[Brenda827]

My Abby is getting a sister in 8 days! She is adorable~can't wait to bring her home, but scared I won't know what to do having a puppy & an almost 2 1/2 yr old. Abby was so easy & is a perfect "dog". I'm nervous that I won't do as good with the puppy. Abby's always on my lap. How do I have the same type of relationship with the puppy when she won't be the only one in the house I'm giving all my attention to? I wonder how I will divide my time, becuz the puppy will take so much of it. Abby was easy to potty train, but that was all I did every day (forever it seems). I was always on alert & watching. If I'm spending all my time doing that, where is Abby in all of this? The puppy might not be as easy, & when she has accidents, will Abby regress & go in the house too? Having the pee pads down in places while she's learning, will Abby use them then & not bark to go outside? Of course, after having Abby a little over 2 years, she has her certain routine, but now I'll be so busy & the routine will be disrupted. She goes everywhere with us in a bag that looks like a purse & when we take her somewhere "dogs" aren't allowed, she stays in it, & no one is the wiser. She's little, so she just lays down & doesn't make a sound. Do I continue to do that & leave the puppy home or not take Abby anymore? We have a console car seat, so does one go in the back seat now or squeeze them both in the front? We've never taken her on a plane, so she stays with my sister on those vacations. 8 days has been our longest away. We have one planned in January for 9 days that now I wish we weren't going. Will that be too soon to leave a new puppy & put her in a different surrounding? I feel like that won't be good for her (sister has 2 dogs) becuz it will only be 5 mths that she's been with us. I guess I just want to do everything perfect for her & that she has it as good as Abby does/did. Abby learned so many tricks at an early age. Do I have Abby do them & teach the puppy at the same time (say prayers, wipe feet, high 5, stick 'em up, go in time out, walk, play dead, & all the other commands they learn). I would reward the puppy with a small food treat, while Abby doesn't get food treats for tricks like she did when learning them. Lastly, Abby has always been free fed, so how do I leave her food sitting out, & how does the puppy get free fed, because Abby would eat her food? That is bothering me the most. I don't see how it's going to work. I just want to do the right thing.