[Rosieb]

Hi all
I have free to good home 2 collies - one bitch and one dog.
Ok, here's the story, I inherited the collie bitch Mika when I moved in to the farm 18 month ago, she then had pup's last June to a neighbours collie dog (I had no idea the deed had been done or that they'd even been together until I was later informed)!!
Mika we believe to be about 5 years old, she is keen to work but unfortunately I have no idea what I'm doing so it's the blind leading the blind!
In all honesty I just do not have the time to devote to these dogs in training myself or them how to work correctly and with all best intentions over the past 18 month failed!
I take Mika out with me to round up sheep which she does a fantastic job at and most times I couldn't manage with out her, she seems to know what she's doing and I let her lead me which has worked - but she need so much more which I can't give her.
Loki - was born 16 June 2012 he is used to being round livestock but I haven't taken him out to work at all, he is a very sweet dog, calm and quiet.
I really need to find a home for these 2, they are currently living outside in kennels and I can't keep them much longer.
Please get in touch if you can help -
Thank you Rosie x
 
I forgot to say I'm near Dumfries

[doganjo]

Yet again a litter bred with no health checks done - not your fault Rosie I know but quite sad in my opinion.  You are trying to do the best for the dogs and you are to be commended for that.  I hope you find super homes for both of them, and that they will now both be neutered, or health tested before breeding from.

[Old Shep]

have you tried the border collie rescues?  Freedom of Spirit, Wiccaways, Protecting preloved border collies?




edited to add:  please do not advertise free to good home on gumtree, preloved etc as these dogs are often picked up by seemingly nice people who then sell them on for bait dogs for dog fighting

[Rosieb]

Hi Doganjo - you are 100% right and I'm mortified by the situation, I felt sorry for Mika because she was abandoned on the farm, she's such a lovely dog I decided to keep her, when I found out about the pups I was so angry as the neighbour shouldn't even have been here and with his dog as we were out on a rare day trip.
I have 5 dogs of my own and breed basset hounds along with everything else on the farm, I'd hoped to make time to take Mika on a course so I could work her but even after 18 months I just don't get the chance to go away with her between lambing, calving, horses etc,etc.
I can't bare to see them in the kennels any longer it's just not fair they are worth more than that and I really do want to do the right thing by them.
I haven't contacted rescues as yet, I know they are already over run with dogs so I thought I'd try and find homes for them first and as a last resort I'll contact rescue centres.

[doganjo]

Good luck Rosieb.  Don't have many farming friends but will keep a listen out.  - you could try posting on our Facebook page - Central Scotland Smallholders

https://www.facebook.com/centralscotland.smallholders?fref=ts

[sabrina]

As I was at the vets yesterday I thought I would get a price for getting Rascal done. £160-£200. now OH has not been keen on this for poor Rascal which must be a man thing for he had no problem when I had the bitches done in the past. When I mention this cost to him last night he was even less interested. Jake our Jack Russell was done years ago with no problems and I think he cost me £60. Its not that Rascal gets to wander but there does seem to be a bit of an issue with Jake and himself now and again and wonder if he was not entire would this help.

[Rosieb]

Hi Sabrina
Years ago I bred Jack Russell's and had 2 dogs and 3 bitches, the dogs used to fight quite a lot and pee on guests boots, coats etc - when I say pee they were marking really, it became a real problem so I had the dogs neutered as I was lead to believe this would help the situation - by this point my dogs were age 7 and 5 years.  It didn't change a thing!
and I caught the younger dog trying to mate with his mother and sister!! so they both still had tendencies too!

However my son got a Jack Russell dog 5 years ago and we had him neutered at 8 month old we've never had a problem with him, he doesn't fight, mark or have tendencies but my son says it's made him homosexual as he has been caught mounting our bassett hound dogs head if a bitch is in season, which really is quite funny, he never goes anywhere near a bitch in season though!

I did think about getting Mika spayed but I have successfully run dogs and bitches together for many, many years with no problems - perhaps because we've always lived very remote and don't have the problem of straying dogs from close neighbours, the guy who owns the collie dog actually drove to the farm and let his dog out of the pickup and wonder round our farm, he could see Mika was in season and stood and watched the dogs "do it"!!
I'm sure you can imagine the neighbour and I no longer speak and cross words were exchanged!!

[doganjo]

Dogs need to be castrated before they are sexually mature to prevent aggression.  And aggression often doesn't manifest itself till after maturity - Catch 22 situation.  If it's in the breed to be assertive/aggressive and you do not intend to breed then it's best done at around 8/9 months - I wouldn't do it much sooner due to affecting growth hormones, and I certainly wouldn't spay a bitch until after her first season for exactly the same reason.  If a bitch is not to be bred from it makes sense to spay at that time to prevent mammary gland tumours and Pyometra.

I see no reason for any dog or bitch to be bred from unless it has had ALL necessary health tests and passed them, is healthy and a good specimen of the breed - not just in your own eyes either, nor to be bred before they are physically mature at around 2 years of age in most breeds

JMHO

[Rosieb]

Hi again Joandog
 
Yes, I know all this now, it was many, many (too many) moons ago when I had my dogs neutered, it was so long ago that my original breeding pair of Jack's I lost last year at grand old ages!
I now breed Bassett Hounds and have done for many years.
 
I totally agree with what you say and perhaps should have said that myself as it's very helpful to others who are less experienced and keen to learn 

[doganjo]

Hi again Joandog

I'm dog (obvious) an(first half of Anne - me) jo (first half of John, late hubby) AKA Annie 

[Rosieb]

  Hahaha I do apologise doganjo, that's what happens when I'm trying to reply in a rush and not paying attention! 
 
So sorry about that, I hope I didn't offend x

[horsemadmummy]

I can take both dogs down my farm in Devon if we can between us try and get some rides at least down to mid country ( I can travel a bit but have 5 children and am in the middle of lambing).  Ive seen it done on this site before so can we see if we can make it work for these pair too?  I hope we  - a working forever home assured if we can.  We have two other collies and two waimeraners as well as the ewes lambs sows boars piglets and poultry and soon dairy goats!

[sabrina]

Jake was done around 9 months old as we had the bitches and he became a pest. He seems to be marking in the house again which makes me think Rascal is maturing and jake is telling him he is the boss. he has also started mounting poor Rascal and gets told off for this. As far as I am concerned the only boss in this house is me and Jake needs to get back in line. 

[in the hills]

Hope you can sort the collies out.


My Flattie is 7 and is no problem most of the time but then for no obvious reason becomes very worked up ..... crying, trying to hump my leg and hyper. He goes months without this behaviour. The vet has told me that dogs can smell an in season bitch from over a mile away  . She reckons it's probably when my neighbours (though he is quite a long way away) bitches come into season. Behaviour lasts about a week and then back to normal. 


He will have to be done now we have a girl collie but vet says it probably won't change his behaviour .... as already mature.

[SallyintNorth]

He will have to be done now we have a girl collie but vet says it probably won't change his behaviour .... as already mature.

Some of it is habit, but as he isn't always like this, that's not the case with your Flattie.

How it was explained to me is that some dogs make most of their testosterone in their testes and very little in their adrenal glands; these dogs will gradually calm down after the op.  Some mature dogs make a significant proportion of their testosterone in their adrenal glands, and may therefore show little change in male-hormone-related behaviour after castration.

My dog, nutted in his later years, took about 12 months to show a significant reduction in male behaviours - but it did come.