Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws – Part 6 – Pre mate blood test take 2!

June 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Well we're still rolling on! A second bloodtest was taken on Friday (Day 11), the results were sent to me on Saturday. We are now slap bang in the middle of the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend, if we don't get the right result on Saturday, then the lab won't be open until the following Wednesday and that might be too late!

Saturday's results

Well just to keep us on the edge of our seats for a bit longer, the results have come back negative. Tilly has still not ovulated.  The vet has advised us to go ahead and try and mate Tilly on Tuesday (the Jubilee bank holiday!)

The stud dog has been booked, but the stud owner has said we will still need to do an additional blood test on Wednesday to confirm whether ovulation has taken place, otherwise we will be having another trip to the stud dog!

Follow the next post to see how we get on with the stud dog, and will Tilly have ovulated???

 

 

 

Filed Under: Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws (Aug 2012 Litter)

Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws – Part 5 – Pre Mate Blood tests (progesterone)

May 31, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Talk about a roller coaster! I thought this week was going to be quite straight forward. I was told to get a blood sample taken on Day 8 and then send this to the Lab for testing. The plan was, I would get the test results on Day 9 and would then know when to take Tilly to the stud dog. As a result, all plans for the Jubilee celebrations and half term are currently in limbo, as we don't know when Tilly will be ready for the stud dog.

The results were phoned through to me on Day 9, and I was told that Tilly's Progesterone levels were at 1.4 which means that Tilly has not yet ovulated. I now need to wait another couple of days until Friday (Day 11) to get another blood sample taken. Rather worryingly,the results won't be known until Day 12 which happens to be the Saturday of the big Jubilee bank holiday. The lab won't be open again until the following Wednesday which is Day 16.  I am really hoping that Tilly will have higher progesterone levels on Friday so that we can make plans for the mating date.

Because I didn't understand what a progesterone level of 1.4 meant, I thought I would do a bit of research of my own. Here's what I found:

Prior to coming into season, the progesterone levels are quite low (less than 1ng (ng=nanograms). As the cycle continues the progesterone levels start to slowly climb. At 5ng, ovulation occurs. In order to time the breeding correctly, it is necessary to identify when the progesterone levels reach 2.5ng/ml, that way the mating schedule can be set up. Natural breeding should take place 3 days after the 2.5ng/ml mark. There are other ways of breeding such as artificial insemination with either fresh chilled and or frozen semen, but we won't be concerned with those methods!

Just as I am writing this, the phone rang, and it was the vet asking if I had checked whether the lab will be open to analyse the results, (due to it being the bank holiday), they were conscious that it might be closed. It's good to know that the vet is forward thinking!

Anyhow, I am anxiously hoping that Tilly's progesterone levels will have risen sufficiently so that we can plan our trip to the stud dog – here's hoping………

 

 

Filed Under: Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws (Aug 2012 Litter)

Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws – part 4 – How can you tell when a dog is coming into season?

May 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Having found the stud dog, it is now just a waiting game.  We can't proceed with anything until the dog has come into season.

Since Tilly has aways come into season in regular six monthly intervals, I was pretty confident that this would happen around the middle of May.

I asked around and read lots of websites to find out a bit more, but I also watched Tilly like a hawk for two weeks prior to the expected start time. I was advised to start swabbing her with a tissue around the vulva, this is because we need to absolutely sure of the first day of the season.  We have been advised by two separate breeders that we should mark Day 1 (the first signs of blood) on the calendar and then 7 days after this, take Tilly to the vets to have a blood sample taken, which is then sent off to the Lab and tested to see when she is likely to ovulate. Apparently, they can tell you the correct couple of days to introduce Tilly to the Stud dog and for mating to take place.

It's absolutely critical to get day 1 right, since if you miss this, you can potentially miss the right opportunity to breed, and then you've got to wait another 6 months before you can try again!

Here are the signs I noticed prior to Tilly coming into season:

  • Lots of interest around the female dog by boy dogs!
  • Lots of "scenting" i.e weeing a lot on walks!
  • Constant licking of the vulva
  • Perhaps the dog feels a little lethargic?
  • Off her food
  • Slight clear discharge in the week running up to day 1
  • The day prior to bleeding the discharge was slightly coloured.
  • Swelling of the vulva (I noticed a slight swelling the day before, but it swells much more later in the season).

Thankfully we didn't have to wait too long for Tilly to start, she kept us waiting for a while, and I think she got fed up of the constant swabbing of her rear end, but eventually Day 1 has dawned and we are now counting down the days to the blood test. Watch this space to see how we get on!

 

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Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws – Part 3 – Finding a Stud Dog

May 23, 2012 By Leave a Comment

This is becoming the "trickiest" part of the whole process. Where do you find a suitable stud dog?

Well, there are loads of websites out there and it's just a case of trawling through them to find what's available. Sorry, but there doesn't seem to be any quick answer to this one.

It helps when searching, if you can narrow down the breed type, even to the colour. For example, I was able to search for all male labradors in Derbyshire which were either black, chocolate or yellow. Once I'd done this, I then looked at the ages of the dogs and how much experience they'd had at being a stud dog. The prices reflected their experience. For example I could have had an inexperienced male only 18 months old where the stud fee was only £100. At the other end of the scale, I could see an extremely experienced dog, with very good pedigree and field trial championships under his belt for £575. To say it is a minefield is an understatement!

It is then necessary to look at the health checks that they have had. You can weigh up the commitment of the breeder, by the tests that they have had done. My view is, the more health tests the animal has had, the more reputable the breeder. The tests that most of the "serious" stud dogs had were hip and elbow scores, eye tests and quite often a DNA test. Without these tests, how does the breeder know that they aren't bring more animals into the world with a hereditary condition such as hip dysplasia?  The less reputable breeders perhaps didn't want to know the results of the health tests, because if they were poor, then that would seriously undermine the quality of the dog and impact their chances of making any money from their dog. I chose to ignore all dogs that had not had at least elbows, hips and eyes tested.

In the end, we visited a couple of kennels, one of which was very small and not commerial, the other being a highly regarded commercial kennel and breeder. It was interesting to compare the two kennels, and I would actually recommend this, as you can weigh up the pros and cons of both.  Each breeder was very knowledgeable about the dogs and also about training. They both scrutinised Tilly and her pedigree, and I am pleased to say, she was accepted by both breeders.

After the first visit to the smaller kennels, we applied for Tillys Pedigree certificate via the Kennel Club. This can be done online, for the sum of £8, and you have the choice of either a 3 generation or a 5 generation pedigree. We got the five generation pedigree, and it was fascinating to read this, as it showed all the field trial champions in Tilly's family tree.

The pedigree certificate was further investigated by the second kennels (the more commercial one) and  the breeder appeared to know a lot of the dogs and also named some of the owners. It's a very small world!

After a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of each kennel we have made a decisision to go with the more commercial breeder. Now it's just a case of waiting for Tilly to come into season!

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Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws Part 2 – Health Checks

April 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Having made the decision to breed from Tilly, we want to make sure that we are doing this properly. We are well aware that Labradors can experience hip problems in later life, but until we started talking to people and also researching stud dogs, we didn't know much about the health tests that are recommended.

We had already had a quote for a hip test, some time ago, and quite honestly, it was frightening how expensive it seemed. After a lot more research and talking to experienced people, we discovered that the first quote was indeed very expensive and it had certainly paid to do the research, as we have since discovered that we have probably saved a couple of hundred pounds!

Time however, is of the essence, as Tilly is due to come into season, mid May. So it is really important to get these health tests done as quickly as possible.

Having spoken to a potential stud dog owner, we have found that the sensible order of health checks is as follows.

First get the eyes tested- as this is the cheapest test to do (Cost £48). However, only specialist vets do this. We travelled to Huddersfield with Tilly (a four hour round trip) – so if we added the fuel costs as well, it would probably be another £20.  If the dog's eyes are not clear, then it is probably not worth continuing with the breeding process. Thankfully, Tilly's eyes were classified as "clinically unaffected", so this meant that we could breath a sigh of relief and move on to the next test.

The next test, being the hips scored. You can, at the same time, get the elbows done (which apparently is trickier than the hips, as x rays need to be taken of both straight leg and bent legs).  Some vets will anaesthetise the dogs, in order to carry out this procedure. However, in our case the vet we have chosen is so experienced,  that she is going to sedate the dog, which is a method that we prefer.  She is also able to give an approximation of the hip score on the day, which is what we want, since we are so close to the start of Tilly's season. We need to know if she has any hip problems prior to breeding with her. If the hip score turns out to be bad – we will not be breeding.  This is an expensive business as the hip score and elbows test is approx £250. (Actually a good price, as we were previously quoted £400!)

We are now awaiting the  official results of Tilly's hip score, as the vet now has to send the results of the x rays that have been taken, to the BVA (British Vetinary Association). Apparently there is a panel of 12 vets who assess the results and two of them will make a judgement on Tilly's x rays. Once they have made an assessment, this score will be sent back to the vets, who in turn will inform us! As you can see, this process can take some time, anywhere between 3 and 8 weeks, we have been told!!!

Since we do not have 8 weeks, as Tilly is due in season any time soon, we have had a preliminary score given to us. The score is 5,4 which is a very respectable score for hips. The vet told us that the breed average is 14. Basically, you add the two scores together, in Tilly's case this is 9, and compare this to the breed average.  The vet is expecting the official score to be a little lower than she has told us, so we are waiting with baited breath!!!

She also scored the elbows, which were 0,0 a perfect score!!!!

The vet has told us, that based on what she has seen, she is more than happy for us to continue the process of breeding, with Tilly.  It helps that she also knows  the stud dog that we are thinking of using, so we have been given the "green light" to continue!

Follow our next post as we decide on a stud dog for Tilly, and also hopefully we will have the official hip score!!

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Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws? – Part 1

April 22, 2012 By Leave a Comment

We have a beautiful, lively, black labrador called Tilly, who is now two and a half years old. She has a lovely temperament and is in top condition, so we feel that now is the right time to breed from her. This could just be a "one off" experience, but we wanted to document the occasion, as Tilly is part of our family, and this is a very exciting time for us. Tilly on the top

We feel that we are going on a journey, and we're certainly experiencing things and learning about the breed, as never before. We have met, lots of interesting and highly devoted people, who love their dogs and want the best outcome for them, whether, breeding, competing or simply just wanting the best for their dogs.

We will be sharing our experience via this blog, so if you would liketo join us in the most exciting event for our family this Summer, then keep an eye out for the next post on this blog!

Filed Under: Pitter Patter of Tiny Paws (Aug 2012 Litter)

Bakewell Market

July 4, 2013 By

Bakewell market is on tomorrow morning (Monday). It's always packed full of dogs at holiday time and I don't imagine tommorow will be any different.  The weather is not likely to be too great though, so that might put a few people off, but it will still be a great day.

Plenty of coffee shops to sit outside of and some lovely walks to do whilst your there.

Check out the friendly pet shop on Water street, they have some fantastic treats and toys for your dogs as well as the usual food and pet shop bits and bobs.

You can always find out which pubs and coffee shops are dog friendly by taking a copy of my Dog Friendly Bakewell book with you!  Check out the website

Have a great day!

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New Dog Friendly guide to Bakewell!

March 20, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Finally, I have achieved the target that I set myself at the beginning of the year. I can announce that our first dog friendly guide is now available on Amazon!  Our new ebook has just been published for dog owners who visit Bakewell in the Peak District, with their dogs.

We have chosen an e book format, as it is quick and easy to download and can be carried around with you whilst out with your dog.

This guide contains six local walks, with detailed instructions and photos of stiles and squeezers, so that you can see whether the walk is appropriate for your dog. In addition to the walks, there are also details of local pubs and coffee shops which are dog friendly in the Bakewell area.

For those of you planning a slightly longer stay, there are contact details of local accommodation providers who are happy to welcome dogs. These vary from hotels to campsites and everything in between!

This guide is a “must have” for dog owners who like to take their canine companions everywhere with them.

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Slipping on my backside down Slack side!

May 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Water Cum Jolly

Water Cum Jolly

Today was a great day. What started off as an ordinary dog walk turned into a bit of an adventure. I started off at Millers Dale carpark and decided to walk along the Monsal trail towards Litton Mill. I had the ideas that I would walk through the tunnels as far as Cressbrook and and then turn down towards Cressbrook Mill and walk back along the riverside towards Millers Dale rejoining the Monsal Trail at Litton Mill. This great plan went pear shaped as soon as I tried to join the waterside path at Cressbrook Mill – it was completely flooded and I didn’t fancy swimming with the ducks, which was the only way I was going to be able to stick to my planned route. Time for plan B! With my trusty IPhone, I managed to navigate a way round on the roads. Sadly it was much longer but I managed to find a new footpath which led me down slackside. Unfortunately it was pretty slippy and I managed to end up on my backside sliding down slackside. (now that’s not any easy thing to say)!
Anyhow, really pleased I’ve managed to find some new paths as I can now link these up with ones that I already know around Millers Dale. Check out the OS map no 24 for the White Peak if you want to see where I walked.
Bye for now….

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I love the Peak District!

December 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I have been reminded this week, why I love the Peak District so much. You don't realise how much you appreciate something until it's not there. Having visited other parts of the country visiting friends over the festive break it has been brought home to me what a lovely place we live in.
The beautiful scenery which changes with the seasons. The fact that you can sling on a pair of scruffy walking boots, hat and coat and not feel a complete duck taking the dog for a walk! You simply blend into part of the walking scenery.
The fact that you can find a dog friendly pub or coffee shop without too much effort and sip a lovely cup of coffee, whilst reading the paper with the dog at your feet.
The endless walks that you can do, often from your front door.
Having visited the South recently, I am reminded how friendly Derbyshire folks are. You can strike up a conversation with anyone and find that you can have a laugh and joke with someone you've never met before.
Most of all, you can get around and about without having to worry about road congestion and rush hour! Stress levels are so much lower as a result.
Never again will I be concerned about not having shops and city type facilities around. I can order whatever i need on the Internet and have it delivered to my front door!
Roll on 2012, where I will find more exciting places to visit and admire with my dog at my feet.

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