I don't really have any advice other than to give it a bit longer, as I was in a similar situation and it really was just a case of giving it time.

Benji was my first dog, I've had him since he was a puppy and to me he is the perfect dog. I loved him completely from the moment I picked him up and brought him home, and I did wonder if I'd ever be able to love another dog as much. Harley was a rescue and though he settled in very quickly, it took much longer for that bond to form and I couldn't honestly say exactly when it did. I just kinda realised one day that it was there and I felt the same for him as I did for Benji.

 

Hello there! I have a 4 month old Border Collie puppy and a year old Working Cocker Spaniel. I brought Luna home (BC) 2 months ago, she has settled in lovely she quickly got the hang of basic commands and where to go to the toilet. Our Spaniel (Marley) didn't really like her at first but now the two get on really well.. Which is great! But that's what I'm worried about.. My partner has a great relationship with Marley as they work together and do everything together but she is more than willing to curl up with me at the end of the day, it's clear to see the bond between them but she doesn't mind sharing! She was brought up as an only dog and she's turned out fantastic and we couldn't ask for her to be any better.

When we brung Luna home I just didn't feel that connection that I did with Marley, I have no idea why, and I feel awful for it! I have been putting a lot of effort into Luna's training, but I feel like I'm not bonding with her.. I don't even feel like she's bonding with anyone a part from our other dog Marley. When in the house they constantly play fight and Luna always seems to follow her around and just want to be with her all the time. I play with Luna a lot, feed her most her meals, walk her separately (when I can, my partner takes them both for walks together if I am at work). But I definitely feel like 'Second dog syndrome' is kicking in. When we brung Marley home she had to learn that humans were leaders, how to play, and enjoy our company rather than another dogs. How can I ensure that me and Luna have a good bond together? I walk her separately most the time, feed her meals away from each other, I get down on the ground to play, I train her away from our other dog. But nothing seems to be working. Why do I feel like this? It would be fantastic if I could feel bonded towards Luna as I'm looking at starting agility classes with her in the future. Thank you for reading! I look forward to your responses

You will bond with her - honest....LOL

It's because she's your second dog and she has a canine playmate (Marley) and therefore not so reliant on you for attention.

I've introduced a collie puppy into my home about every 4 years for the past 40 years. My newest arrival is now 15 months old and when she arrived my other three collies were lining up to play with her and I hardly got a look in. Over time the novelty wears off and my youngster would now rather play train with me, especially when there's agility equipment involved.

Do lots of fun and positive training with her (hand touch, recalls, stays, etc. etc.) which are all very useful foundation work for agility later on.

 

My experience is that Border Collies are wonderful, sensitive animals. They can have problems, but so can any animal.

Looking at your original post, two things strike me.

Beware of "Littermate Syndrome" which is (generally) where two dogs bond so closely together, that a) their humans become "secondary" and b) you could have difficulty in future if they need to be separated (e.g., overnight at the vet). Think separation anxiety, dog to dog.

You've probably got this pretty much covered as "I walk her separately most the time, feed her meals away from each other, I get down on the ground to play, I train her away from our other dog." and these are the correct way forward, so be careful to continue in that vein.

You say "she had to learn that humans were leaders", @Twiggy will be able to tell you about sensitive collies better than I can although I've worked with a good few.

Leaving aside the "leader or not leader" arguments, I might suggest you look at the way that you train.

In her book "Training Levels- steps to success", on the subject of cues (note, not COMMANDS) Sue Ailsby writes

"...consider how you say them. Use a voice that says "please pass the salt" to someone you like, who's sitting right beside you, and who will do as you ask simply because you asked them to. One of the true glories of a trained dog is that you can speak to her as a reasonable being in a reasonable voice.

Take this idea even further. When you're training and communicating with your dog, keep in mind not only the quality of your voice, but your hands and your body language as well. Shhhhh. A good trainer has a quiet voice, quiet hands, and a quiet body."

Obviously, (c) Sue Ailsby, http://sue-eh.ca/

I've found this works quite well, particularly with sensitive dogs.