YES I AM A BREEDER

Cindy Smith, www.akitascas.com / TheDogPlace July 2010

You jolt awake with your heart pounding and jump out of bed.  A quick glance at the clock tells you its 2:38 a.m.  You pull on your robe and rush out - kicking yourself mentally because you've fallen asleep for over 2 hours and have not been WATCHING.

You glance in the whelping box, a quick count tells you that there is still as many puppies as there were two hours ago, and all are moving.  You offer up a quick 'Thank You!'  Open the door and tell Mom it's okay to go out.  She is hesitant, but nature wins and out she goes for her potty break, rushing to get it over with so she can get back to her babies ASAP.

The pups are three days old. Every day the worry factor eases a little, although as an experienced breeder - you know it's gonna be there until these babies that YOU helped to create are in their new homes, until the show puppies become champions, and until health clearances all attained. Shrugging, you acknowledge that you’ll worry about them until they die of old age.

You've just spent two sleepless days trying to save the littlest pup that didn't make it anyway. Your heart is still aching over the loss, but it's time to start counting your blessings. So you do what makes it all worthwhile - you let Mom back in, and settle down beside the box to watch.

You have to smile at Mom as she glances over with a very serious expression to make sure the other dogs are not too close to her babies. She's worries a little too, although probably not as much as you do and not over silly things. You tear up as you remember her heroic efforts as she too tried to save the little one - constantly bathing and stimulating her in an effort to get her to nurse, with a soft whine that she didn't have when she nosed the others. She was worried and it showed, as though she knew the baby might die. And dogs don’t foresee death? Whoever said that stupid thing?

Again you make a conscious effort to put it behind you, as you look at how gorgeous and PROMISING these babies look. You glance over at Mom. She's admiring her sleeping babies and smiling too, all seriousness gone now.

Forever amazed at this, you watch as she stands up, reaches out and breathes on the pile of puppies causing them to blindly wiggle closer to her breath. You’ve seen the best mamas do this and you swell with pride for this first-time mother. Patiently, she guides them further across the box and then she lies down at just the right spot, offering them access to her un-nursed side.

As they squirm their way towards just the right nipple, you see there's gonna be some perfect rears in this group, and just LOOK at the bone! You've already decided that you are will call the big boy "Buffalo". With that head, could there be any other name?!

And look at the ANGLES on that girl! You get lost in admiration as the pups all find “their” nipple. Little heads rear back on the nipple and what will be wonderfully curled tails go straight up and vibrate as she lets her milk down. Chin in hand, entranced at the moment you seen repeated a thousand times, you smile in weary contentment - and you look up and see that Mom is smiling too.

Either she's reading your thoughts again, or she just knows how special these pups are too.

And your heart is warmed - life is good - and you again say "Thank You". And you are proud to be a breeder because in moments like this, you know its all worth it

https://www.thedogplace.org/Reproduction/Yes-Breeder-10072_Smith.asp