I have a 13 year old male American Staffy/English Bull Terrier Cross. He is beautiful. A few years ago we got a kelpie female to keep him company.
The male got a new lease on life and seemed 5 years younger. The kelpie however seems to need lots of space - no surprise really since they are working dogs. She chews things (everything) my couch, my magazines, the carpet, rugs, anything that doesn't move on its own. My mother is here visiting and has fallen in love with the kelpie. My mother lives at a place where there is lots of room to run and she has a kelpie of similar age herself. Every day her dogs gets walked over 10 kilometres to a water fall. Her lifestyle is very suitable for kelpies.
Problem. Kelpie will be much better off with my mother. But what about the old boy? I want him to enjoy his last years with us and not be lonely. He is a barker though we have tried citronella collars and the only thing that seems to shut him up is if we let him go in and out of the house as he pleases when we are not there (through a pet door) AND if I let him sleep in the bedroom ON MY BED.
OKOKOKOK he is spoilt and I have been a very bad doggy mom. I admit I am much better with cats. What should I do? I want to send the kelpie to the life she deserves. But I want the old dog to have company. I'd like to get a small dog (never had one and I think they are cute) but any new dog will learn bad barking habits off the older dog.
Is it possible to get a new little dog and train it well, and it will be good even though the older dog is not trained and barks too much? I will spend whatever it would take to make this work, but maybe I'm kidding myself that it will work out ok.
Your thoughts are welcome.....(be gentle with me)
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