Uncle got a new black lab :( good or bad reason

We used to have two dogs, Satch and Zoe. Satch was our baby and we had him for about 4 years before getting him a companion because our neighbors were sure Satch was lonely. Needless to say, he was not happy about his new companion and would bite her, sit on her (Satch=Malamute, Rottweiler, Shepherd mix, Zoe=Shepherd, Lab mix), roll on top of her and so forth. Over time he trained her to stay in the yard and she depended on him, perhaps like a dad. A few years back we had to put Satch down and my family and I were devastated. Zoe never got over it and has never been the same. We thought about getting her a companion but came to the realization that the new dog would never be Satch for her and she doesn't like other dogs anyway. I worry what will happen we she goes and how my boys will handle that. My husband told them Satch lives on a farm in Heaven and can now run and play like when he was a puppy. They seemed to understand that and accepted it although they were still very sad. I don't know if it is good or bad to get a puppy before another family pet passes on. Either way, you still have the heartache of losing the older dog whether a new puppy is in the home or not. Some dogs enjoy companionship so maybe the older dog likes having the younger one around to train and so forth. Maybe it is a good thing for everyone, including the dogs. I wish you and your family the best.

Personally I think it's a great idea! Sounds like your uncle knows what he is doing. Like someone else said, the older dog can teach the new puppy the rules and boundaries of the "pack" and the kids can get attached to the puppy, so when the older dog does pass away it won't be as hard for them as it would be without the pup. You say the lab is 13, and his kids are under the age of 10, so this also gives them the chance to grow up with and to help raise a puppy :)