Please understand that I am approaching your question from my own experiences and those of my past dogs. This may not be translated to your situation nor that of your dogs.

First thing to note is that you have the well being of two dogs to think about, not just the older dog. I think you are right that the Kelpie might be better off with your mother who has the time and environment to give her the needed training and stimulation.

Your 13 your old male is approaching some very challenging years. Although you say that having the other dog around has envigorated him, advancing age may soon hamper his ability to relate to a younger dog. My Tizzie was about 12 when we got our Hannah as a puppy. She did a good job in helping to *raise Hannah* but after about a year, she slowed down considerably and couldn't keep up with the youngster. It made for a rather inappropriate relationship as Hannah would attempt to be mean to her. The onset of physical and mental disabilities due to Tizzie's advancing age offset any benefit another dog was able to play in her life.

How much time are you able to spend with your older dog? Won't the demands of raising another dog take away some of the quality time that you could devote to your older buddy? I really don't have an answer to your dilema, hopefully some of the others can bring more insight. Consider all aspects of pros and cons carefully before you make your decision.