Guide Dogs for the Blind Breeder – Alda

Author: alda

  • Dog Pregnancy Calendar

    The following information gathered from http://www.schaferhund.com

    This calendar is from her L litter in 2006.

    Wed 2 Nov 2005 First day of mating.

     

    48 hours after the first mating the bitch should be mated again. Subsequent matings occurring over a period of time enhance the chances of fertilization taking place. The spermatozoa migrate up through the cervix.

    Thu 3 Nov 2005

     

    Sperm travel searching for a mature ripened eggs.

    Fri 4 Nov 2005

     

    Spermatozoa reach the eggs in the oviducts.

    Sat 5 Nov 2005

     

    Fertilization occurs in the oviducts which lead from the ovaries to the uterus.

    Mon 7 Nov 2005

     

    Fertilized eggs migrate down the oviducts and into the uterine horns. The migration continue to enable even spacing of the embryos. During this migration the eggs will grow into a blastocystes.

    Tue 15 Nov 2005

     

    The blastocystes implant in the wall of the uterus.

    Wed 16 Nov 2005 – Wed 23 Nov 2005

     

    Dams nipples begin to pink and enlarge. The fur on the dams belly and around the nipples may become thinner.

    Sun 13 Nov 2005 – Sun 27 Nov 2005

     

    The blastocystes will grow into an embryos.
    During the next two weeks the important organs will develop.

    Tue 22 Nov 2005 – Tue 29 Nov 2005

     

    Morning sickness might occur due to hormonal changes or stretching and distension of the uterus. Dam may appear a bit apathetic. She may be off her feed for a while and vomit from time to time. Feeding the dam several meals spaced throughout the day might help. Your veterinarian may want to prescribe a drug to relax the uterus. Alda is now very mellow and sleepy. Her response to seeing the Vet for the ultrasound was quiet and unexcited (not her usual self). She is eating well and seems hungry.

    Sun 27 Nov 2005 – Thu 1 Dec 2005

     

    An experienced person (a breeder or a veterinarian) can tell by careful palpation whether the dam is pregnant. It’s now the best time to do this because the embryos are walnut-sized now and easy to count.

    Tue 29 Nov 2005

     

    Ultrasound appointment at GDB. Alda has between 6 and 7 pups. This is just a guess things can always change.

    Wed 30 Nov 2005

     

    Start to increase the dams food ration. Don’t overfeed, excessive weight gain should be avoided. The fetuses are now and are fully developed miniature dogs. Alda’s daily food increases from 3 cups to 4 cups.

    Tue 6 Dec 2005

     

    The Dams abdomen starts to get larger. Alda’s daily food increases to 5 cups.

    Wed 14 Dec 2005

     

    Alda’s daily food increases to 6 cups.

    Fri 16 Dec 2005

     

    It’s very easy now to feel the puppies, counting them might be a bit more difficult.

    Mon 19 Dec 2005 – Tue 27 Dec 2005

     

    Dam begins to spend a lot more time in self-grooming. Her breasts become even more swollen. She may become a bit restlessness and begin to search for a suitable place to have her puppies.

    Wed 21 Dec 2005

     

    The dam might lose her appetite during this period. Her abdomen can be crowded with puppies. It is better to feed several smaller meals spaced throughout the day. You can easily detect abdominal movement now.

    Wed 22 Dec 2005 – Thu 5 Jan 2006

     

    Nipples and vulva should be gently cleaned with warm water, you might want to trim the hairs surrounding the nipples, to allow easier access for the puppies to suck.

    Tue 27 Dec 2005

     

    Alda’s “return to GDB” date.

    Sat 31 Dec 2005 – Tue 3 Jan 2006

     

    Milky fluid may be expressed from the nipples.

    Sun 1 Jan 2006

     

    Alda’s due date. You might want to start taking the dams rectal temperature each morning and evening.

    Wed 4 Jan 2006

     

    Twelve to 24 hours before she is due to deliver, the dams rectal temperature may drop from 101 to 98 degrees. Clear discharge from the vulva might occur.

    Thu 5 Jan 2006

     

    Expected date of whelp. Of course this is just an average. Whelping may take place from the 59th to the 65th day. Puppies born before the 58th day will probably be too young to survive.

  • Guide Dogs for the Blind – Training Phases

    Phase #1

    • Pre-training physical exam
    • Neutering/spaying (with the exception of potential breeding stock dogs who are under evaluation at this time)
    • X-rays
    • Eye checks
    • Relaxing walks on campus and play sessions
    • Introduction to the kennel environment and schedule
    • General daily care and grooming

    Phase #2

    • Preliminary obedience training
    • Exposure to distractions (toys, food, other dogs, cats, etc.)
    • First on-campus workouts with a harness
    • Introduction to the BEST program training techniques (including treadmill sessions)
    • Sessions to teach guidework-specific commands (such as “Forward,” “Halt,” “Hop Up” and “Steady”) and the desired responses to the commands
    • On leash introduction to the campus obstacle course

    Phase #3

    • Guidework training in quiet residential areas
    • Frequent rides in the training vans
    • Introduction to more advanced guidework commands and responses (“Right,” “Left,” and “Over Here,”); continued training on commands learned in Phase #2
    • Introduction of curbs and street crossings
    • Progressive obstacle course training on campus
    • Continued obedience training
    • Mall exposure walks
    • Dog social sessions
    • Neutering/spaying for those dogs dropped from the breeder-watch list

    Phase #4

    • Progression of guidework training: more difficult sidewalks in busier sections of downtown areas
    • Training on more complex street crossings and curbs
    • Obstacle clearance initiated by the dogs; they begin to guide their mobility instructors through the campus obstacle course
    • Preliminary obedience testing and evaluation of the dogs’ reactions to head collars

    Phase #5

    • Preliminary guidework testing with the mobility instructor under blindfold
    • Complete veterinary history review
    • More challenging guidework training environments (pedestrian traffic, stairs, different flooring surfaces, etc.)

    Phase #6

    • Guidework routes in difficult and challenging work environments (heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic areas, wide crossings, hectic atmospheres, etc.)
    • Introduction to sidewalkless areas and rounded curbs
    • Continued work in malls, stores and buildings, with increasing exposure to varying sights, sounds and smells
    • Lessons in advanced guidework skills, such as moving turns
    • Introduction to “intelligent disobedience” (dogs learn to refuse to obey a command if it is unsafe to execute)
    • Advanced obedience training

    Phase #7

    • Guidework in extremely challenging downtown urban areas (San Francisco and Portland)
    • Training on buses, light rail/subway systems and platform edges
    • Introduction to low overhead clearances
    • Advanced off-leash obedience
    • Formal traffic training

    Phase #8

    • Advanced guidework and obedience training continues
    • Intensive indoor mall training with crowds and slick floors
    • Escalator training
    • Advanced sidewalkless training with obstacles.

    Phase #9

    • Final obedience testing, including on-leash obedience with the mobility instructor wearing a blindfold
    • Off-leash obedience with distractions
    • Workouts with unfamiliar or novice handlers
    • Final traffic testing with instructor under blindfold and “real life” traffic situations

    Phase #10

    • Final guidework testing: city streets. Includes working a 40-50 minute route with the mobility instructor wearing a blindfold in downtown Gresham or San Rafael. The route covers nearly every aspect of guidework (curbs, street crossings, stairs, buildings, crowded sidewalks, traffic, etc.); obedience exercises are done along the way.
    • Final guidework testing: inside buildings (malls, stores, etc.). Includes working escalators, elevators, stairs, etc. with the mobility instructor wearing a blindfold.
    • Final physical exams

     (From Guide Dogs for the Blind)

  • Coat Color Inheritance Chart

    The following information is from: http://www.vetgen.com/schippcolor.html 

    For example, if your dog is a Type V, (yellow dog with a black nose carrying the hidden genes for black). If you were to mate your dog with a Type III, the resulting litter would, on the average, all the puppies would be black. These probabilities represent expectations averaged over the long run and are subject to the law of probabilities.


    c1 c2 c3 Vetgen Vetgen Vetgen Vetgen Vetgen Vetgen
    I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX
    I All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 All
    Black
    II All
    Black    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Yellow    		 All
    Black    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Yellow    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 All
    Black    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Yellow
    III All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Choc.    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Choc.    		 All
    Black    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Choc.    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.
    IV All
    Black    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Yellow    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Choc.    		 9/16 Black
    ¼ Yellow
    3/16 Choc.    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 3/8 Black
    ½ Yellow
    1/8 Choc.    		 ¼ Black
    ½ Yellow
    ¼ Choc.    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 3/8 Black
    ¼ Yellow
    3/8 Choc.
    V All
    Black    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 All
    Black    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 All
    Yellow    		 All
    Yellow    		 All
    Yellow    		 All
    Black    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow
    VI All
    Black    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Choc.    		 3/8 Black
    ½ Yellow
    1/8 Choc.    		 All
    Yellow    		 All
    Yellow    		 All
    Yellow    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 ¼ Black
    ½ Yellow
    ¼ Choc.
    VII All
    Black    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 ¼ Black
    ½ Yellow
    ¼ Choc.    		 All
    Yellow    		 All
    Yellow    		 All
    Yellow    		 All
    Choc.    		 ½ Choc
    ½ Yellow
    VIII All
    Black    		 All
    Black    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 All
    Black    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 All
    Choc.    		 All
    Choc.    		 All
    Choc.
    IX All
    Black    		 ¾ Black
    ¼ Yellow    		 ½ Black
    ½ Choc.    		 3/8 Black
    ¼ Yellow
    3/8 Choc.    		 ½ Black
    ½ Yellow    		 ¼ Black
    ½ Yellow
    ¼ Choc.    		 ½ Yellow
    ½ Choc.    		 All
    Choc.    		 ¾ Choc
    ¼ Yellow

  • 8 weeks pregnant – leaving her at kennels

    alda8weeks.jpg  Wed, 2 Aug 2006 – Leaving Alda today was almost as hard as it was on recall day in January of 2003. I told her that she has an important job to do, then we’ll see her in 6-7 weeks. I don’t think she understood, but she definitely wasn’t as anxious as she was at that time. GDB has become her second home since then. I dropped off Alda (and the food), then proceeded to Breeding to give them them the cardboard cameras.

  • Lost appetite – feel pups move

    alda-belly.jpg  Sun, 30 Jul 2006 – Well, we’ve finally hit the change in appetite. She did fine with her middle of the night “snack” and with her breakfast around 5:00. When it came time for her mid-morning “snack”, however, she just stood there and stared at it. So, I dumped it out, got a different dish and put in some dry kibble and mixed it with several tablespoons of canned food, making a sort of hash. She thought this was pretty good stuff and practically inhaled it. We’ll see how she does in another hour, or so.

    A couple of days ago, the pups felt like a little flutter when I put my hand on Alda’s abdomen. Last night, it was definitely more like a thumping that I was feeling. The pups were certainly active early this morning. It’s a wonder that Alda can get any rest at all. It doesn’t seem to bother her, though.

    Mon, 31 Jul 2006 – Alda’s doing well. She moves around a lot when she’s sleeping, so I can tell that she’s having a hard time getting comfortable, but she’s hanging in there. I haven’t noticed any pitiful sighing or moans. She’s still eating well, as long as I continue to give her the dry kibble mixed with some canned food. We are now on a similar schedule to the one that I remember you talking about before: 9 PM, 1 AM, 3 AM, 6AM…. She doesn’t eat at the 3 AM one, but she usually needs to do some kind of business around that time. I got a glimpse of the “rolling earthquake” last night. It’s hard to believe, but she’ll likely be a mom within a week. In some ways, the time went by very quickly. And, even though it will be good to sleep a little longer during the night, I know that I will miss her. She’s really been very good through all of this.

  • 7 weeks pregnant

    alda7weeks.jpg  Wed, 26 Jul 2006 – Alda is doing well, in spite of this heat. Today is a little cooler (I was able to get the house temperature down to what I usually keep it at this morning…for the first time in days.) She’s been eating 6 meals a day since yesterday and so far, so good. I’ve been feeding her five meals a day: 1 1/2 cups at her usual mealtimes, and 1 cup at the other three times. Because of the heat, one of these “snack” feedings has been in the middle of the night, which seems to work out well. It’s a whole lot easier to do the walking at that time, too. Of course, if I had a job, this would be difficult. Since that’s not a factor, we’re free to experiment. Today I feel more tired, so we’ll probably go to bed earlier tonight and get up later on.

    I think I told you her collar is on the first notch. I measured her yesterday and came up with 32 (A) and 30 (B), which didn’t quite match up with yours at the same time…but, I may not have put the tape in the exact same spot, either. I can definitely feel the puppies moving now. I’m giving Alda daily sponge baths (I have noticed the occasional droplet of milk), she’s still shedding, although her belly isn’t bald, yet, and she’s loving those belly rubs. I also noticed that in the past few days she’s become less clingy…I think it’s become too much effort for her to get up and follow me wherever I go. It appears that the rest of the time that I have her we’ll have more normal temperatures. I hope so. She’s done well with all of this, but she deserves to be more comfortable (we both do!)

  • shedding, whining and eating

    Fri, 21 Jul 2006 – Alda’s hanging in there, but she really doesn’t care for this heat (who does)? I told her today that if this continues for too much longer, we might have to start reversing our days and nights. She continues to shed a great deal, the whine is becoming a little more frequent, she’s somewhat larger, but everything else is about the same. Fortunately, she’s still got her appetite. Her mealtime radar is all off now because I added that third feeding in the middle of the day. I do think it helps her comfort level (and probably her digestion) to have the meals be smaller.

  • really slow walks, made faster by cat

    Wed, 19 Jul 2006– I’d forgotten Alda’s flair for the dramatic. Last night, near the end of our walk, she was moping along, looking extremely forlorn….kind of pitiful, actually. At that point, I happened to notice a cat so I started talking to it. That certainly perked Alda up…she started prancing like a pony…all the way back to my house. She forgot all about the moping routine. Sometimes, I think she just needs a distraction, something to take the focus off of how miserable she feels. I’ve started singing lullabies to the pups. I’m willing to bet that’s something that hasn’t happened in prior pregnancies. Alda’s not quite sure what to make of this….

  • 6 weeks pregnant

    alda6weeks.jpg  Tue, 18 Jul 2006- Alda gets more food starting today. I’m feeding her three times a day, so I’m giving her 1 1/2 cups at breakfast, 1 1/2 cups at lunch, and 1 3/4 cups at dinner. That’s a lot of food, but she’s supposed to be at 4 3/4 cups now. I’ve noticed a correlation between the number of cups of food and the number of poops she does in a day. Since I’ve had her, she’s been “doing her business” 4 times a day, and she’s been eating 3 3/4 cups of food. I’ll shortly be able to tell if that’s a pattern or if it was just a coincidence.

    I didn’t sleep well the first night, so we went to bed earlier last night. It’s just so hot. It’s only supposed to be 103 today …. I’m sure we’ll notice a big difference. Yeah, right. I’m worried about Alda’s feet. We try to stay on the grass as much as possible, but always have to cross a little bit of pavement. I took her out the front by my deck yesterday to avoid that, but she ended up wanting to walk on it anyway. Go figure. Alda sends her love….

  • 5 weeks Pregnant

    Sun, 16 Jul 2006 – Alda and I arrived home without incident. Once I arrived at the Hillcrest area of Antioch, the thermometer on the car registered 100. Since we’ve been home, the A/C has been running non-stop. Way too hot, but there isn’t much we can do about it. As I saw you in my rearview mirror head off in the opposite direction today, I was reminded of the song “See You in September.” (You may have heard it on an Oldies station….) Anyway, if Alda could have sung it to you, she would have. She’s got a big job to do before she gets to join you again, but it won’t be long. She immediately ran around the house once we got here. I’d bought her a new toy which she discovered right away and she actually played with it for a bit. There definitely wasn’t any adjustment period with her coming back here….she’s very familiar with this place. Alda sends her love, but she’s sleeping soundly right now.