Yes, I have absolutely stacks, of course - but Charlie was house trained and so they are fabric. My bit of lino I used to use for Charlie isn't big enough for the full sized pen. So I wanted some new stuff that was big enough so the edges were outside the pen and I could mop. It's not a huge deal, I have plenty of stuff I can use for a couple of days, just wanted everything perfect. Drat. Nevermind.
I had two bitches spayed at about 8 months before their first season and two after their first season. No difference between them except the bitch spayed AFTER the season was incontinent when older, easily coped with medication, happened when she would have been in season All four lived to around 14 years. It would be simpler to have Charlie castrated, not a major op like a spay!
I'm not going to do that though. My boy is perfect just how he is, and I'm not chopping bits off him for my own convenience. If one of them absolutely needs to be neutered because that's the only way I can make it work, it will be Betsy that gets spayed because it has the advantage of protecting her against pyometra. But I'd still like this to be after she is both physically and socially mature. I sort of see it as I've decided to get a girl dog, and it's up to me to deal with the consequences of that - not resort to surgical interventions which would not be at all necessary otherwise.
We have big warehouse, home DIY type shops here (Bunnings) where you can buy cheap lino stuff (and industrial type carpet) straight off the roll. Do you have any places like that in the UK that you could at least buy cheap, temporary flooring until you get it sorted exactly the way that you want?
Yes, I've got stacks of vet bed, and stacks of mats. I used doormats for Charlie in this pen, but it was a faff, because they had to be washed. An alternative solution, of course is to just make the pen smaller so the strip of floor I've got fits, but then the pen won't be big enough for a human to be in there with her, and I felt this was key to Charlie settling down. I sort of 'lived' in the pen with him for a bit, so he saw it as his home, not a separation. On that subject, Charlie is absolutely delighted by his new kitchen quarters. I put his original Orvis bed under the kitchen table, where his tent used to be, and I can't keep him out of it! He takes himself off to bed there all the time. Which is a little bit odd, but he clearly wants to be there. He has no fewer than 6 other beds and mats around the house, plus his own armchair (it's broken, but we keep it because it's Charlie's) and he chooses to go to his bed in the kitchen. Which is lovely, really.
I'm sure you can make it work, Julie. As I've said before, I know breeders who keep intact bitches and dogs together. But if it all turns out to be too much of a nightmare, you could look into a laparoscopic spay - far less invasive.
I'm really pleased Charlie's happy and comfortable with his new place,that is a great start to Betsy successfully moving in x
Not if I can help it! If I would chop little Betsy, I wouldn't be having a dilemma about it. Both dogs will stay entire if I can manage that. If I can't, well, the evidence is that health wise the advantages are with having a bitch spayed (this is arguable, but it's what I believe).
Lots of girls get chopped to protect against pyo. There's a clear medical benefit. The case is nowhere near so clear cut for boys. Anyway Charlie will be a complete gentleman and Betsy will be totally ladylike and the issue shall not arise
It's going to be Pride and Prejudice without the costumes played out between London and Cornwall !!!!
