Problems with 2 dogs after long period of seperation?

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Sorry if this is in the wrong place mods.

We may have to separate the dogs for 3-4 months next year during our building works, basically we won't have a secure garden for a long period or any lawn - it will just be mud and we will also be restricted to one room of the house downstairs, no proper kitchen and with Maggie being a toddler at that point also.... We were considering moving out totally but it's probably going to be easier/cheaper to stay and pop Normy into the dog sitters for a long period or possibly give Dave to a friend for a few months.

But I wanted to ask if anyone has has split their dogs up for a long period and had any problems bringing them back together again afterwards before we decide definitely. They have been split for a week before a couple of times but Dave in particular has had Normy around since he was 4 months so not really known anything else. However, since he's been neutered, he has definitely become more 'gobby'. Guess I'm just nervous that if he's on his own for a period that he may not settle back with her as well iyswim.

Any thoughts??

[joanne_v]

I'm sure they'll be fine Hannah. Mine have only been split up for a max of a week when I've been away and Lily and Lyra took a few days to settle down again with each other as they rub each other up the wrong way!

[Nicola]

When I went to South America Tills and Alfie stayed with Jo and Rodaidh stayed with my parents and they were apart for nearly 4 months in all. TBH I don't think you'll have any issues with Normy and Dave in that situation. It was after they were reintroduced that things kicked off with Alfie and Rodaidh but I'm certain that was more to do with them being two young male dogs, Rodaidh having hit maturity and their personality clash than them having been apart, I'm fairly certain it would have happened regardless of them being separated for a while. Rodaidh and Tilly were absolutely fine, you wouldn't have thought they hadn't seen each other for months at all, they had a 'oh, it's you again!' moment of sniffing and that was it so I would think that Normy and Dave would be more like that.

[PennyB]

I don't have any experience of this but think it will be fine apart from the fact that one or the other (I suspect Dave as he's the cocker) may be a bit clingy with you when you get back together in the house (so its worth dealing with that even if its not that apparent - a bit like when I get foster cockers in here).

[Coco]

Wherry and Gizzy never got on that well in the first place and have never been 'reunited' for a long period When Giz and I moved out I think both she and Wherry changed to some extent but when they meet again for a day or two at a time they go bck to the same dynamic as was previously in place. It's not quite the same as I don't know how they would work if they were back together in the longer term but I would imagine, particularly if they saw a bit of each other in the seperate stage, they would adapt when back together

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Thanks everyone 

To be honest, I don't think I'd have thought twice about it if Dave hadn't changed a bit recently. He's generally ok in the house but over the past 2-3 months on walks, I think if I was Normy I'd have killed him by now

He has long episodes of yapping and yapping and jumping up biting her face/ears etc and chasing her everywhere - there hasn't been any real aggression with her to date, just very rude irritating behaviour iyswim but he's an angel when he's walked on his own . Although having said that, he's also been a wotsit with some other dogs to the point it wasn't acceptable and I've had to remove him . I think generally because they are so opposite in everyway possible and that Norms is the calmer one of the two within their relationship, they do have every chance of it being ok - she tends to just ignore him or block him with her body and he does seem to be improving in the last couple of weeks so I'm hoping it's just a bit of an adjustment period for him. It probably wont be until May/June time that we need to split them up so hopefully he'll have settled by then.