rePete requested equal time on the blog.
This is Daisy.
Let me give you a glimpse into the heart and mind of a Breeder. Since Daisy lived with Galen and Bethany for her first 2.5+ years (we co-own Daisy) — and may well return to them when they have a suitable housing situation — I am struggling between the desire to get various titles on Daisy or breeding her in August.
If I do titles first, I will not be able to breed her until Fall 2020 when she is 4.5 years. This is because our breeding plans always consider the National Specialty — we will not have a litter if it means missing the Specialty. And so it is this August or skip a cycle and breed Daisy in Fall 2020.
This is Claire.
I am in a similar boat with Claire. I either breed her soon or I wait until Fall 2020.
This is Sparkle with a scraped up nose — more on that soon.
Sparkle has not gotten pregnant — twice. Both times were high tech so semen quality could be the issue but I am concerned, to be sure. She is about to be six and so I figure I have just one more chance to breed her — that will likely be November.
I do not want to ever again be in a position of having such a wonderful girl and only having one litter from her as she nears the end of her reproductive life. That said, two litters is my limit with a girl but I want that second litter from Sparkle, who is the total Berner package — with a sparkly bow. And now we are down to the wire…
But what if I breed all three girls in the next few months and they all get pregnant?!
Think 101 Dalmatians.
What I have decided is this — Claire will be bred when she comes in season, which should be within the next six weeks. Hopefully I will know the status of her pregnancy before Daisy comes in season.
If Claire is pregnant, Daisy is off the motherhood hook for now. If Claire is not pregnant, Daisy will be invited to create my next puppy.
Sparkle will be bred in November regardless.
All that means show plans are up in the air — I do not compete with pregnant girls, and we stay home when we have litters. For someone who loves to plan, the uncertainties associated of what can we do when? is a bit disconcerting — but no doubt, good for me.
Breeding dogs well is definitely not for the faint of heart — for all kinds of reasons.