[Precious Puppy]

I'm bringing in a new puppy so my 8 yr. old, who lost his lifelong companion, will have someone to pal around with again. My 8 yr. old loves other dogs so there is no concern in how he will welcome the puppy. Well the concern is he will "overwelcome" her and make it difficult for me to teach her the house rules.

What do I do when I first bring her home? Should I let them just get aquainted, play, run, etc. or immediately start with her training and showing her around without a bunch of hoopla?

When Brutus (the 8 yr old) came into my home he was greeted by a middle aged border collie who hated him so it was an entirely different set of circumstances so it was easy for me to keep his attention. I'm afraid with Brutus now being the older dog and very much a clown, will distract the puppy and make training her all the more difficult for me.

Brutus is obedience trained so he knows how to behave when he wants to. Problem is he's half Akita and only wants to listen some of the time or like my husbands says "he'd rather die than listen to what you have to say." LOL

Any tips or advice is appreciated.

 

[EdDTS]

You're dog isn't quite obedience trained if he only listens when he wants to. You've got a bit more work to do with him. Akita's are independent but it's very doable to make them listen on the fly.

You'll wanna make sure the 8 year old doesn't hurt the puppy, I've been around dogs that are completely okay with older dogs but not puppies. So don't assume things.
Take your older dog on a longish walk, THEN take them both for a short walk together so they are both calm and tired, it's a different way of introducing them. Then once they are both calm and tired, let them meet at your home. And pay attention to your older dog's body language.
Everything should go smoothly, good luck!