Guide Dogs for the Blind Breeder – Alda

Author: alda

  • Slow down on walks

    Bev traded Alda back to Gary for about a week.
    Thu, 13 Jul 2006 – Gary writes    , “Alda is doing fine. If I walk her once a day she can go on a longer walk and does not slow down near as much. She has also started her pregnant wheezing wine. See you Sunday.”

    Bev writes, “I see that the heat is supposed to return over the weekend. One report I heard indicated that out here the temperature might be 105 on Sunday. Needless to say, Alda won’t be doing much walking in that kind of heat. I try and get her out some in the AM and again around dusk. Alda must have completely switched over to the puppy chow by now. Did she tolerate that changeover OK?

    What about this whine….is it a constant thing? She is only 3 weeks from her return date, so I imagine she’s starting to get pretty uncomfortable. I mailed some pictures to Bindy on Saturday. If she hasn’t received them yet, she should in the very near future. For a cardboard camera, they turned out quite well. I’ll be sure and take more at my house, plus take two cameras to GDB when I take her in. See you Sunday….”

  • Ultrasound exam – confirmed pregnancy

      ultrasound2.jpg ultrasound3.jpg Thr, 7 Jul 2006 – Ever the trooper, Alda endured her fourth ultrasound appointment today. She’s very accustomed to showing off her belly, so being on her back didn’t seem to really bother her. The cold goop they put on her startled her at first, but she handled the whole thing like the veteran that she is.

    “Doc” quickly found 4 pups during the examination and it appeared that that was going to be his final estimation. However, when he was nearly finished, he indicated that he found 2 more. I’ve been telling Alda from the beginning that 6 would be a good number this time, so I’d like to think that this will be so. However, we all know that these numbers are only “guesstimates” at this stage. One thing’s for certain, however…she’s definitely pregnant.

  • Heartworm medication gas

    Sun, 2 Jul 2006– Alda’s fine, except for some nasty gas this AM. Don’t know if it’s pregnancy related or a result of the heartworm medication she had with her dinner last night. That’s been the only thing different in her diet. I remember that happening with one of the dogs I raised….might have been her. It’s not a big deal (I’ve got my gas mask).

    Other than that, we’re doing very well. We were up for breakfast and business (hers) this AM around 5:30, but then we both slept until 9. She’s sleeping again now. The firecrackers have started around the neighborhood and Alda doesn’t seem the least bit concerned about it. She doesn’t even act as though she notices it. This is good, because it looks like we’ve got another couple of days to go. I think they start earlier each year.

  • Upset stomach, taking a dog’s temp

    Wed, 28 Jun 2006 – I wonder if a cookie (or two, if she’ll take it) in the middle of the night might reduce the empty stomach irritation and bile vomit near the end of her pregnancy. Did you ever try that? (They always tell pregnant women to keep dry cereal or crackers by their bed for when they wake up in the middle of the night….) I find this kind of amusing (in a perverse sort of way) that you and I (both childless) are in the position of trying to figure out all of this pregnancy stuff. 🙂I’ve never taken a dog’s temp. before…..I’m assuming that you use vaseline for lubrication and insert approximately 1 inch? Does Alda tolerate this well? She woke me up by shaking her head at 1:30 this AM to do business. Since I always have to get up around 2 or so, anyway, I didn’t try to make her go back to bed. We both did our business. I may be creating a monster for you when you finally get her back….

    We took a moderate walk this AM; she’s sound asleep now. She also decided during the night that she didn’t care for my dog bed, so I brought her bagel bed in the bedroom…she was much happier. She may prefer the other when she gets bigger…we’ll see. Good luck today. Alda sends her love and kisses.

  • 3 weeks pregnant

    alda3weeks2.jpg  Tue, 27 Jun 2006 – Alda is sleeping at my feet as I write this. She’s had dinner, a walk, a poop, several pees, a cookie, and her teeth brushed. In a little bit, we’ll walk again, then clean ears and have a Frosty Paw. She knew right where she was when we pulled in. Her bagel bed is set up in the living room; she’s already checked out the new kennel and even inaugurated it with a few digs while I was folding laundry. Several of my neighbors have already come out to see her when I was walking her. One of them hopes for a “B” litter and thinks Beasley would be a great name.

  • Breeding FAQ

    The Breeding Department will determine an appropriate mate for the female based on temperament and family history. Females are generally bred once a year. Usually a different mate is chosen each time. “With a blood test, ovulation timing can be predicted to ensure a successful breeding. The actual breeding takes place during the female’s initial rise in progesterone.” (From www.thecapsulereport.com)

    neo-breeding2.jpg

    The dogs will be bred for 3 consecutive days during the female’s initial rise in progesterone. The female will remain in the kennels until she is diestrus.

    When picking up the dog from the kennels, you will be given an information packet on how to care for a pregnant dog, and encouraged to make an ultrasound appointment in the vet clinic.

    The ultrasound and physical exam by the vet are the determining factors to prove pregnancy.  (From Guide Dogs for the Blind)

  • Season FAQ

    Females are required to be boarded in GDB kennels when they are in season, usually for 3 weeks. “When she is in season the vulva will be enlarged and blood stained fluid is passed. She may go off her food a few days, urinate more frequently when out on her walks and may be down and miserable when she is about to come into season.” (from www.petplanet.co.uk)

    “The first phase of the cycle is called “Proestrus” and is characterized by a swollen vulva, a bloody vaginal discharge, attraction of male dogs.  She flirts with the male but will not allow him to mount. The bloody vaginal discharge is what seems to lead to the misconception that the dog is menstruating. In fact, the blood comes directly from the walls of the vagina rather than the sloughing of the uterine lining as occurs in menstruation.

    The second phase of the cycle is called “Estrus” which is characterized by the change in character of the vaginal discharge from bloody to “straw colored.”  At this time the female begins to allow the male to mount. It is classically the change from proestrus to estrus that ovulation occurs and the female is most fertile.

    After the mating and the discharge is over, the period of “Diestrus” begins.”  (Info from http://www.marvistavet.com)

  • Preparing for the Puppy Raisers

    breeding-raisers.jpg 

    Between 6 and 8 weeks of age the puppies are in the puppy kennel, where they share stalls with their littermates and continue being fed three times daily. The puppy kennel is the place where the puppies first experience the outside world. They are socialized and walked on campus by dedicated volunteers where they are exposed to strange noises, new smells and situations, and learn to overcome their initial fear of surprises. When the puppies are about 8 weeks old, they are ready to be placed with their raiser families. (From Guide Dogs for the Blind)

  • Puppy Care

    Alda cleaning a pup 

    The newborn puppies are weighed daily for the first five days of their lives to ensure they are gaining weight properly. The puppies spend their first three weeks in the wading pool with their mother and littermates to nurse. At 3 weeks of age, they are put on the floor on shredded newspaper. At this time they start eating solid food and are slowly weaned. Each puppy is identified after birth by a shaved area on the shoulder and/or hip; this shaved area is used for identification until the pups are moved to the puppy kennel. They eventually receive permanent identification tattoos in both ears. (From Guide Dogs for the Blind)

  • Whelp or Birth

    Alda giving birth to black puppy 

    To prepare for whelping, they are put in stalls that contain plastic wading pools lined with newspapers. When labor begins, the females start to “nest”—tearing the newspapers into small pieces and settling into the pools. During birth, the Kennel staff is present to monitor the labor and delivery and assists when needed. This assistance may involve assessing fetal heart rates, qualifying uterine contractions, resuscitating newborn puppies, clamping bleeding umbilical cords, and feeding females tired from a long whelp. (From Guide Dogs for the Blind)