Author Topic: Wanted - a couple of pups for a newly establishing smallholding (Read 3580 times)

Sudanpan · « **on:** August 29, 2009, 05:54:50 pm »

Hi All
Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.
We are looking for a couple of pups from a single litter to augment our cornish smallholding

- gender not a problem. We are after medium/large eventual size - and think that a cross including lab might be beneficial. We are both experienced dog owners (Bernese mountain dog, lab/collie cross, rottie cross) but haven't had dogs for a while given sorting out our new project in the west country.

We will have chickens and pigs on the smallholding, and although the dogs will be house dogs they will be kennelled outside (we are living in a caravan at the moment so a tad pushed on inside space - the barn we have is 3 times the size of the caravan!).
Does anyone have any comments regarding springer/collie crosses? Or springer/lab? There are some fairly local springer/collie cross pups available (we are going to see the litter next week) but I'm a little concerned that getting a mix of a possibly workaholic collie plus a bouncy springer might be courting a nightmare.
Any pointers to rescue outfits in Cornwall would also be appreciated

Thanks for your time
Tish

doganjo · « **Reply #1 on:** August 29, 2009, 09:23:40 pm »

Apart from any temperament problems with crosses you also have the potential for double the health problems. I know some people believe in hybrid vigour but I am afraid it is an urban myth, but you might just get off with it in complete and totally mixed breed mongrels.

For instance, if you have a Labrador with hip dysplasia mated to a collie with Collie Eye Anomaly/Choroidal Hypoplasia (CEA/CH) or Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (CL) then you could be breeding pups with any or all of these conditions. A pure bred can be checked for the recognised health problems - for instance in my breed hip dysplasia has been known so we x-ray breeding stock. I only breed when the hip score is below the current breed average - at present it is 17, my dogs are 7, 7, and 14.

If you have poultry you must remember most gundogs are bred to find and retrieve birds(some are bred to kill - GWP are used to find and kill feral cats in Australia), so an adult rescue could come with a built in wish to retrieve your stock to hand. I have to keep my birds penned up when the dogs are out, they have been known to bring my ducks and chickens back to me - alive and kicking as they all have soft mouths - except my GWP chicken killer !!

). Terriers are bred to kill, hounds are escape artists and take off if not on lead or securely contained. The herding breeds are good for farms provided they are trained to herd and not chase. A Bernese Mountain dog is unlikely to stray far but they get very warm in our climate, as do Newoundlands and other similar heavily coated breeds.

I can recommend gundogs as a good useful all round family dog, but there are so many different breeds that it is impossible to generalise. Why not try the Kennel Club puppy finder. http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/findabreed/; then check out the health recommendations for the breeds that appeal to you. You could, of course, go to the local cat and dog home and take home a mongrel that needs a home and that but for you would be put down. It's your choice.

leena · « **Reply #2 on:** August 30, 2009, 11:51:38 am »

Or google labrador rescue. all breeds have their own rescue sites if labs are not your choice.

kazschow · « **Reply #3 on:** August 30, 2009, 08:39:27 pm »

I personally would be very cautions of taking two litter mates. It makes training much more difficult, they are more likely to bond with each other, making the bond you need to effectively train each individual dog all the weaker. I personally know of no breeder that would sell you two littermates for that very reason.

Why not get one dog, train it well then get a second when you dog is 18 months to 2 years old, it would be out of adolescence, hopefully very well trained, and you would have the energy to strat with you next little one.

Sudanpan · « **Reply #4 on:** August 30, 2009, 09:25:14 pm »

Thanks for the responses.
I have never heard about the littermate problem before - interesting concept.
We're going to have a chat with the spaniel/collie cross people in any event - can't resist seeing the puppies at least

doganjo · « **Reply #5 on:** August 31, 2009, 12:02:18 am »

If you go to see the pups you will most likely take one

- puppies are irresistible

I would agree with the litter mates thing. I know people in my breed who have done this and had a dreadful time - usually ending up with one reasonably well trained and the other a hooligan - but then my breed are all hooligans.

JulieS · « **Reply #6 on:** August 31, 2009, 07:42:55 am »

I'd agree with the littermates things too.

The farmer opposite us kept 2 jack russells from one litter....and really regrets it!

They are called Ant and Dec and are real hooligans. Great when on their own, but when they get together they have a sort of pack mentality and attack any other dog they see. Even managed to get over a 6' high gate the other day to get to my basset hound Phoebe.

I certainly find with bassets, that getting one first then another a few months later has worked really well.