I'm getting into the swing of dog breeding and I'm preparing for my dog Kira's first litter. I knew she was going to into heat sometime in June or July. When it got to August I was getting a little concerned. I was researching studs so I would be prepared when she finally started.
I needed to make sure the stud would be a good match for Kira. So I was on the hunt for a mini black tri-color or brown tri-color that didn't have a Merle gene since Kira herself is Merle. I found a potential stud close to me and one in North Carolina. The local one was still too young so I was excited to use the cutie in NC.
Hormone Testing
I take my girl to the vet to get her hormone levels checked. We thought we were on the early side of things by getting her tested at 8 days. Then you would bring her dog back every few days until her levels were just right to get pregnant. The vet comes back and says her progesterone level is super high. I thought that was a good sign, but instead, the vet said it was too high and she should have been bred yesterday.
My plan was to get fresh semen from the stud shipped overnight for the insemination. I asked if Kira got bred today would that still work. He said you can give it a shot. I need to find a puppy daddy today! The only dog I have vetted so far was Hollow who was the dad of my other dog Coco's puppies. Those puppies were the cutest ever so I got on the phone with Hollow's owner and asked if Hollow was ready TODAY to breed. Luckily they were so nice and made him available.
The Meeting
When Kira met Hollow it was something special. You would have thought she was the boy dog. She went after him and was licking his face. She is usually a little standoffish with other dogs but she loved Hollow from the start. Hollow was the same way and wouldn't leave Kira's side even when his owner tried to take him back home. The owner said he had never seen that kind of connection when breeding Hollow before.
What's Next
I won't know until the middle of September if the breeding was successful, but I am excited for the outcome! Expect cute little puppies that are either gray with black spots (hopefully with some brown tan points) or red and white.
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