The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Pets & Working Animals => Dogs => Topic started by: SteveHants on May 02, 2013, 02:14:25 pm
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I have been offered a six year old working collie bitch from a large farm where she is no longer needed. This seems to be a good idea as then I can bring my one year old collie on with less pressure - it is something my trainer reccomended as I clearly need a dog, but Pip is too young to expect great things from.
Problem is; she is a bitch and mine is a dog. I intend to get her speyed and I have somewhere she can live away from the dog, but it would only be temporary - the plan is to have them both in the same kennel eventually - I have spoken to a number of 'dog people' and they seem to think that them living together shouldn't be a problem.
I'm just wondering how to go about it; obviously she cant go in with the dog straightaway as I dont want puppies, and I'm guessing she might like to be by herself post-op for a bit...
Has anyone any experience of doing this? Whats the best way to go about it?
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I'm sure Pip will love the arrangement - generally boy dogs love girls dogs ;) whether the girl has her bits or not.
It is possible the bitch won't tolerate the young whippersnapper - you won't know till you try! Easier to bring her into his domain than the other way about, that's for sure.
Our best kennel is a large pen with two individual pens within it, each of which has a shelf under which a collie or two can curl up, and upon which a collie or two can curl up. Each dog therefore can be near but not with the other, or in a separate pen, or they can be curled up together, as the mood takes them. And any dog can be penned alone, but in familiar surroundings and within ear and nose-shot of his/her pen-mates, when required.
I do think it's important that that can each feel they have their own space, even if they become great buds and mostly curl up together.
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Mixing a girl with a boy is definitely the easier way around. We introduced a young girl to our then 3 year old boy 5 years ago. When we weren't around we left her crated to prevent any possible spats between them - it literally took a couple of weeks for us to be comfortable with them together. Collies are very sociable creatures and I know people with many more who all live happily together.
Other thing about spaying - they don't take long to recover, but it just depends how long you have to wait for the the op to be done.
Donna
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Thanks - the vet said three weeks from her last season, but the guy I'm getting her off only has bitches and says he hasn't noticed a season at least in the past year. I can crate her in an 8 foot livestock trailer I don't use anymore - wooden floor, should be quite cosy at night, but obviously I wouldnt keep her in it long.
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You shouldn't have any problems, I've added males to females, females to males at various ages - instant love!
You can pen them together once you are sure they're OK until you see the first signs of a season. But if your friend hasn't seen a season for a while I would get her spayed straight away. The only reason they like spaying to be done half way between seasons is that is when the hormone levels are lowest and stable, so it leaves less risk of phantoms and other health problems. If a bitch needs an emergency spay they don't even ask!
Introduce them on neutral ground - that is - not your place or your friends' - a local park maybe or another friend;'s garden? They'll be fine! Take her home, enjoy, get her op done ASAP, she'll feel well the day after, be fit within a couple of days, and certainly by the end of the two weeks when her stitches come out.
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Our collie bitches don't seem to come into season very often and not regularly, even though there's a dog on the premises. I don't know if it's a feature of the breed? So as Annie says, I'd just take her in for the op.
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I would integrate the two gradually not throw them in together at once. Has she shared before or had her own space? She might feel a bit crowded suddenly sharing. Also it generally takes around 3 weeks for a dog to be accepted by a new pack - till then they would hang around the outskirts of the pack area. I keep new/foster dogs sleeping apart from my dogs for a couple of weeks then gradually increase the time together. They can exercise together from the start though.
I'd just get her spayed now - nowadays they do advise mid way between seasons but how do you do that with irregular seasons? With a rescue dog they will be spayed before rehoming no matter where they are their cycle.
Enjoy your new dog - we need pics please??!
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And here is Nell with her new friend (nell is the one in the black coat - her new friend is the one in the pink coat ;) )
Arrived yesterday.....
(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8554/8811909379_0f212d7bc5.jpg)
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:) :love: :dog:
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Aw, what a lovely picture - they'll have lots of fun together. :excited:
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Arhhhh how sweet, its nice to re home a dog, my husband keeps talking about someone where he works with a very fat Border Collie, he is very tempted to bring him home but then he thinks again, the owner is in his 80's and has a few less marbles than he started out with and cannot walk him but gives him loads of food......I suppose they are both happy but your dog looks very healthy!! :thumbsup:
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I put her round a mixed bunch of 70 or so of last years ewe lambs/cull ewes and she worked a treat - was quite a tricky gather in parts because of some little wooded bits. One was struck and wouldn't gather so we caught her up together after and she put the rest through the race just nicely.
I am told she can drive too, but I'll save that for another day. I am currently very proud of her. :-*
Pip has a lot to live up to now... ;D
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Arhhhhhhhhhhh thats soooo lovely :love:
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Lucky Nell, lucky Steve ;D