dogs in season Forums

weaver

Thanks, Dave, that is what everyone says, but then adds lots of warnings "It's a lot of hard work! Can you stand the heartache when things go wrong? Are you prepared to be out of pocket? It's heartbreaking when the puppies leave! I always worry in case their new owners are not responsible dog owners. You hear such a lot about puppy farmers etc."

I think we are swerving in the direction of breeding, but not absolutely decided yet!

Louise

patp

Louise - Buy - or better still stick to one dog. This is my advice as a professional behaviourist. Dogs do not need more company than the companionship that you provide. Bonnie may not like the other dog and then what are you going to do???
One dog is easier to manage than two. Sometimes, IF they bond with each other then they exclude you and your enjoyment goes down. I have seen so many behaviour cases that would not have happened if the owners had stuck to one dog. The only time I recommend getting another dog is when the current one is getting old. It often gives them a new lease of life and they help to bring up the new little one secure in their knowledge that they are loved by you.
If you breed your own litter - yes you get one for yourself but you could get another 6 or 7 or more! Some dogs have 13! there are too dogs in rescue to think about bringing any more dogs into the world. If I had my way I would ban all breeding for x number of years until all the poor dogs in rescue were homed - phew! that feels better - sorry its a bit of a soapbox of mine. I am sure you would take every care to sell them to perfect homes.

Dave - Louise has given you the veterinary reasons. I must admit to being old fashioned and waiting for the first season. Having said that the incontinence theory is still not entirely proven and is a minor and controllable problem compared to pyometra and mammary tumours so I can see the advantages of speying pre first season. I think the Dogs Trust just want the breeding to stop and have weighed up the pros and cons.

Pat

2Dreamers

we thought of breeding Jess with the intention of keeping a pup but decided against it for several reasons
- she is perfectly behaved in the MH and has a slot between the two cab seats - where would number two go?
- I would be too fussy about where the pups went and would want to keep them myself
- What if Jess and her pup, that we decided to keep, didn't get on. It often happens and would be impossible to make a choice between them.

On the speying front, Jess is now 7 years old and unspeyed. At our last visit the vet suggested, for the first time, that we should consider having her speyed. I thought he was just after boosting his holiday cash fund, but I am now worrying - how big is the threat of mammary tumours? We don't really want to have her speyed as he said she would get fat and her hair would go frizzy - not an attractive look Very Happy

Spacerunner

When I had a bitch...sorry, re-phrase that. When I owned a bitch ( still sounds bad), i used vetinary Amplex on her. Alleged to stop her giving off 'come on boys' odour.

Never sure how effective it was, we were all convinced she was a lesbian as she always cocked her leg!

bandaid

there are too many dogs in rescue to think about bringing any more dogs into the world. If I had my way I would ban all breeding for x number of years until all the poor dogs in rescue were homed - phew! that feels better - sorry its a bit of a soapbox of mine. I am sure you would take every care to sell them to perfect homes.

Thats a great thought. When we were looking for a dog, I searched " dog rescue in the uk " and literally came up with hundreds of organisations ranging from the RSPCA to the most obtuse of breed rescue orgaisations.

Looking at some of the lists, there are tens of thousands of dogs in rescue centres throughout the UK. They need to be homed. My bloke was part of a litter from Northern Ireland, they've got so many, the RSCPA has to ship them out to the Mainland, and, according to the Website when I was looking a couple of years ago) they were bringing in van loads of abandoned or ill trested dogs 3 times a week.

2Dreamers

Can't agree more with Bandaids comment.

Our last two dogs were from Springer Rescue.

weaver

Just had a delightful visit from 2 1/2 year old grandson + dad! Matthew insisted on cycling to visit us, but when he arrived it turned out he wanted to watch the Maisie video we have got!

Back to the breeding subject. We had 2 dogs for about 20 years, and they each had their place in the pack. Guiness, our collie cross who died in January last year, was a most loveable rogue, but he was estimated as being 1 1/2 when we had him as a rescue dog, and had some traits we found very trying. If it hadn't been for the fact that we felt we had adopted him for life, he might well have gone back to the kennels. We found out afterwards he had already had 2 previous owners, and we got the impression that he might have been maltreated. He was bought to be company for our collie cross bitch, whom we had spayed, and their relationship was excellent. I agree that two dogs can be more trouble than 1, but on the whole I would say that Shelties seem to get on well together.

Because of all our problems with Guiness, we decided to have a pedigree dog this time, and chose a Sheltie as we had one of these about 35 years ago,

As to size of litter, Shelties are not very prolific breeders. Bonnie was one of a litter of 4 but there are a lot of litters with only 1 or 2 pups. Very occasionally someone has a 'large litter' of 6 pups, but I don't know anyone who has had one recently.

I feel that I am not being irresponsible in bringing unwanted pups into the world, as the Shetland sheepdog club has more people asking for pups than they have on their available pups list.

I fully agree that there are far too many dogs in rescue centres at the moment, but quite a few of these will cause difficulties in their new homes. Dogs more so than bitches, I think. Having said that, each dog is an indiviual, that is the delight of them! I haven't seen many Shelties in rescue centres and I did look when we first decided to have another dog. We had to do a fair bit of research to find a pup, and they cost a fair amount, so maybe that is part of the reason why they are not so frequently abandoned.

Anyway - just one point of view.

Happy travelling

Louise

Zebedee · Moderator

Thanks Pat. Lots of good sense there, and the suggestion that two dogs might bond very strongly and "shut out" the owner is a consideration to be sure.

As for keeping two dogs, there is no such thing as "two dogs".

It goes from one dog to many dogs - or seems to. The biggest problem we found with two bitches, apart from the fighting (but that's another story) was how to know which one to scold when a crime had been committed.

For example, who piddled on the carpet, which of you little swine pinched my last Belgian chocolate, who ran off with my sock and where have you buried it???

Wouldn't be without one though - note the "one", much as I would like to have three or four, especially when we have just visited the Dogs Trust!!

Lessons learned.

bandaid

I haven't seen many Shelties in rescue centres and I did look when we first decided to have another dog. We had to do a fair bit of research to find a pup, and they cost a fair amount, so maybe that is part of the reason why they are not so frequently abandoned.

Shelties are expensive, but I dont think thats an indication of abandonment potential

English Mastiff. RRP ( Question

) around £1000.....Godstone RSPCA £ years ao there were 5 of them 4 after a veisi from me.

Old English sheepdogs, about 800 squid, same time span 2 in Godstone.

GSD, what 750 squid, last year, Raystede recue, x2

But.....Scraggy hairy scruffbag border collie, sells for a bout 50p, none after my missus went there,

Belgian Shepherd. retails about 1200 pounds, i before I went to raystede.

( lost the Mastiff after 2 years to a massive coronary. Crying or Very sad

)

I dont believe cost is any factor if a dog will be abandoned.

IMHO