new puppy?

Question
I have a 10 year old lab who is lazy and gets pretty tired   around the house (he still goes on walks and is pretty active   though) and we are questioning getting a new dachshund   puppy but we don t want to if it will make him unhappy as   he is an older dog.  Any answer is much appreciated!    thanks

Answer
Older dogs usually do not appreciate having a puppy in the house.  However when they must cope with one, often they show renewed activity.  He should be more receptive of a female.  As long as they are spay/neutered, a male and female usually work the best.  Another thing would be to look at adopting an older dog.  He could be much happier with one past the puppy stage where they expect other dogs to tolerate their sharp teeth.  

Consider the animal shelter.  There are many nice dogs, and you can see how
they look with little or no grooming.  You can also see how they behave.  Look
for dogs that want your attention, but are not going wild. Leave the ones that
retreat to the back of their cage.  Look at their teeth.  Look for ones that
still show a 3 lobed, clove like pattern on the front ones.  Leave the ones
that fight letting you look at their teeth too much.  If the points are worn
off the teeth, it is an older dog that may break your heart by dying too soon.
Pinch the web between its toes.  It hurts.  It is OK for the dog to pull away
or whine, but it shouldn't growl, snap or show its teeth.  Since the shelter likely will kill most of the dogs, you may as well pick out a nice one.

One of the best sources for dogs with a predictable personality is the rescue
dogs.  These are dogs that lost their home, but were taken into a foster home
to be retrained as necessary and placed in the right home for them.   You may
find a rescue near you starting at
http://www.akc.org/breeds/rescue.cfm  The rescues charge a fee to help cover their expenses, but is much less than the price of a puppy plus all its medical expenses the first year.  

You might find he is more active if not overweight.  You may be over feeding him.  Compare him to the guide at http://www.puppychow.com/products/popup_body_condition.aspx  If you do get a Dachshund, their backs hold up better if they are kept lean too.