Any adjustment tips for a submissive 7 year old neutered male getting a new "little brother" in a week?

Deacon is a seven year old mild mannered neutered male pem. When he was 2 and a half, we brought home Titan, an eight week old puppy. I guess Deacon was the alpha dog, but only slightly. Titan was the runt and Deacon always had about 7 or 8 pounds on him, so when they wrestled or scrapped, when Deacon was ready to end it, he just pinned Titan down with his bulk, but ever so gently....Titan suddenly became ill in January, and staggered around the house in a drugged haze for much of the month as we made frequent trips to the vet before we finally settled on a diagnosis of GME. He had a brief prednisone fueled remission, but passed away in late February....Deacon was a bit down for a week or so but I have perhaps overcompensated by spoiling him with treats and toys. We are getting another puppy because we were afraid that an older dog might try to take over....I'm looking forward to the "baby" but am worried about Deacon thinking we are replacing his friend, or not adjusting as well since he is older now........Any advice would be appreciated......

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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on March 30, 2010 at 7:31am

So sorry about Titan. When our Buffy died we got Izzy. She was 4 months to Sparty's 9. He was OK with her but it was obvious that he was not terribly interested in her. She fortunately was not very pushy with him and eventually they became best buddies. So I recommend patience and don't let the puppy be too pushy with Deacon. Also be sure to continue giving attention to Deacon especially when he is around the pup. I did talk to the breeder beforehand about our situation and Sparty's personality and she recommended Izzy. Best of luck.

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Permalink Reply by Libby, Deacon & Rugby on April 9, 2010 at 10:40pm

Thanks, Bev. We got the new puppy yesterday and so far so good. Rugby is a spunky puppy, and he has chased Deacon around the house a few times already. Deacon and I went on our usual run this morning so we are still having our special time.