[sabrina]

Would like some advice please. OH and I are thinking of getting another Border Collie this summer. Rascal is now 2 past October and Jack our Jack Russell is 10. We feel that Jake is not quite up to playing all day. In the past all my German Shepherds have been bitches which I felt were more interested with looking after me. Where as Jake does hang around when I am working outside Rascal does like to wander about the place. My bitches were spayed but as yet Rascal is still a whole boy. would getting a bitch puppy cause problems between Jake who is also done and Rascal. Should I get another male. I would like a rough coated red so looking at having to travel a long way to get a health tested red puppy and want to get this right.

[shygirl]

i have  3 dogs and a bitch with no problems. the bitch was spayed at 5 yrs and one dog (terrier) done at 7 mths. the only fights we get are over food. the bitch is a gsd and is the boss of them all.

[Old Shep]

As long as you get Rascal done if you get a bitch - it shouldn't matter, go for what you want.  Glad you are getting a health tested red as there are a lot off unscrupulous breeders of "coloured" collies.  Having met so many nasty reds personally I wouldn't give one house room - but there must be some nice ones!

[sabrina]

Are the reds prone to being nasty then, I only know one and she is fine if not a bit on the small side.

[Ladygrey]

We had a red border collie bitch who was Satan's daughter.... she was put to sleep at 5 from cancer of the blood but I dont know how we survived that long.

However they cannot all be like that and I bet there are lovely reds out there

In my parents household we have kept girls and boys all together and I much prefer the boys I have found the girls to be fantastic family dogs and love everyone equally however the boys have been more loyal to one person. I have two boys now
This may differ from breed and households though,

At home my parents had 1 entire bitch and 3 nuetered boys, however the bitch went wondering off the other night and my mums little shih tzu boy went following and got hit by a car, broke his spine and had to be pts
So the bitch is now being booked in to be spayed as I think it would kill everyone if it happened again.

This makes it easyer for when I come around as one of my dogs is entire

[doganjo]

Unless you have a fully health tested dog or bitch and bought your pup with the intention of breeding, trialling,  or showing from the start there is no need to keep dogs or bitches entire.

I have had fighting with both dogs and bitches in various breeds over the years, neutering young (after puberty) definitely helps.  It  can also help prevent illnesses such as mammary gland tumours in bitches, testicular cancer in dogs.

[Ladygrey]

Unless you have a fully health tested dog or bitch and bought your pup with the intention of breeding, trialling,  or showing from the start there is no need to keep dogs or bitches entire.

Yup I agree, the bitch at home is a 7 year old crossbreed that my sister bought at 6 weeks old when she was young, she quickly lost interest and left her with my parents, the dog should should have been spayed when she was a puppy paid for by my sister, my parents are having to shell out the money now to get her done

[Marches Farmer]

We have a brilliant red and white BC - he was a bit of a handful when young (straight off a Welsh mountain sheep farm) but we gave him to a trainer (Alison Smith) for six weeks and she turned him from a bit of a hooligan to a  useful sheepdog.  He's not aggressive but is assertive.  He's now 3 and my son has trained him up to be a really good sheepdog - wonderful outrun!

[sabrina]

Not interested in breeding, Rascal has collie eye. As far as I can see no health tested breeders up here hence looking South. OH does not see any reason to get Rascal done so if we got a bitch she would have to be spayed. Would like to show just for fun. Rascal is great with the grandchildren and our animals so whatever we buy must be good natured that's the most important thing to us.

[shygirl]

you cant show a neutered dog at an affiliated show.
my friend had a crufts standard bitch who had terrible phantom pregnancies and had to neuter her but that ended her show career.

[sabrina]

That I know only going to do fun things. Does not encourage people to neuter their dogs though. I used to show Fallon hence she was 5 before I had her spayed.

[doganjo]

you cant show a neutered dog at an affiliated show.
my friend had a crufts standard bitch who had terrible phantom pregnancies and had to neuter her but that ended her show career.

Sorry but that is rubbish!  It does apply to dogs to an extent, but they can still be shown but every standard says "Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.", so Judges will not place them highly unless they are far and away better than an entire dog in the same class.  As far as bitches are concerned ALL bitches may be shown if you ask for 'Permission to show' from the Kennel, Club following spaying.  Both my bitches have been spayed and both have two Challenge Certificates.  I don't show my 13 year old as she has lost a lot of teeth but I still hope to get that third ticket with 9 year old Belle to make her a Show Champion - and perhaps also her working certificate to make her a Full Champion.  If your friend has a Crufts standard bitch I assume she has won a place at a  Championship Show so she should write that letter and continue - in any case you can't tell with a bitch whether they have been neutered or not - I reckon a lot of people don't even bother asking for PTS - only honest folk like me 

[shygirl]

you cant show a neutered dog at an affiliated show.
my friend had a crufts standard bitch who had terrible phantom pregnancies and had to neuter her but that ended her show career.

Sorry but that is rubbish!  It does apply to dogs to an extent, but they can still be shown but every standard says "Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.", so Judges will not place them highly unless they are far and away better than an entire dog in the same class.  As far as bitches are concerned ALL bitches may be shown if you ask for 'Permission to show' from the Kennel, Club following spaying.  Both my bitches have been spayed and both have two Challenge Certificates.  I don't show my 13 year old as she has lost a lot of teeth but I still hope to get that third ticket with 9 year old Belle to make her a Show Champion - and perhaps also her working certificate to make her a Full Champion.  If your friend has a Crufts standard bitch I assume she has won a place at a  Championship Show so she should write that letter and continue - in any case you can't tell with a bitch whether they have been neutered or not - I reckon a lot of people don't even bother asking for PTS - only honest folk like me 

thats what i was told by a tibetan terrier breeder 10 yrs ago anyway. maybe i misheard 

[doganjo]

I am a Champion ship Show Gundog Judge(have been for 15 years, and have been showing for 40 years) I am also a Working Gundog Club  Secretary, and Secretary of our Breed Judges Sub Committee.

I think you must have misheard or your breeder friend was misinformed!

[jaykay]

In defence of red collies - the dad of both mine (a dog and a bitch, same breeding, different litters) was a red, and both mine are the sweetest, most people-friendly bc's you could meet.

Sabrina, if I was adding a dog to those two boys, I'd add a bitch. I just think you'll get a happier 'family'. My girls are spayed and my boy is entire. But if I had two boys at least one of them would be neutered, to avoid too much 'posturing'.