Oh Yeah, You Blend

Getting back into the swing of things. New judge to us, John Defilippi, loved his courses, fast and challenging, and he is very nice, has a generous wheel, and is very generous with his calls (the agility gods truly do giveth and taketh away, since the judge gave Nina and I a gift on her dogwalk contact yesterday, but then she took a wrong course…). Zhora picked up double Q’s #26 and 27, plus two Time 2 Beat legs. She also had a wonderful Premier Jumpers run today but stepped on the metal weave pole base and slipped so she popped and earned an R for the NQ. I am seeing that when I am very clear about where she is going so she can see her lines well, she is running faster and faster, but when I am unclear or when a course is really twisty turny, she slows down. Both Zhora and Nina earned personal best points totals and YPS in Friday’s standard course, and in today’s standard run Nina had the fastest time of all the 8″ and 12″ dogs, and was within a couple of seconds of the really fast 20 and 24″ dogs! When it works, it really works.

Nina Friday Standard (first place, personal best 34 points, 4.241 YPS…IN STANDARD!):

Zhora Friday Standard (part 2 of QQ #26, third place, personal best 31 points, 4.028 YPS!):

Zhora Friday Time 2 Beat (first place, 10 points):

Zhora Friday Jumpers (part 2 of QQ #26, third place, 17 points):

Zhora Saturday Time 2 Beat (8 points and our only Q on Saturday):

Zhora Sunday Premier (NQ but nice run):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (part 1 of QQ #27, third place, 15 points):

Nina Sunday Standard (first place, 32 points, 4.11 YPS):

Zhora Sunday Standard (part 2 of QQ #27, 26 points):

Another wonderful trial put on by HABOC! Judge Pam Sturtz, my first time trialing under her, designed some really tricky courses, but really fun to run, she was really nice to show to. Some tough challenges and some low Q rates, but you really felt your skills were getting a workout, and you need that once in a while! Zhora put up QQ # 25, and earned her second Open FAST leg and another 10 points toward her Time to Beat 2 title. Nina had a NQ weekend, although her jumpers NQ today was one I was very glad I videoed (thanks Sue!) because I could see clearly that I caused her to knock the ONE AND ONLY BAR. Zhora was 5/6 on the weekend, just a weird and uncharacteristic R at the weaves yesterday. There were almost no 8″ dogs, so I only had four or so dogs between them, so I was TIRED.

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (NQ, weird weave R, but even Zhora can’t be perfect I guess):

Nina Saturday Jumpers (NQ, obvs, but nice run):

Zhora Saturday Standard (Q, first place, 30 points, love to see her really digging in and running):

Nina Saturday Standard (NQ but such a nice run, good job of getting ahead of her in the weaves and supporting it properly):

Zhora Open FAST (Q, 71 points):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (part 1 of QQ #25, second place, 14 points, and she saves the Q in the weaves when she keeps going after a bad entry!):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (I drop my arm and turn my shoulder as she jumps the blue non-wing and cause the bar down, but look at that front cross after the weaves!):

Zhora Sunday Time 2 Beat (Q, 10 points, first place, some experimenting, her distance work is really coming along, getting ahead of her in the weaves is not ready for prime time, although I didn’t support as I should):

Zhora Sunday Standard (part 2 of QQ #25, first place, only dog to Q in her height, 27 points):

Zhora had her second perfect weekend in a row (other than an NQ in Premier), earning double Q’s #23 and 24, plus a placement in one run (some of the fastest 8″ dogs in the country run here so that was pretty cool!). Nina had some great runs but only pulled off a Master FAST Q. Judges Mary Mullen and Laura Kuterbach designed some deceptively tricky courses for us!

Saturday Nina Master FAST (Q, third place, 63 points):

Saturday Zhora Open FAST (Q, first place, 70 points):

Saturday Zhora Master Standard (part 1 of QQ #23, 27 points):

Saturday Nina Master Jumpers (NQ):

Saturday Zhora Master Jumpers (part 2 of QQ #23, 18 points):

Saturday Nina Premier Jumpers (NQ but nice run, I got in her way at the tunnel):

Saturday Zhora Premier Jumpers (NQ, handler errors!):

Sunday Nina Standard (NQ but nice run):

Sunday Zhora Standard (part 1 of QQ #24, fourth place, 25 points):

Sunday Nina Jumpers (NQ):

Sunday Zhora Jumpers (part 2 of QQ #24, 16 points):

– He said that extender does NOT cause resorption (I have heard different opinions from different vets and breeders, but this is his view), because the extender is long gone by the time the resorption occurs (I wondered if just a short exposure to it could cause inflammation but he said no).
– He said resorptions are generally caused by uterine issues (anything from infections and cysts to just overly-thickened lining), genetic problems with the puppies, inability to maintain progesterone levels, and some medications (which nobody would be using if they were breeding a planned litter), although we often never find the reason for it.
– A recent study showed that a high percentage of bitches (30-40% I think he said) resorb at least a couple of puppies in a given litter (and this was a very small litter).
– The “genetic problems” he means are not what we’d normally think (hip dysplasia or whatever), all dogs (and all humans and all other animals for that matter) carry some lethal genes, they aren’t a problem unless a puppy happens to inherit two copies, and then they cause fetal death and resorption, this happens in every species, it’s part of nature’s checks and balances.
– He said that there is no reason NOT to do another shipped semen AI with this bitch. A surgical would allow the vet to check the condition of the uterus, but even a vaginal or transcervical would be fine.
– It’s most likely just something that happened with this litter.
– He suggested using mibolerone (Cheque drops) for a few months to thin the uterine lining out (he says he has done this successfully with quite a few bitches who had trouble carrying a litter to term), and after the next breeding, checking progesterone a couple of weeks after ovulation to make sure it was staying up (spot checking throughout the pregnancy is also a good idea).
– If it happens again, maybe consider a different stud dog just in case it’s a problem with this specific cross (I would rather try again at least once with this dog, since he is a very good match for my girl and the COI is very low, which can be hard to come by in my breed)

Well, so Zhora had nearly three months off (her last trial was the weekend she got her MACH, which was May 7), and wow, she came back with a bang! She had a perfect weekend, earning double Q’s #21 and 22 towards MACH2, plus a Premier double Q! Nina ran wonderfully with a Jumpers Q on Saturday and a Standard Q on Sunday. We also had a major disconnect today that almost ended up with one of us getting hurt – I was prepared to take the fall to avoid stepping on her but fortunately neither happened! As much as I wish I was raising puppies right now, it sure was nice to get back to running the Z dog, not bad for a trial I entered on the last open day on a whim, because I love running under judge Lavonda Herring! We are taking it easy for a while, one trial in August only.

Nina Saturday Jumpers (Q, first place and 20 points):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (Q, third place and 18 points, part 1 of QQ #21):

Zhora Saturday Premier Standard (Q, first place):

Zhora Saturday Standard (Q, second place and 25 points, part 2 of QQ #21):

Nina Sunday Premier Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Sunday Premier Jumpers (Q, first place):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (Q, first place and 14 points, part 1 of QQ #22):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (EEK!):

Nina Sunday Standard (Q, first place, 30 points):

Zhora Sunday Standard (only last half got videoed unfortunately, Q, third place and 23 points, part 2 of QQ #22 and end of the perfect weekend!):

…I have a phone consult set up in a couple of weeks with Dr Robert Hutchison at Animal Clinic Northview (he’s a renowned repro specialist vet, who did the surgical AI that resulted in the B litter!) to discuss what he thinks the best course of action for Zhora is. Further bulletins as events warrant!

…so during a sleepless night recently I was thinking about things and I suddenly realized (and I am not sure how I hadn’t realized this before) that if I breed Zhora on her next heat, she will not only miss the Invitational, but also in all likelihood the National Agility Championship next March. Missing one or the other would be one thing, but missing both…I have never gone to the NAC before, and next year it’s in Georgia, a one day drive away. I could handle missing the Invitational I suppose, although to be going with the #1 (Zhora) and the #3 (Nina) dog is pretty cool, but given that it is possible that this might be our last time going if it moves to the west coast next year, it would be tough to miss.

So after discussing it with probably more people than truly wanted to discuss it with me, I may be putting off breeding Zhora until after the NAC. I am in the process of setting up a phone consult with Dr Hutchison at Animal Clinic Northview to talk about options (he is a renowned repro vet and is the one who performed the surgical AI with frozen semen that resulted in Zhora herself!). Updates will be posted here. I am so sorry that I am in the position of having to make this decision, since I know many people have been waiting for a puppy for a long time. I welcome any questions or suggestions!

Further bulletins as events warrant!

Just Nina and I running this weekend, although Zhora came along for the ride and to see her human peeps and play with her canine peeps! I really miss running her, can’t wait for her first trial back coming up soon!

Nina had some gorgeous runs this weekend, even though we only squeaked out one Q, we were really in sync and the mojo was really working. Our Jumpers NQ today was one of the best runs I think we have had, just one lousy bar away from a Q.

Nina Saturday Jumpers (NQ but really nice run):

Nina Saturday Standard (Q, second place, 32 points, 4.24 yards per second):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (NQ but really nice run, 5.2 yards per second):

Earlier this week I thought Zhora was looking smaller instead of bigger, and just “less pregnant”. Today I learned I was right. Ultrasound showed she had reabsorbed the litter. Her uterus and ovaries look healthy, no cysts or obvious problems to be seen, we could see one implantation site where a puppy had been, but there were no puppies left in there. Reabsorption happens in about 30% of litters and they don’t always know why, sometimes it is inflammation (which can sometimes be related to the semen extender they use to keep the semen alive when it is shipped), sometimes infection, but sometimes you just don’t know. We will try again with a natural breeding and hope. Zhora is the only intact dog left from Nina, so it would be devastating not to get something to move forward with. I am very upset but I also know that nature sometimes does what nature does. Dog breeding is not for the faint of heart, I had already put a significant amount of effort, time and money into this litter, I was ready to get the whelping box set up this weekend, but then I started to get a feeling earlier this week that something was wrong, and I was unfortunately right. At least she can go back to agility now!

Sometimes fate puts things in perspective for you, I was driving home from the ultrasound appointment this morning, crying and feeling very sorry for myself, when a line of cars attending a funeral drove past me. I still have my awesome Zhora, Nina and Tish, I still have my awesome husband and wonderful family and great friends. It can always be worse. But still, as Roseanne Roseannadanna said, it’s always something.

Week five is over (yesterday was day 35), and we are entering week six!

The puppies have ears now, and their toes have differentiated. Their internal organs are continuing to form. They are now officially fetuses.

Zhora is getting a little more food now (not as much as she says she should be getting mind you!), it is important to keep the mum in a good but still lean body condition as being overweight and unfit can lead to difficult whelping and other complications. She is still eating her performance dog food which conveniently has 20% fat and 30% protein, which is what is recommended by repro vets. Plus she likes it! While she isn’t doing agility, she continues to go for regular long walks (we shift our walkies to the evening hours if it is too hot to walk during the day, don’t want to cook the babies!). She is still quite slender looking but she has a rounder tummy, a pooch on a pooch! The puppies do most of their growing in the last three weeks so it might be another week before she really starts to go into Zhornormous Zhorasaurus mode! She is still very much herself, playing with the others and full of energy and attitude, but she sleeps more and is very cuddly.

Next weekend we will set up the whelping box and do a supply inventory to make sure we have everything. I will move into the guest room with her the weekend after that and then we wait!

We are watching the Puppy Culture movie so we will know what to do and when. We will still do Early Neurological Stimulation too! I am excited to see how they respond to Puppy Culture!