the way you described him made a lump grow in my throat x
 
Personally I would wait. If your existing dog used to be a fighter you can only assume he prefers human company, and asking him to accept a second dog into his home in his twilight years strikes me as being a bit unfair... It would also be unfair on the new dog who would have to go through the grieving process with you and your OH when he dies.

If I were you I would allow him to live out the rest of his days in peace and agree with your OH that you won't wait too long before getting another one (or two :p ) once he has passed on.
 
I had to make the same decision last year. Admittedly I had always been a multi dog household but when my old dog died I was down to one for a year. She was 11 so I decided to get a pup and it was definitely the right decision. I had a very happy dog for a year, when she got ill and died rather prematurely. I am now a one dog owner again and have to decide whether to get a second dog now or wait till my young dog is a bit older.

I think with a 14 year old dog that has a history of dog aggression and has always been an only dog I would err on the side of not getting another one. The time to do it was before the old dog reached this stage, maybe 3 or 4 years ago.
 
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