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Breeding Lexi
Her little snout was sticking through a hole in the fence sniffing the air. She was frightened and whining; trying to get out. I felt like crap leaving her there, but if we are going to successfully breed our Sheltie, this is what has to be done. I called the breeder later in the day, and Lexi was hiding in their backyard, occasionally coming out to sniff the place where I was standing. That comment really made me feel super-guilty.
Lexi is a bit over two years old now and the younger of my two dogs. The older Sheltie, Maggie, is over 14 years old, blind, deaf, and arthritic, but still hanging in there. Maggie is the mother of my favorite dog, Herman, who tragically died about two years ago. I bought Lexi a few weeks after Herman died. Lexi, short for Lexipro, was my canine antidepressant and has served that purpose well.
Lexi went into heat about ten days ago. We wanted her to have just one litter of puppies before having her spayed. We have been waiting for the right time, and summers are the best time. We located a male, owned by the same breeder that we used so long ago for Maggie. His name is Connor, a very handsome, intelligent, and regal-looking male sable Sheltie. When Lexi and Connor are together, they look like twins.
Like in the past, we have our puppies (assuming the breeding is successful) promised out to family and friends. We are very choosy as to who will get one. My brother in Maryland has requested one. He almost took a puppy from Maggie's litter 12 years ago, but chickened out at the last minute. He even arranged to fly back to Maryland with the puppy. This time, I expect I will have to drive to Kansas and meet him half-way to make the exchange. I would not want to ship a little puppy by air. Our neighbor with three children would like one, too. He has a fenced yard with lots of room for an active dog to roam and the kids seem very nice. The kids are patients in my practice. And, of course, I will keep a puppy, even if there is only one. Maggie is getting very old and does not tolerate the energy of the younger dog, so a new puppy will give her a break and be Lexi’s companion.
Having a litter of puppies is not something everyone should do. It is a lot of work, but those little Sheltie puppies are so darn cute. I held Herman from day one and he was the best dog ever. I really want to do that again - pick out my puppy, or better yet, have the puppy pick out me. Herman had chosen me.
My medical assistant called me over the weekend. One of her four dogs, all pit bulls, had a litter of eight puppies. This was an unplanned, but not unexpected pregnancy, since none of her dogs are spayed or neutered. We have never had any problems finding good homes for our Shelties, but a pit bull puppy, although cute, tends to grow into a very large, often cantankerous animal. Caesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, loves pit bulls. Any dog, given enough love and care, will become a long-time companion.
I hesitated breeding a dog again for several reasons. Knowing that there are lots of pets at the shelter, I thought about calling Sheltie Rescue. Many of those dogs have been traumatized or not carried for very well. If I was retired and home full-time, I would adopt an unwanted adult dog. Adopted dogs often do have well-established adult dog habits, and those habits may not be compatible with my other pets. I have two shelter cats; one belongs to my wife. The other cat belongs to Lexi. Yes, my dog has a cat. They love each other hang out most of the day. At night, Lexi sleeps in our room. The cat sleeps where ever she wants. If she happens to be outside, she will peer through the window and call for Lexi to come out. They take turns chasing each other to the point that Lexi can now climb up certain trees.
Conner and Lexi successfully bred (twice), so 63 days from now, we should be having a litter of puppies. I will be prepared with a new whelping box and changing my work schedule so we will be home with them for the first month so they will be well-socialized. We have hired our 15 year old granddaughter for the month of August to be the puppy-sitter. She is in 4H and is thrilled to participate. If I can arrange it, I would like to bring the puppies to a local nursing home so they can be handled by lots of people.
It has now been a week since the breeding and Lexi is doing well; enjoying the enhanced prenatal diet (she is now eating like a horse) and the extra exercise. Prenatal care is just as important for dogs as it is for people.
I will keep all of you posted.
Related Topics:
Lexi is a bit over two years old now and the younger of my two dogs. The older Sheltie, Maggie, is over 14 years old, blind, deaf, and arthritic, but still hanging in there. Maggie is the mother of my favorite dog, Herman, who tragically died about two years ago. I bought Lexi a few weeks after Herman died. Lexi, short for Lexipro, was my canine antidepressant and has served that purpose well.
Lexi went into heat about ten days ago. We wanted her to have just one litter of puppies before having her spayed. We have been waiting for the right time, and summers are the best time. We located a male, owned by the same breeder that we used so long ago for Maggie. His name is Connor, a very handsome, intelligent, and regal-looking male sable Sheltie. When Lexi and Connor are together, they look like twins.
Like in the past, we have our puppies (assuming the breeding is successful) promised out to family and friends. We are very choosy as to who will get one. My brother in Maryland has requested one. He almost took a puppy from Maggie's litter 12 years ago, but chickened out at the last minute. He even arranged to fly back to Maryland with the puppy. This time, I expect I will have to drive to Kansas and meet him half-way to make the exchange. I would not want to ship a little puppy by air. Our neighbor with three children would like one, too. He has a fenced yard with lots of room for an active dog to roam and the kids seem very nice. The kids are patients in my practice. And, of course, I will keep a puppy, even if there is only one. Maggie is getting very old and does not tolerate the energy of the younger dog, so a new puppy will give her a break and be Lexi’s companion.
Having a litter of puppies is not something everyone should do. It is a lot of work, but those little Sheltie puppies are so darn cute. I held Herman from day one and he was the best dog ever. I really want to do that again - pick out my puppy, or better yet, have the puppy pick out me. Herman had chosen me.
My medical assistant called me over the weekend. One of her four dogs, all pit bulls, had a litter of eight puppies. This was an unplanned, but not unexpected pregnancy, since none of her dogs are spayed or neutered. We have never had any problems finding good homes for our Shelties, but a pit bull puppy, although cute, tends to grow into a very large, often cantankerous animal. Caesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, loves pit bulls. Any dog, given enough love and care, will become a long-time companion.
I hesitated breeding a dog again for several reasons. Knowing that there are lots of pets at the shelter, I thought about calling Sheltie Rescue. Many of those dogs have been traumatized or not carried for very well. If I was retired and home full-time, I would adopt an unwanted adult dog. Adopted dogs often do have well-established adult dog habits, and those habits may not be compatible with my other pets. I have two shelter cats; one belongs to my wife. The other cat belongs to Lexi. Yes, my dog has a cat. They love each other hang out most of the day. At night, Lexi sleeps in our room. The cat sleeps where ever she wants. If she happens to be outside, she will peer through the window and call for Lexi to come out. They take turns chasing each other to the point that Lexi can now climb up certain trees.
Conner and Lexi successfully bred (twice), so 63 days from now, we should be having a litter of puppies. I will be prepared with a new whelping box and changing my work schedule so we will be home with them for the first month so they will be well-socialized. We have hired our 15 year old granddaughter for the month of August to be the puppy-sitter. She is in 4H and is thrilled to participate. If I can arrange it, I would like to bring the puppies to a local nursing home so they can be handled by lots of people.
It has now been a week since the breeding and Lexi is doing well; enjoying the enhanced prenatal diet (she is now eating like a horse) and the extra exercise. Prenatal care is just as important for dogs as it is for people.
I will keep all of you posted.
Related Topics:
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