Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Spring?


 Look carefully and you will see the pussy willows that are sprouting at my house.    I am almost as lucky as Michelle in Oregon.   ...........Sorry, it was just a way to keep my spirits  up.     It really did remind me of pussy willows.   All it was is the frozen fog we had for several days this week.

To all the wonderful dog people out there that might read this simple blog:    Would it be a bad idea for me to get another male dog?    It would be a Cardi, and it would be neutered as soon as possible.    The other two are also neutered.    Although the loss of Libby eats at my heart, I know that Zippy needs a playmate if I am to retain any semblance of sanity.    Scooter doesn't play with him like Libby did, and even though we went for two long walks today, one through deep snow, he was still going to eat my catalogs after supper.    And that was after he had run  many wind sprints from one end of the house to the other.     He just stands outside now .   Before he was always on the move.

Do you think I need to get one sex or the other?     I would love your input.    Jinnie told me how she feels about it and I value her opinion.    I just wonder what some of the other dog people think.

15 comments:

onecollie said...

I think it would be no problem at all to get another male, as long as your male collie doesn't have any issues, & he didn't when you brought Zippy into the household. Both of my collies are male & neither of them are neutered...I never allowed the younger boy to push Tate around, things like trying to eat Tate's food,stuff like that, I have had no issues at all, they are the best of friends.
Best of luck to you which ever way you go, the dog will be lucky to join your pack!

Renee J said...

It's always hard when you lose a pet and almost harder to see their best friend lost without them. I would suggest taking Zippy along to meet the potential playmate to see how they get along. Good luck!

penni said...

I've found that two boys are more difficult to integrate than are a male and a female, or a male and two females. However, there are many bloggers who have two boys and they seem to get along. My experience was that it did not work. Zippy does need a playmate though.

Sometimes people will have a slightly older puppy that didn't work out for show. That might be a good choice because the puppy would be close to Zippy's age and size. If you think you might want that, I'd be happy to post on the Lists to which I belong to see if we can find that dog for you.

Dawn said...

I think it really depends on the boys and girls in question. People warned me about keeping 2 girls and thier mother. So far, no issues, but I do have issues between my mixed breed neutered boy Kazin, and Magic also neutered. There are some folks with older pups available-not sure what specifics you want, but an older one would be able to keep up to Zippy right away. If I can help in any way, let me know.

Tammy said...

I have always had female dogs for the most part-with the exception of a little Pom and now Boone. I wouldn't ever consider getting an adult male with Boone, but he is very aggressive. He might be okay with a puppy. The girls have all gotten along fine, with just an occasional spat, even though introduced as adults. Anyway, after Ariel (my blue merle collie) had to be put down earlier last year, I got Ashley the sable and white, because Boone was grieving so hard and was SO lonely. I usually wait longer, just to work through my own grief, but it seemed the thing to do for him. It really helped him so much to have a buddy and they bonded quickly. On your situation--is the new dog an older male or a younger male or puppy? I'm thinking the younger the better to introduce him with Scooter and Zippy. Is there a possibility you could take him on a trial period of a week or two? If there are going to be issues I would think they would come out then. Good luck, I hope you find a play buddy for Zippy. Take care,
Tammy

Sharrie said...

Penni and Dawn------The pup I was looking at is Garrett's Crockett. I got Libby at 9 months. It is the first dog I have not raised from a pup in my 40 some years of dogdom. I am real wary of a dog that someone else socialized.

Dog 1 - Scooter. He is a big couch potato although he likes to run when we go off leash. He has a natural heel and is always at me side when walk on leash.

Dog 2 - Zippy. He always played with Libby whether she wanted to or not. I think he was real happy when he was able to keep up with her as he grew up. At the vet the other day, he met a Great Dane. That was just fine, but he did end up on his back with his feet waggling. He always backed down when Libby told him she had had enough.

penni said...

Crockett is adorable.

I don't blame you for wanting to raise a puppy your way. The older dogs that have come to me have all been sweet, but have had at least one issue -- chewing furniture, barking for no reason, etc. The dogs I've raised from puppyhood know the house rules and (usually) follow them -- though occasionally they are led astray.

Best of luck, Sharrie. A huge hug from New Mexico.

Tammy said...

Hey Sharrie,
My guess is you'll have no problems with a nine week puppy. They should be able to work out their pack rank as he matures. I think an adult male would have been harder to predict. I say go for it. It'll probably help you all, and Crockett looks like a sweetie.
Tammy

Taryn said...

I have 2 neutered male Cardis. One is almost 7, the other is almost 3. I would say they get along fine 90% of the time. Occasionally play will get out of hand, and some snarking will occur. There have been maybe 3 or 4 arguments over food, but nothing too serious. The older one tends to back down quickly to avoid any problems. The only true issue is that the younger one won't let the older one have any toys. He snags them away every time. So he gets put away when it is toy time for the older one.
Both do agility and I exercise them alot, so I think this helps as well.

Michelle said...

Sounds like you've gotten lots of good advice and I have nothing to add except that I agree, it really depends on the dogs and their personalities. Jackson and Dozer get along great; both neutered males, one acquired as a pup and one as a young adult. When my dad brings his young adult neutered male dachshund, they all play like gangbusters, providing great human entertainment (I do have to watch Jackson, just because of the difference in size).

And your bushes/trees really do look like pussywillows!

Kathleen said...

Hi Sharrie,

I had a Basset hound that did very well with any dog that wasn't too aggressive. My Siberian, however, has not had many good experiences with other dogs and she is pretty picky about who she spends her time with.

I think the younger the new pal, the better. Older dogs seem to be more tolerant of the babies than they are of the adults.

Cindy said...

I think it's all about how you manage the dogs and knowing each dogs personality. I've been told that it can't be done to have intact males together. Other then Edweirdo, the other four boys have no issues other then when a girl is in season. I have more issues with the girls then the boys.
Speaking of which--I can't find your email but would you please drop me a line--I have something I would like to talk to you about--all good of course! fogebotom at yahoo dot com

Kady Cannon said...

Crockett's dad Huxley was a nearly inseparable BFF with Digger, who now also lives in ABQ. Both were intact but had not been "used" at that point, and both were raised at my house from babies. Hux does *not* get along with Pilot, but both have now had girls visit very regularly ever since Pilot came in August.

Sometimes there are boy pairings who do not get along, sometimes there are girl pairings, ditto. There's a lot better chance starting with a baby and making sure they are neutered.

Lani has done quite well with one girl and two boys. Her boy Denzil is litter-brother to Penni's Inca.

That was probably not too much help.

Knowing both Huxley and Zoe, I would expect that their babies could have great laid-back temperaments.

Heather said...

Absolutely get another dog - like you said as a playmate for Zippy, but also for your own sanity. I really don't think it matters the sex - if you're neutering the pup. Dogs need pack mates. We NEED for our dogs to have pack mates. Like Tammy said, they will work things out as the pup grows. It'll be good for Zippy - to be the boss, too :o).

Kim said...

Yes! Another dog, and another neutered male as soon as can be. Dogs do grieve and he would surely benefit from a pal, as would you!