Old Dog to New Puppy is the story of how our family went from grieving the loss of a dog we loved to welcoming a tiny new puppy named Thor into our home. Our old dog of nine years passed away, and it just about killed me and my husband. At first, getting another dog was the last thing on my mind.
Then one day, my husband was out and came across some very young puppies. He fell in love with one of them, and at four weeks old, he brought him home.
That was the beginning of our journey from an old dog to new puppy.
Bringing Our New Puppy Home
This puppy was the cutest thing you ever saw. The poor little guy was covered in fleas. As soon as I saw him, I knew we needed to get him cleaned up and comfortable.
I gave him a bath and carefully combed the remaining fleas out of his fur over the next couple of days. He definitely wasn’t impressed with his first bath, but afterward he seemed much more comfortable.
Because Thor was so young, I was concerned about making sure he was eating properly. He was just being weaned from his mom when my husband brought him home.
I softened his puppy food so he could eat it more easily. At first, he didn’t quite understand how to pick up the food. He tried to suck it up, which didn’t work very well! Eventually, though, he figured it out.
And let me tell you, that boy could eat.
Because puppies that young can have special nutritional needs, it’s always a good idea to talk with a veterinarian about the appropriate food and feeding schedule for a very young puppy.
Potty Training a Very Young Puppy
Thor was way too young to understand that he needed to go outside to go to the bathroom. I took him outside frequently throughout the day to try to limit the number of accidents in the house.
Luckily, we have hardwood floors!
As he got older, we started getting more serious about potty training. Eventually, he began going to the back door when he needed to go outside.
There was just one problem.
If we didn’t notice him standing at the back door, he would have an accident on the floor. So when you see Thor standing by that door, you had better hurry!
Potty training has probably been one of the biggest challenges in our old dog to new puppy transition.
Meet Thor, Our Little Alligator
We named our new puppy Thor, and it didn’t take him long to start recognizing his name.
I bought him toys to chew on, but apparently Thor thought I was a much better chew toy.
He loves his stuffed animals. He grabs them, tosses them around, and growls at them like he’s fighting the biggest monster in the world.
When he started teething, those tiny little teeth were sharp!
I started calling him the alligator.
Once Thor got hold of you, he did not want to let go. One day, he even got me on my upper lip, and I still have a little scar from it.
Those Kissable Puppy Cheeks
Thor has some of the softest fur I have ever felt on a dog, along with these adorable little fat cheeks that are just begging to be kissed.
When he was tiny, I could hold him in one hand and kiss those cheeks. He would fight me the entire time, but I still got all the puppy kisses I wanted.
He also does some of the funniest things.
He likes to jump like a rabbit when he’s playing with his toys. Sometimes he lands on a toy funny, and it shoots out from underneath him. We laugh at him constantly.
Some of the things Thor does even remind me of our old dog.
Little Reminders of Our Old Dog
Going from an old dog to new puppy has brought back some memories I didn’t expect.
Thor sits with both back feet pointing forward. Instead of sitting on his butt like you would expect a dog to do, he almost looks like he is sitting on his back.
He also loves lying on his back with that cute fat belly showing while he sleeps.
Our old dog slept the same way.
And boy, can Thor talk!
He doesn’t just bark. He talks to us. I have a feeling this little boy is going to have quite the attitude when he gets older.
Our old dog to new puppy experience has definitely reminded us how much energy a little puppy can have.
Thor’s House
We have a crate that Thor sleeps in and stays in when we aren’t home. We call it his house.
He isn’t always thrilled about going into his house, but it gives him a safe place to sleep and keeps him out of trouble when we can’t watch him.
Thor is growing by leaps and bounds. Some mornings when I get him out of his house, I swear he has doubled in size overnight.
At the rate he’s growing, he may need a bigger house before we know it.
Thor’s First Trip to the Vet
We took Thor to the veterinarian for his puppy checkup and vaccinations. I was especially concerned because he had come to us at such a young age.
Thankfully, the veterinarian said Thor was doing well.
That made me feel much better.
Getting him checked by a veterinarian was important to us, especially since very young puppies can have different health, nutrition, and vaccination needs.
Morning Walks and Puppy Adventures
The first thing I do in the morning is take Thor out of his house and head outside.
We go for a little walk to make sure he does his business.
Thor, of course, has other ideas.
He likes to bite at my ankles and shoes while we walk, so I have to be careful not to step on him.
He absolutely loves playing in the tall grass. He dives into it and crawls through it on his belly like he’s on some kind of puppy mission.
Watching him explore the world has been one of my favorite parts of having a new puppy.
Thor Meets Joey
We also have another dog named Joey, who is five years old. We hoped Joey would take Thor under his wing and teach him how things work around here.
Well…Joey had other plans.
Joey isn’t exactly thrilled with Thor.
When Thor tries to play with him, Joey sometimes growls. Thor seems to think Joey is playing, so we keep a close eye on the two of them and give Joey his space when he wants it.
That doesn’t stop Thor from following him around.
Joey will head toward the woods, and Thor tries to follow him. He’ll walk a little way into the trees, suddenly decide he isn’t quite brave enough yet, turn around, and come running back to me.
One of these days, I have a feeling he’s going to follow Joey all the way.
Another part of our old dog to new puppy journey has been watching Thor learn how to live with Joey.
Learning Something New Every Day
Thor is about ten weeks old now, and he is learning so much.
He’s doing much better with potty training, although he still has an occasional accident.
We have a doggy door that Joey uses whenever he wants to go in or out. Thor has figured out how to come into the house through the doggy door.
Going out through it?
Not quite yet.
He’ll get it.
Thor also just learned how to climb the stairs. Now he thinks he’s a big boy.
There’s only one little problem.
He hasn’t figured out how to go back down the stairs!
We’re working on that one.
One thing I love about this old dog to new puppy experience is watching Thor learn something new almost every day.
From an Old Dog to a New Puppy and a New Beginning
At first, I didn’t want another dog.
Losing our old dog hurt so much that I wasn’t sure I was ready to go through all of this again. A new puppy could never replace the dog we lost, and I wouldn’t want him to.
But Thor wasn’t brought into our lives to replace anyone.
He’s creating his own place in our family.
Yes, puppies are a lot of work. There are accidents to clean up, sharp little teeth, early mornings, training, vet visits, and times when I wonder what in the world he is getting into now.
But there are also puppy kisses, fat little cheeks, belly-up naps, rabbit jumps, morning walks, and a little dog who comes running back to me when the woods get too scary.
Our journey from an old dog to new puppy started with heartbreak, but Thor has brought laughter back into our home.
Having animals in your life makes waking up each morning a little better. With all the puppy stuff and all the hard work, having Thor in my life is a blessing.
And I love him more and more every day.