CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => General Cocker Spaniel Discussion => Topic started by: daftcockers on November 11, 2003, 06:35:46 PM
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At the moment we have a friends collie staying with us ( a bitch), the 3 boys have been WONDERFUL with her sharing everything toys, bedding and even thier DAD. ;D It's got me thinking that maybe after Xmas would be a nice time for a little girl . Hubbie seems to have taken very nicely to the idea of a little girl. LAST ONE PROMISE :-X
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If all your boys have been neutered then I don't see any problem with adding a girl to your household, but if any of your boys are entire then it is a recipe for disaster :'(
Dessie
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No, only one of the boys has been done, the other 2 are entire as we show them. We will have the facilities to keep them all seperate when she is in season
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I'm sure others that have Dogs and Bitches could advise more on this but from experience gained through friends even keeping them separate in a household can be very trying, and not to mention the boys loosing weight, some can loose coat etc etc.
A close friend of mine kept a dog - she had 3 bitches and then this boy and had nothing but problems. He was ok until they were on the right day and then boy was he a pain ??? Crying all the time, guarding the bitch, not eating then as things progressed he would get hysterical ...
I don't mean to be so negative but it can be a lot of stress for all concerned - Bitch, Dog and owners. Worth some serious thought. Unless you kennel the boys.
Dessie
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reminds me of the film "there's something about Mary" - I can just imagine your 3 boys all doing their best t impress this girlie, trying to outwit each other ;D ;)
I agree with Dessie though - unless there would be somewhere for them / her to go during her first season (you'd have to hope and prey she didn't have a silent one!!!! :o) and then you have her neutered? ??? :'(
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Most males get on with bitches, largely because the bitch is usually very much in charge. My boys are so much bigger than my parent's bitch - but she rules the roast with them and is younger than them. The normally very forward Pip waits his turn for cuddles when she is around. Fletch, totally toy obsessed, won't even go and get his ball off her (she takes it from him and keeps it)! To a human she is a bit of a wimp at times, to male cockers she is obviously Maggie Thatcher ;D (Only Fletch is entire, Molly and Pip are not).
However - two entire males, kept separate from an entire female during her season within the same household, can really fall out and stay falling out. If you want a bitch puppy, you really have to consider very carefully how you will work the relationships between all your dogs when she is in season. It's not something to be considered just because your boys get on with a bitch - if you want an entire female and two entire dogs, it is a 'living' choice in the sense of what do you do every 6 ish months.
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As Hel says, dogs & bitches do tend to get on very well together but don't underestimate how difficult things can sometimes be when you have entire males and a bitch in season living in the same home ;) We are fortunate to have the facilities & enough land so I can exercise bitches in season in a different area to our boy, but he always knows & will sometimes howl, go off his food, lose weight (not necessarily a bad thing as he is inclined to be a bit tubby ;D) for a while. With 2 entire dogs, you can definitely get a competitive thing happening when one of "their" bitches is in season which can lead to tensions & squabbling - something you do need to think about as has already been said. Not trying to put you off, honest but you do need to be aware of what can happen :)
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What are you like Susan ::) ;D I'll be keeping a close eye on this thread cos I was hoping to add a little girl to my clan of boys(2 neutered, 1 entire) late next year :-
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Out of interest Susan and Gill why are you thinking of adding girls and not getting another boy ??
I'm hoping to get a new member of the family in a year or two but I will be getting another boy.
Dessie :D
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Out of interest Susan and Gill why are you thinking of adding girls and not getting another boy ??
Well, for me, I'm hoping that she will be my foundation bitch but the luck I've had with picking pups, I'm not gonna hold my breath ;) But like I said earlier, it'll be useful to hear other peoples opinions/experiences on the matter. Neutering Dallas isn't an option due to whats happened with Vegas, so I may decide it's not suitable to take in a bitch in which case I'd be more than happy to have another boy.
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I'm sure if you went to the right breeder they would guide you into the best Bitch to have as a Foundation Bitch. If I ever went down the route of adding a girl which I have thought about ;) I think I would set up a kennel so they could sleep out and not be around the girls.
JMT
Dessie :D :D
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If I ever went down the route of adding a girl which I have thought about ;) I think I would set up a kennel so they could sleep out and not be around the girls.
They still always know though - there is no fooling these males ;D
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It's interesting reading this thread, as I have been thinking that I would like to get a bitch in a while. Would I have the same sort of problems with Alfie? (He's entire as I show him) I don't have outside kennels but would be able to separate him when she came into season.
Lou :)
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If I ever went down the route of adding a girl which I have thought about ;) I think I would set up a kennel so they could sleep out and not be around the girls.
They still always know though - there is no fooling these males ;D
Very true Jane ;D My 2 boys are kennelled away from our house but they still know when there is an interesting girl in the house ;)
Fortunately they get on really well so there is no rivalry.
Doesn`t stop the wittering and whining tho, and keeping weight on them both is difficult ???
I am always really pleased when their seasons have finished, so things can settle down again :)
Fortunately it`s only every 8-12 months between seasons.
Tracey :)
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Totally correct Jane and Tracey boys will always no that there is a bitch in season but you don't you think it is easier having kennels where they are separate ??
Keeping entire dogs and bitches in a household would be very difficult and I don't think fair on the dogs.
Dessie
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Totally correct Jane and Tracey boys will always no that there is a bitch in season but you don't you think it is easier having kennels where they are separate ??
Certainly its easier than keeping them in separate rooms in a house or worse, crating them as some people do, but you do have to have the room for a kennel & a good-sized run & no neighbours or understanding ones (some dogs can be very vocal when there is an interesting bitch around ;D)
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When I got Misty , my plan was to send either her or Jimmy to my sister or a friend for the duration of her seasons. This is starting to look increasingly impractical now and I'd even reluctantly started considering getting Jimmy castrated. :'( I have been advised that a Tardak injection for Jimmy could be the solution, as soon as Misty shows signs of coming into season. I've spoken to another forum member who has had success using this as a kind of doggie contraceptive, so this seems to be my likely course of action now. Has anyone else used Tardak for this, if so, how effective was it ? Any potential problems I should be aware of ?
If it works, then it might prove useful for you, Gill if you want a bitch, with just an eager Dallas to keep at bay from an alluring temptress. ;D I would imagine three boys might prove more difficult, not to mention costly.
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If it works, then it might prove useful for you, Gill if you want a bitch, with just an eager Dallas to keep at bay from an alluring temptress.
Using Tardak was actually something I was thinking about the other night so let me know if it works ;D
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Sounds like a good idea Colin - am just wondering how vigilant you will have to be though to make sure Jimmy gets the injection when Misty is in season as there arent always any warning signs that the season is coming on... after the first two you'll be better able to judge the gap in between and predict when Misty is due, but for the first especially from the age of 8 months onwards (erring on the side of caution) you'd need to be checking Misty various times a day for the signs ;)
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I agree Mike, although I knew that Butty would be due into season anytime, I was actually taken by surprise when she did ;) Even tho its not been unknown for me to prod about her bits on a regular basis ;) ;D ;D
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My reason for thinking about getting a bitch was basically the same as Gill's. I do have a friend who would be able to look after her when she is in season ad she has kennels and is a cocker breeder. But all this is giving me food for thought ??? Boy Girl Girl Boy, I'll be dreaming about the little rascals forever. When it come down to it I wouldn't want to upset my little boys for the earth.
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Hi Susan, If You have someone who could look after your bitch when she is on heat I think it could work :) I`m sure you know this could be 3-4 weeks, but if you are prepared for that then I don`t see a problem :)
Dessie :)
Kennels are great for physically keeping dogs and bitches apart, the boys still know, and as Jane said you do need a seperate run. They can still smell a bitch and can be noisy >:( I have never kept dogs and bitches together in the house. You need to decide if you have enough room to keep them apart. On top of this you have to be extra vigilant that other members of the family remember to close doors :o
Also a seperate area for the dog to wee is good, once he smells where a girl has been :o
That said I do know people who keep both in the house so it can be done, just takes forward planning and you need to keep on your toes ;)
Don`t know much about Tardak but that could be an option :)
Tracey :)
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My previous post looks to of gotten lost in cyber space ???
But Tracey I think Kennels are the best option with separate runs etc if you are thinking of going into Breeding. Trying to keep dogs separate in a normal household would be quite stressful for all concerned I think personally. Making sure everybody keeps Jack away from Jill etc ...
This is really something that needs lots of thought adding a bitch to a household with an entire dog.
Thank you all for your comments and keep them coming I find this for one very interesting as like Susan & Gill I had thought of getting a girl in the not too distant future.
On the Tardak front ... I had Sebastian Tardaked when he and Bart were having their little problems but it didn't make the slightess difference :( :(
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Might be having Sonnys sister coming to stay for a few weeks so this is a chance to see what 4 cockers is like will let u know :roll: