water everywhere but not a drop to drink. You have to be nerd to understand that line a follower to know been over two years. Lucy is due anyday on that drop. Irrespective? Gave her, her advantage multi and solid gold for good measure. Ran her out this evening with the chuckit squrrell= was like clockwork Something dawn on me, my math was wrong. I knew she would be in heat before her 2 years old birthday and she was at the ides of march. She is due at mid sept, given my recalculation. got too used to Desi being at 4.5 month
09/6/2021 Breeder's diary. Anticipation is killing me! Lucy hasn't started her heat yet. Know what is different? She is the only intact dog in the house. Intact (means not fixed). Beforehand? had 3 other intact females. But Desdemona retired and was fixed, Prima didn't cut and was fixed. Edelweiss is gone. I thought my math was wrong but it isn't. What changed? Used to be 4 intact females in the house and actually we have 6 dogs in the home. Riley and the two old doxies were fixed long ago. So as I researched? Said that mattered. I even talked to my vet. She doesn't have environmental prompters that she did before. My solution? I talked to my vet and expect a reply for hormone testing. And she doesn't hit heat? She goes to a titling event this weekend
09/12/2021 554 pm Breeder's diary. Lucy is several weeks late so I went to the breeders board. We have our own world and they asked what changed and gave a recommendation. What changed? Biggest one is Lucy is not the only (intact) unfixed dog in the house. Desdemona retired and fixed, Prima didn't cut it and was fixed and got her second title yesterday. Edelweiss is gone. Second change changed from Interceptor plus/simparica to advantage multi. third change. I expected Lucy to be in heat 3 weeks ago so didn't sign her up for this round and thus hasn't been to training. I didn't take her to the competition yesterday because with my luck? She would get injured. So a lot of factors changed. So I went to the breeder's groups. They said yes fixing other dogs could change it. Had I known this? I would have waited to fix Prima. But they also recommended heavily B-strong powder heavily. I have ordered it. The only other thing they said and was recommended by the manufacturer is upping the dose a lot! I said I will run by my vet and I have messaged him. I may feed raw etc. but Lucy had her CBC etc. I don't think "one size fits all" on anything. I will give it to her but I will run by my vet and even if he does give me the green light? My dog isn't your dog. I think before deviating from instruction it does need to be run by. I talked to Danielle today. My trainer who is a vet and owned Blitz. She asked me how yesterdays competition was and many of my classmates were there. I said Prima got titled. She is overweight. She gained a lot of weight since being fixed. Danielle is used to me being a fixture. I told her I will sign up for next class. This may sound strange but going to training should be a routine or you will quickly get out of it. And next year will be doing a lot of training and Prima needs engagement too. But a pecking order on who gets priorty. Youngest potential breeding dog gets the most but as pups? It tends to be very positive. As aggressive as we look? Too much compulsion young will ruin a dog's confidence and the pup I keep I plan on titling in schutzhund. Ironically? Very LITTLE compulsion. They need to be confident and constantly be rode and chided will destroy confidence. Don't get me wrong I am not all positive but a time and place for it and young isn't that time nor that place. So I am running by the upticking of vitamins if he says no. that is no. I challenge vet medicine all the time. But that doesn't make me a vet. I will give Lucy the recommended dosage if my vet says no, still with the instructions and take her to training on Sat. Yes, I have seen countless heats. The day I want one? I am impatient. But it will happen and I will get my beautiful new puppy and I better remember this day as I am at schutzhund training hot and miserable and will think remember you begged for this! hahahha Congrats to Ms. Prima on her second title. No, she wasn't a breeding dog but she is my dog and got a new shiny rosette yesterday!
1058am 9/16/2021 Just got back from the vet's. Lucy is 78 lbs. I told him I haven't seen blood so he physically checked her and said yes, she is in heat. She doesn't have a lot of swellling but she just started her heat. So we took a progesterone test and this would normally be too early but I needed piece of mind and "where are we" with Lucy. I have never bred Lucy before so I am getting use to a new bitch. Tomorrow will get the results. Progesterone is expensive 125 a pop. But I did think important to know "where I am at"
09/17/21 606pm. Breeder's diary. If you ever wanted to understand a dog's heat cycle pay attention. Lucy came back with a .4 today. So only 1.5 days in. It is when you get to 5 things are happening. She Started tuesday evening and we tested on thursday morning. Today is friday. Why the detailed notes? If you are a breeder you regret not doing too many. Lucy should give birth if takes around Nov. 24 2021. She is spotting more now. Progesterone testing is expensive. about $120 a pop. I go back on Tuesday to gauge her again. My vet said she should be at a 4. 5 is the magic number typically and what this chart shows. But in a nutshell how this works? They drop deep red drops not ovulating. Around day 10 they are ready to stand but doesn't mean they are ovulating. They will "flag" flip their tail. Female sperm lives longer than male sperm when I see a lot of females I am inclined to think bred before ovulation. Male sperm is faster but lives about 24 hours and female sperm can live for days. Don't quote me on that. But when I see a lot of males in a litter? I think hit dead on. When the red drops start to go clear? that is ovulation. People feel heat is pregnancy time when first starts. You can see the difference in humans and dogs. Menses means female humans won't get pregnant. Heat lasts about 3 weeks. They start to spot (they are leaving their scent for male dogs to find them) and about day 10ish they are ovulating and spots go clear and then they go out of heat and spots go red again. So talked to stud owner so Thursday or Friday going is my estimation.
09/17/2021 740pm The Bstrong vitamins came in. Let me explain this part, when a dog isn't in heat the breeder boards swore by B-vitamins at three times the dose. Now, I had two mindsets. Vets don't know the breed's propensity or the line and most are for maintenance. Flipside, they swore brought the dog into heat, but begs the question coincidence. While I was doing the progesterone test I spoke to him about this. I do love my vet, I have a lot of questions and he has a lot of answers. I love my vet for that. He went into water soluable vitamins and margin of area. He did mention that he will get higher on b-vitamins with gi issues. I said now that she is confirmed in heat. I am inclined to go reg dose. He kinda of implied it was okay to go higher, but progressive. In short,I don't know if the breeder boards are right but there has been many a vet I thought, change vets. So in conclusion, I will give this to her as part of her diet and prob reg dose. He mentioned fat soluable can be toxic. But the goal was for her to start heat and she has done that. But I am in the camp of vitamins and more will be urinated out. But I never see anything wrong with vitamins. So will probably do reg dose. as I want big fat puppies with good strong cries and sometimes more isn't more. so where I am at, at the moment. Not saying I am right but a reg supplement of b-vitamins I feel a decent position at the moment
0920201 824pm Breeders diary-I got the litter announcement I wanted. I take Lucy in tomorrow for her second progesterone test. Been giving her b-strong at regular dose. Lay off the apples making her gassy. Plan on going to Mississippi on thursady night ad coming home during the weekend. Visiting potential owners at that time. Talked to my trainer and said get ready to be sick of seeing me next year. My trainer is also a vet and the father of the sire of Lucy. She titled him to IPO3 so she was shy about being called grandma. So we call her Tia. I am hispanic so means Aunt. But in talking to her tonight I said this will be easier than when I was training Edelweiss and Lucy. they were at the same skill set but different skillsets. I constantly was confused which dog I was training. I went to her 2-3 times a week. And believe it or not you forget which dog you have on the lead. With the puppy will be easier. And she gets to train her Beloved Blitz's (Nosko von Buren, IPO3) grandaughter. She has been training his daughter for a long time now. She is an equine vet, but her office is plastered with all the competitions that she took him to and all the titles. I said be sure to kick my butt as I want to schutzhund. Edelweiss had been to schutzhund training for years. Just because I am not a trainer doesn't mean I haven't been training my dogs for years and years. But as I am keeping a female pick of litter which will be registered (Medusa's Vendetta of Cerberus) and my husband gets to choose called name. Watch him he choose something ironic like Fluffy. I know my husband better than that. But I can say, I have a long history of training my dogs and is a lifestyle. I can't wait. I say that now. But I need to remember this as I am spending hours in the heat and I actually love sprinkling rain to cool me off. But I know what I am signing up for and have years of doing it to know that will happen
Pedigree of the Litter
obably. And I will but we feed raw. Mom lives about 2 hours from me and stud owner lives in the pass so another 25 mins. I graduated from Pass high, and jd and usm and usa. Meaning I should know the area and despite having an MBA? I could get lost in a paper bag. I kid you not. So asked husband to pack up the expen. Talked to stud owner tonight my most awesome friend Laurel Getchell of Schattenhause Kennels. but girl is going clear. vulva swelling so go tomorrow morning stop in the morning at Mom's to unload things I am bringing to her. We feed raw so unload the cooler for three days of food. Let Lucy stretch her legs and meeting stud owner in the afternoon. Laurel is awesome in her accommodations. I always say breeders are nicer to each other than people realize. We need each other and support each other and the world is harder than you think. Trainers? they don't like each other at all. hahahha So getting the energy to unload the vehicle and I don't if I have clean clothes and dont care. My dog obsession makes me look homeless and when people see my home? they think I broke in. thank god I am in the pictures! Tomorrow the breeding begins
09/25/2021 853p Breeders diary. I am going to regret not taking more notes in the future. Lucy is day 11 and went clear. Went to Laruels and watched titan chase lucy around for hours. lol Lucy isn't ready but Titan assures her the min she is. Tomorrow might be the day. I opted to leave Lucy with Titan. Sometimes I feel I could distract her. I wil go in the morning and lets geive it another whirl
09/26/2021 625pm Breeders diary day 12. Lucy is almost ready but not there yet. Should be at any time but not yet. She just ate. Her droppings are relatively clear so will keep yall abreast of the tie.
09/27/2021 131 Lucy had second tie 920am for 12 mins day 13. I will do one more tie this evening and head back home.
09/27/2021 747pm. Breeder's diary- Just got home. Tired this was a lot of work and the stud owner was amazing. She had her third tie with Titan at 509 pm and I believe a 9 min tie. Stud owner recorded it. We keep Lucy crated afterwards so when she was done I put her in the back of the honda pilot. Lucy is a very dominate dog and doesn't like to feel dominated so a lot of Titan (stud) chasing her and wearing her down. She wanted to stand but she doesn't like feeling dominated. I knew from the volhards her nature. Once tied (live cover is another term for the old fashioned way) she was okay. She had dualing concepts in her head going on. Her natural instinct to reproduce along with her stubbornes of you aren't the boss of me. Now we wait. Will ultrasound her before halloween. She is lying by my side as I type. I got home my husband helped me unload the vehicle. Today was day 13 by the hour. After unloading Lucy, took at that granite gravemarker my family gave me. I told my husband through my exhaustion. Please hang this in the whelping room. As we reviewed K9 Kassies dna marker, we determine a majority will be sables and probably dark. I will probably order an embark for Lucy to see her dna markers, Kassie came up 152 disease clear. But Kassie Lucy's littermate also had coat color of aw/a. Moral of the story, We should have dark sables and may throw a black. Lucy isn't Kassie, but I joked with Laurel blacks and dark sables would just be the worst. Sarcasm at its finest. Exhausting trip but well worth it if it succeeds. I never have done this component and surprised that it was a lot of work...well yes and no. I have discovered years ago. No part of breeding is easy. Why would this be different but it is the work, sacrifice and even the tears and heartbreak, makes the successes that much sweeter. I will never have another Edelweiss or any dog and made many magnificent ones why something to be said for working to make them exquisite, Now I wait and pray. Amazing how others make it look easy and depends on what you are looking for I suppose. But I have a particular vision. Every bit of work is worth it, if my vision becomes reality. No I won't fall into the trap of thinking one dog is like the other. But I don't make chihuahua's either. Our dogs don't have that type of unguarded boldness. lol. Night all. Ultrasound before Halloween.
09/28/2021 357pm. Breeder's diary. I ordered the embark test to get the coat color genes. this is more for entertainment and dreams of my new puppy. K9 Kassie came in at aw/aw Lucy's littermate. We did all the health tests on Lucy. OFA hips excellent/elbows normal dm clear. K9 kassie came in under wisdom panel and 152 diseases clear. We used gensol dm only to test the females and kassie came up dm clear both times. I am doing this more for fun. Titan is a solid black a/a and if Lucy is aw/aw like her littermate and sister chart shows dark sables. aw/a so a fun thing for puppy dreams. Will do an ultrasound at end of the month. So just a fun entertainment. They say can transfer to OFA but not why I ordered it. I am a member of Good Dog so they gave me a discount so since I did wisdom panel before I am doing embark now. Now don't mistake me I am not dismissing dna testing but giving my motivation. If it pops at risk on something I will take it seriously. But dreaming of dark gsds
09/28/2021 725pm Ordered the good stuff. I feed raw but can't stand cutting green tripe. We do solid gold. On a pregnant bitch, we get real quality. So Lucy has this on the way! My girl gets the best. I would love to cut up tripe but I cant stand it so doing this.
