Old Dog, New Dog: Supporting Your Aging Best Friend and Welcoming a New One

From two revered experts, a concise guide to caring for a beloved senior dog and skillfully introducing a puppy to the household in a way that allows both dogs to flourish

It’s a natural impulse: As you watch your canine best friend age, you think about getting a puppy, hoping that the new pup will be influenced by the older dog while softening the inevitable loss. But it’s challenging to fully support a senior while also trying to meet the needs of a puppy. In this first-of-its-kind guide, senior dog expert Helen St. Pierre and puppy expert Kathy Callahan come together to help dog lovers navigate this terrain with joy and compassion. They’ll help you:

• assess your older dog’s well-being and keep them comfortable and safe
• decide whether it’s the right time to add another dog
• prepare yourself with a refresher on the basics (and the intensity) of puppy care
• manage the most difficult aspects of living with both a senior and a puppy

And in perhaps its most critically needed chapter, Old Dog, New Dog covers — with honesty and empathy — the difficult decision of when and how to say goodbye to your beloved old companion while honoring the deep friendship you’ll always keep in your heart.