Breeding Lexi - A Brief Update

She didn’t "look" pregnant. She was acting about the same; perhaps not eating as well. We found some blood on the deck where she sleeps, so maybe she miscarried or she wasn’t even pregnant. We did have a successful mating (twice), and the male has a good track record, but we just weren’t sure. So, before changing our entire work schedule, we decided to confirm our dog’s pregnancy.

Unlike human that can just "pee on a stick" for a pregnancy test, canines are a bit more challenging. The veterinarian suggested an ultrasound – a $45 procedure. This was not a bad price considering how much we charge for the same procedure in humans. Next time I need an ultrasound, I am going to the vet myself.

When Lexi was a puppy, we gave her a little stuffed animal as a dog toy. She loved it and carried it all over the house. She even slept with it. It was little monkey. It is not unusual to see her all cuddled up with the funny-looking stuffed animal. I tell this story as a prelude to what we saw on the ultrasound.

Shelties are naturally skeptical about strangers. This was really her first trip to the vet and she was a bit squirrelly. I picked her up and put her on her back in this wedge-shaped apparatus. Surprisingly, she tolerated this and remained quiet and still as the technician smeared lubricating jelly on her tummy. As the vet traced the ultrasound transducer around her abdomen, the first of at least four puppies were revealed. Lexi was indeed, pregnant. She may have more than four, but at this point, that was the estimated count. An x-ray on day 45 will give a final count and prepare us for the big day – day 63 (plus or minus two days). The vet printed a picture for me.

I looked at the picture closely when I came home and was a bit shocked. The head view of one of those puppies looks identical – I kid you not – of that monkey she has been carrying around for the last two years. I sure wish that I could add the picture to this Blog so you can see, too, but the resolution was not that fine to reproduce. You will have to trust me on this "monkey baby". I will definitely post pictures of the puppies when the come at the end of the month.

We have about three more weeks of gestation to go before we see those new little puppies (or monkey-baby). It has been nearly 12 years since we had a litter of these cute little dogs in our home. As I mentioned before, three are promised: I am keeping one, one for my brother, and one for the neighbor that lives down the lane. The 4th puppy will not have any problems finding and "approved" home. As with our previous litter, we carefully interviewed prospective Sheltie owners before parting with them. They all found great homes with loving families.

We all work hard in our jobs and careers. It is these little pleasures of life, like the birth of a litter of puppies that makes life so special.