Companion for elderly dog?

Question
My dog is almost 17 years old.  She is a cockapoo and I've had her since she was a puppy.  She has always been the only pet in our family.  I think part of her living so long is that she is a happy dog and gets plenty of attention.  We are thinking about getting another dog but we aren't sure if it's a good idea.  We don't want her to become jealous and make her depressed or cause stress on her but then again we think she may enjoy having another dog around for companionship.  We also think she may be a good role model for a new dog, for example potty training.  We have dog sit before for people and she gets along fine with all dogs.  Do you have any experiences for this situation?  or do you have any advice for us?  Thank you in advance!

Answer

Hi Hillary,

I think it would be unfair to a 17 year old dog, who's always been the only dog, to introduce another dog into the home this late in her life.
Under the best of circumstances, introducing a new pet in the home is a stressful situation for the animals involved. I'd say, don't "fix" something that isn't broken. Allow your current dog to live her out her life in peace.

You should know that dogs do not learn things such as house training from other dogs.

Best of luck,

Patti