Old Dog, New Dog: Supporting Your Aging Best Friend and Welcoming a New One

by Kathy Callahan, Helen St. Pierre, Kim Brophey (Foreword by)

Overview

From two revered experts, a concise guide to caring for a beloved senior dog and skillfully introducing a puppy to the household in a way that allows both dogs to flourish

It’s a natural impulse: As you watch your canine best friend age, you think about getting a puppy, hoping that the new pup will be influenced by the older dog while softening the inevitable loss. But it’s challenging to fully support a senior while also trying to meet the needs of a puppy. In this first-of-its-kind guide, senior dog expert Helen St. Pierre and puppy expert Kathy Callahan come together to help dog lovers navigate this terrain with joy and compassion. They’ll help you:

• assess your older dog’s well-being and keep them comfortable and safe
• decide whether it’s the right time to add another dog
• prepare yourself with a refresher on the basics (and the intensity) of puppy care
• manage the most difficult aspects of living with both a senior and a puppy

And in perhaps its most critically needed chapter, Old Dog, New Dog covers — with honesty and empathy — the difficult decision of when and how to say goodbye to your beloved old companion while honoring the deep friendship you’ll always keep in your heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608689972
Publisher:	New World Library
Publication date:	06/24/2025
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	144
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Kathy Callahan and Helen St. Pierre are certified professional dog trainers and family dog mediators. Kathy is the author of Welcoming Your Puppy from Planet Dog, and her business, PupStart, focuses on helping clients through puppyhood. Helen is the founder of the senior animal rescue and sanctuary Old Dogs Go To Helen and the owner of No Monkey Business Dog Training.

Editorial Reviews

This book achieves what is to me a literary miracle: It is a fascinating read that moves quickly yet is dense with practical, useful advice. I have been a professional dog trainer for over forty years, and I absorbed advice in these pages that I didn’t anticipate needing or gaining. I knew immediately upon starting it that it would become my go-to recommendation for anyone with a senior dog, a middle-aged dog (to give them time to prep), or a puppy — whether or not the old dog and the new dog will overlap.”
— Sue Sternberg, canine behavior specialist, shelter owner, and author

“Kathy and Helen have joined forces to create this incredible, much-needed resource for the dog lovers out there who share their lives with a beloved aging dog and are considering adopting another. As a perfect team, they answer with articulate simplicity the questions you may have about whether or not to take this step, and how to set yourself and your canine companions up for success.”
— Pat Miller, CBCC-KA, CPDT-KA, bestselling author of The Power of Positive Dog Training

“This collaboration is a gift to both dog professionals and caregivers alike. Old Dog, New Dog is the book I wish I’d had eight years ago, when, heartbroken from the loss of one senior dog, we transitioned a puppy in with our remaining senior. The authors have created an essential playbook for managing this phase with care and grace. As a human well-being specialist, I appreciate their attention to the complex emotions involved — and their thoughtful approach to balancing joy and sorrow.”
— Marlene O’Neill Laberge, MSW, LFDM, organizational health and well-being specialist, Ruff Relationships

“A perfect collaboration. . . . Each author is acutely aware of the unique needs of dogs who are in the life stage of their specialty, so the text is able to advocate equally strongly for the new pup, the senior dog, and the humans who will need to juggle and balance the dogs’ needs!”
— Whole Dog Journal

“Concise, compassionate, and joyful. . . . Packed with practical advice on care, transitions, and tough goodbyes, it’s an essential roadmap for households embracing both the wisdom and slower pace of beloved older dogs and the youthful enthusiasm of pups. A must-read for anyone navigating this bittersweet, rewarding journey.”
— Modern Dog

“How wonderful that such compassionate, knowledgeable experts have joined forces to lead us through the seasons of multi-dog households! Old Dog, New Dog is a unique resource, full of practical tips that help dog families navigate life together, from potty time to pain relief.”
— Wendy Lyons Sunshine, FDM, author of Tender Paws: How Science-Based Parenting Can Transform Our Relationships with Dogs

“This is an essential read for anyone pondering the decision of adding another dog to a household with a senior dog. The authors provide a comprehensive look at the emotional and practical considerations from all perspectives — the new dog’s, the senior dog’s, and the humans’.”
— Jennifer Shryock, CDBC, LFDM, founder of Family Paws

“Trainers and veterinarians will be very thankful to have this thought-provoking, easy-to-digest resource to place in the hands and hearts of their clients who are thinking about getting a puppy to raise alongside their aging dog.”
— Marc Bekoff, PhD, author of Dogs Demystified and The Emotional Lives of Animals

“The authors’ years of experience working with dogs at either end of the age spectrum shine in this practical and succinct guide. This is a must-read for every pet guardian who is considering adding a new puppy to their home while facing the sadness of saying goodbye to a beloved older four-legged family member.”
— Viviane Arzoumanian, LFDM, CDBC, CPDT-KA, founder of PumpkinPups Dog Training

From the Publisher