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I'm looking for some good advice I can give to my best friend regarding her older dog and her new puppy. Since I know there are a lot of pet owners here, I thought I'd get your thoughts!

Her older dog is 11 years old. He's mostly mellow, but does get excited/playful when people come to visit. The new puppy is 5 months old, male, and is a typical puppy.

Her concern is the anxiety the older dog is having. He won't really eat, doesn't get off the sofa when the puppy is nearby, and began vomiting last night (8 times!). When they are outside, he will play with the puppy and walk around. Inside, he corrects the puppy when it tries to get on the sofa with him, but is extremely timid otherwise.

How can she help her older dog through this? It's only been 5 days so she's hoping it get better. She'll be able to spend the next week at home so they will have more interaction.

[This message edited by BeingNaive at 2:21 PM, June 5th (Thursday)]

Oooh I would say her old dog is stressed out.

I would separate them as much as possible, and wear the little guy out prior to allowing them time together.

11 for a medium to larger sized dog is considered an old man. Just like Grandpa doesn't want to hang out with a toddler too long, neither will the old dog. If the pup can be a bit calmer, worn out from exercise then the old guy will be more accepting.

If he is not eating and getting GI distress he is pretty stressed out though.