getting a puppy

Question
first of all thanks for your time, my dog sasha past away, about 3 months ago at the age of two and since then my eight year old dog buddy has become very jealous of every animal, so i was wondering if its a good thing to get a young dog? and he's usually vicious towards other dogs that he dose not know and i want to fix it what should i do?

Answer
I'm so sorry to hear of this tragic loss, at so young an age.

Buddy seems to have accepted Sasha and that gives me hope that he can accept another dog.  However, you must know a great deal about that other dog's temperament; you can't just go out and find any puppy.  If you have your heart set on a puppy, find a GOOD BREEDER (look for the AKC site for the breed you select and make certain it's not a breed with a strong predilection for dominance.)  Buddy's reaction is not jealousy, it's more likely fear (lack of socialization) and/or dominance (toward other dogs).  I can't see that from here; I don't know what breed or breed mix Buddy is, why you've formed this opinion, under what circumstances he's demonstrated it, what has occurred as a result between him and other dogs, etc.  But if you're going to introduce a puppy, you must be certain the puppy's temperament (insofar as one is able to determine this in a very young dog) is sound: no fear but no over confidence either.  Then you must inform the breeder of Buddy's "problem" and introduce the prospective puppy to Buddy OFF YOUR PROPERTY, with both restrained on leash.  This is a tricky business since you run the risk of frightening the puppy with Buddy's reactions, but puppies bounce back quickly (providing Buddy does no real harm but merely gestures, as most dogs will.)  If Buddy postures and seems aggressive or alarmed, walk him in a very tight circle over and over until he calms, then approach the puppy again; do this until Buddy is calm and able to walk parallel to the puppy for a while.  If Buddy is able to maintain calm and begins to interact normally with the puppy, you can consider this a good sign.  When you bring the puppy home, be certain to show Buddy all attention FIRST, feed him FIRST, let him in and out FIRST, at least for the first month or two (at which time you must observe if the developing puppy is actually a stronger temperament and the chain of command might change.)  Do NOT over promote Buddy, just help him to know his place in your home is secure.  You may want to learn about dog body language (by reading Turid Rugaas) and multiple pack households (two dogs is a pack) by reading Patricia McConnell Ph.D.  Beware of any and all punishment or coercion and be sure you socialize your new dog very well, both to other dogs and all sorts of people and places.  Any further questions, please repost.