08/04/2022
I am JUST beginning to feel like myself again. Rearing a litter is all consuming. You sleep, you eat, you shower.... yet you are never really THERE. You are with the litter mind, body and soul. It takes a toll. It takes a toll on you physically, mentally and emotionally. Only those of us whom have bred a litter can truly understand the sacrifices necessary to do what we do.
The planning of each litter is months and months in advance. People see the entertaining 8 weeks of cuteness. They do not see the months of preparation. The viewing of numerous stud dogs hoping that this time it will be the right dog, the right husband. That this time the hundreds of miles drive was worth it. Only for it not to be so ....and then we start again.
People do not see the days spent in limbo waiting for your girl to decide today is the day. The last minute dash to the stud dog invariably at the other end of the country. Your girl's progesterone levels have risen uncharacteristically fast and the time is NOW! If you are lucky the pairing you have painstakingly matched will agree with your choice, that the timing is right and that the stars have aligned correctly.
The long 4 weeks wait until the scan. Is she or isnt she? Will you have to make the dreaded phone call to all the desperately hopeful prospective owners to say there are no puppies? Will you have to wait another 6 months before you can try again? The scan is positive - hurray! Euphoria!!!!
The next 5 weeks are spent worrying. Will my girl be ok? Will the puppies be ok? There is that limbo again....waiting ....waiting...waiting. She's digging, she's restless, is it time? It starts....you pray with each contraction that the puppy will come quickly. You pray that each birth is uneventful. It is the middle of the night. You have been awake for 24 hours, by your girl's side. If you are lucky it will go seamlessly . If you are unlucky.....who knows?
They have all arrived. You had a couple of close calls but they are here and your girl is ok. The next 8 weeks are a constant worry mixed with spontaneous elation. The emotional rollercoaster is draining but you cannot get off. There are simply not enough hours in the day to look after everyone in the household, let alone yourself. You put pressure on yourself to do the best damn job you can with the puppies. It comes at a cost.
You need to prepare the puppies for their lives ahead and you need to prepare their owners. The day comes. The litter starts to dissipate. Tears mingle with relief and with worry. Did I pick the right homes? Will they travel ok? Will they be ok with the resident children/dogs/cats/ponies? Will their owners love them like I do?
You made mistakes, you made poor choices, things happened that you wished you could undo.....but you got through it and more importantly you learned throughout. You learned valuable lessons that will help you do better next time.
Your job is never truly finished. You are there for your puppies and their owners for the whole of their lives from birth to death.
Breeding a litter of puppies is not for the faint hearted.
Breeding a litter of puppies can truly suck.
but breeding a litter of puppies can also be the best experience ever.
The puppy anecdotes, the photos, the videos, the innately proud owners! This is what makes it worthwhile! Owners clearly adoring their puppies right into old age. You share their tears when the time comes and you are extraordinarily touched when they ask if they could be considered for another family member two, three or four times over. These people are not just owners, they are not just friends, they are family.
This post is for all those responsible breeders who loved from start to finish and can also now finally catch up on their sleep, their emails and their social lives ....until the next time.
Author unknown, but so true.