...Welsh Terrier!

We already have Rosie and since last year have been looking for another Welshie or Wire Fox Terrier. Well today we have come across a breeder ( through Champdogs :) ) who has a 2 year old that they are no longer wanting to breed from or show. We can have her for a weeks trial starting next week to see how she goes.

I'm so excited , but having never been in this situation I don't want my heart to rule my head and do something wrong. So was just wanting some advice please.

Does this seem the right way to see how the two dogs , and us , will get on?

What would you consider to be a fair price to pay?

How would you introduce the two dogs - I thought of taking them a walk together somewhere neutral for both of them?

Any other advice or help would be really appreciated.

Thanks , Kate

Well I let one of my girls go last year to someone who had a Spanish Water Dog off me 13 years ago.  They brought him down here and I then took my girl to the park with him so that they could have a run together.  Luckily he really took to Carina, weird though because he didn't like my eldest girl Lydia who was 14 at the time.

I didn't ask anything for my girl.  Let her go on a months trial but they had to have her spayed if they were going to keep her which they have done.

Wow that was a quick reply , thank you!

As me and the breeder are 5 hours apart they have suggested meeting half way for me to take her - she is used to travelling in a crate as has been shown.

She did well at crufts last year so they are asking a bit of money for her but just wanted to see what people thought was fair - without me saying how much they have asked for.

I will need to have her neutered as she has not been done but they have not insisted on this - should i offer a bit less because of this or not?

What ages are the two bitches (yours and the other).  As they are terriers and both adult/adultish girls it may not go smoothly if both want to rule the roost. 

The other will want to be in charge as she is older, and yours will want to be in charge as it is her home.  It could mean fireworks, and if bitches take a dislike it is often for good.  If I read things right there is only about a year between them in ages, and most Terriers are not ultra submissive for one to be the obvious top and the other the follower.

In your situation I would have got a much older bitch sooner, or a male, or waited another year or more to get a bitch pup.

As you will be having her on trial , make sure it is a fair trial as it is often several weeks, when the newcomer gets their feet under the table that you will see how they really are likely to be together.

In my breed it is not usual to charge anything for a dog being re-homed, even retired champions.  Some owners will ask you to make a donation to breed rescue on their behalf.

My dog Rosie is nearly 11 years old and is used to playing with my neighbours dogs , the other one is 2 years old ( bitch too ) but does not live with another dog. She does get on well with other dogs that go to her house though - well thats what they say which is all I can go on at the moment.

They have suggested just a weeks trial , do you think this won't be long enough?

They are also asking several hundred for her , which I personally thought was a bit steep as she is an older pup ( well , adult really!! ) - and they are wanting to rehome her.

Thank you for your advice about the hierarchy situation too!

LOL, when you said you had Rosie for a year I of course thought from a pup.  If the other bitch is respectful I would think they may rub along OK.

As for paying for her, I find it strange them no longer wanting her as a brood at only two years old, unless she has had just one litter and was a bad mother, produced poor or defective pups.  As I said it wouldn't expect to pay for a re-home in this situation, but would give them something for their trouble getting her to you.

Why not contact the breed club and find out what is usual in this scenario, and if they feel it is a reasonable price.

Thank you for replying - I didn't think about contacting the breed club.

This dog had to have a cesarean and lost the pups so they don't want to breed from her again. They also haven't asked anything about our lifestyle , where we live , any other pets etc which I thought they would do. I am ringing the lady back to arrange a meeting point so perhaps she will ask this sort of stuff then?

Thank you for your help and advice so far :)

Kate

I would follow with caution if they haven't asked anything about you or your situation and also meeting half way is very nice but would want to see first hand where they live and the other dogs. I would also ask about health problems as you never know if she has some under lying problem due to the CS and the dead pups. Not saying that there is definately wrong but would ring alarm bells to me :-) Have they had her spayed or if not have they asked that you get her spayed ?

Hi , the lady's friend ( who owns this dogs mother ) is meeting us near to a well known dog show  ;)  on Saturday. The lady has said she would be happier about a 2 week trial as gives more time for the dog's real personality to show and also more time for Rosie and this dog to get to know each other. Have found out a bit more about her too

She is not spayed , and they have not said that they want me to get her done , although I will as I don't want to breed from her.

She is crate trained and is used to sleeping in one at night , which will be easier this end - especially on the first few nights!!

I am not an expert whatsoever but it sounds strange that they are asking for money AND asking for you to do the spay.

I don't understand why they are wanting so much money for her by saying she has won well, but then you have to spay her.  It seems totally irrelevent to me and they should be grateful she is getting a lovely new home.

ETA - I see they are not insisting you spay.  My mistake!

Well I dont know but it seems a bit like a money grabber to me - hundreds for a dog that they cant use for their own purposes and would only cost them money if they kept her - I think they have sensed that you love the breed and hope you wont think about the money!  I wonder what they would do if you werent around?

What in your eyes would benefit you getting this dog for hundreds of pounds as opposed to a rescue welsh terrier that has been asessed, neutered/spayed etc for a fraction of the cost?

Maxine

[url=]the lady's friend ( who owns this dogs mother ) is meeting us [/url]

So am I reading this wrong or is the owner not even meeting you??

Many terrier bitches do not get on with other bitches - and the problem is that if they decide they hate each other you can never get them back together. IMHO even two weeks is not long enough - I would suggest a month would be better. I don't think Welsh Terriers sell for huge amounts anyway, so 'several hundred pounds' to rehome an older dog seems excessive to me.
I would speak to the breed club and ask their advice.

it does seem a lot of money..

I was lucky to be able to buy my oldest girl from a lady near me, she was 3 years old at the time and wasn't thriving in a kennel situation, she was not suitable for breeding at that time as was rather thin, and she came to us initially on a 2 week trial to see how she got on with our male and a neutered lurcher.......she cost me less than half the price of a pup in the breed.........and 2 years down the line, she's happy, much loved, she thrived from the get-go being with us, but all our dogs live in the house so maybe she just needed some pampering...

maybe you should discuss the price, especially if you are to be expected to pay out for vets fees too????

Hi I just wondered if you did get the welsh terrier in the end and how you're getting on?

Hi.  Yep we've had her just over a week as part of the two week trial. They've has a couple of squabbles , especially on the first day but seemed to have settled down on the whole. But i'm still not sure about in the long term.

Daze ( new one ) stay in crate at night and when we're not in the room with her - not 100% toilet trained. They are fine in same room together till we walk in then they have a barking / growling session which we have to stop. They also have done this in the car ; they'd been for a walk together with no problems  and cause we had to call at PAH on way home we left them in crates in car and when we got back in they started barking at each other again.

We have no problems at mealtimes ( eat side by side ) and they both go in the bath tub together after muddy walks with no growling at all. At the moment they are both cuddled up with Sean on the sofa fast asleep!!

I'm just not brave enough to let them both loose in the same room to wander around together in case they start fighting.

I love this dog to bits and don't want to give up on her as i can see what a great dog she could be - she has already learnt her name and to "sit". But don't want to carry on and get even more attached if in the end it just wouldn't have worked out anyway.

Sorry for the long reply but was just wondering if anyone has any tips / advice / experience in this sort of situation?

Oh dear - sounds like you have your work cut out.  To be honest I had a puli and then got a cavalier - they started off a bit like this - from the pulis point of view he was none too keen on the cav coming.  he learnt to live with him but I always had to be careful in certain scenarios - couldnt play with the toys with both in the room and couldnt let the cav jump up to me if the puli was already there.   I suppose you just have to think - if it never got better that would be the worst case scenario - would you be happy to live that way forever - or - would you only keep dog no 2 if you were sure it would get better.....

hope you work it out

Maxine