Friday, August 19, 2011

Happy Unhappy August 19th

Ok, so I have been busy. Who hasn't. I have not  even had time to cross post my posts from Life With Dogs over here, but. I will .
Lately we have been busy day dreaming of puppy breath. You see...
"My name is Nancy and I am a dog breeder."
Well , not exactly, and well, not exactly.

Let me start from the very beginning. A very good place to start.

As many of you know, I have been rescuing dogs for many, many years. As a kid dogs followed me home and my Dad taught me to refuse the reward  ecstatic owners tried to give me.  I think that is awesome and I teach my kids the same.

My first Border Collie found me in a story that really needs to be a children's book, but I digress. We gave Dina the birthday of our Shepherd X Aug. 19th, because   the vet guestatmated her age to be about that.

When I was looking for another dog after Dina was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the same thing happened and like many a weirdo dog person that went before me,   we felt that fate had stepped in and that Charlee was meant to be our dog.  She to was awarded the birthday of August 19th.

Today I mourned the loss of my three great dogs. Rollo, Dina and Charlee and forever this is the day that my dogs were born, whether they really were,. or not.

Fast forward to close to 3 year ago and a wonderful woman started bringing her delightful English Springer Spaniel to my classes pretty much weekly.  In short time, she asked me if I was interested in taking over her line of wonderful dogs. She wasn't getting any younger and was dealing with health issues.  Like great breeders before her, Sally  took back dogs for any reason for the life of the  dog.  Sally just didn't feel that she was up to that any more, and was looking to pass her line of dogs on.
  I politely refused.
a lot.
 For years.
 It isn't that I don't think that people should not breed dogs. I think the world needs GREAT breeders who keep the wonderful dogs wonderful.
While many do not agree it is as simple as this. A breeder is not a breeder is not a breeder.

I do as much as I can for rescue dogs and I never want to see people stop breeding dogs who are doing it right.

So Ginger comes to class all the time and guess what...my daughter who is nearly 10 falls madly in love with her.
Sally plants the bug...."One of Ginger's pups would be perfect for Heather. The line is extremely versatile and she could do anything from breed ring, to agility to rally to whatever she wants."

Ok...I liked the sound of that.I grew up in the horse show world and I kind of liked the idea of Heather learning how to train dogs with her own pup. One I know had a great shot at being an everything dog for her. It is not that I don't think rescue dogs could not do the job, but there was something totally wonderful about Heather and Ginger and I think the breed was perfectly suited for our needs.
Not only do I need a dog who a kid can train, but I need a dog who can hang with all that goes on in my life. Lots of dog traffic and lots of "sweet chaos"

After nearly 3 years I said yes to a puppy from Ginger with the stipulation that I bred our pup  at least once to a male of her choice, and that they got pick of the litter.
Heather and I lived and breathed Ginger's stay at the breeders. We counted days, we day dreamed, she named the puppy Victorious, Tory for short, from the same show that Beck got his name from.

 When I asked Sally the due date for pups she said August 13th and I said without missing a beat "our pup will be born on August 19th.
So the 13th came and went and the 14th and the 15 and the 16th and the 17th brought an ultrasound.

This AM we got the word that Ginger was having a C section.
HOLY SHIT! OMG! It is our puppy!
I had my  doubts, not only about being a "breeder" , but about money and lack there of, but a puppy on the 19th! HOLY SHIT!

Early afternoon we got word that Ginger and pup were both fine and that our girl wasn't to be.  The singleton puppy, while black and white like we wished for ---was a  boy.
HOLY SHIT! What are the odds!
There were water works from my kid, but she took it pretty well over all. I explained 5 ways to Sunday why were were not getting a male.

There will be one more litter in Ginger's future and we still want in.
But tonight we mourn my daughter's 10th year birthday present that is not to be, and my  three wonderful dogs who were pretty much born on this date-- Rollo, Dina and Charlee.