Back to the drawing board... Rose not pregnant

Such disappointing news!

I've had several people write to inquire as to the availability of puppies and we should have been expecting puppies any day now.  However, we found out several weeks ago that Rose is not expecting.  Since this IS supposed to be the place to go for Westside Beagles pregnancy news and litter updates, I wanted to make sure that this blog got updated, albeit a little belatedly.  While I directly contacted those folks who were on the waiting list to give them the news that Rose was not pregnant after two consecutive pregnancy tests came back negative, I overlooked posting the news here on the blog.

We do not yet have definite plans on when we will breed our next litter.  Tentatively, at this point, we will most likely breed again in November or December in hopes of having an early Spring litter.  Keep checking back and thanks for your continued interest in Westside Beagles.

The wait is on...is she or isn't she?

Rose's half brother tries to take her for a walk (picture taken last summer)

Hi everyone,

I know you are probably anxious to know what is going on with Rose.  So far we have no news.  If Rose is pregnant, she is around 23-25 days along, which is just a little too early to start noticing any physical changes.

The options for determining pregnancy in dogs are as follows:

1. Wait for all of the obvious signs, such as weight gain & lactation. However, some dogs may go through false pregnancies where they show abdominal distension and even produce milk! This is definitely not the most reliable way to tell!
2. At ~22 days post-breeding, ultrasound can be used to detect fetal heartbeats. It may be difficult to tell exactly how many hearts are beating, but this method can still be used to help estimate litter size.
3. At ~21 to 31 days post-breeding, abdominal palpation may be used to try to feel the walnut-sized fetuses. Ideal timing is to palpate at approximately 28-30 days. This requires skill and experience and is not the best way to estimate the number of puppies present.
4. After ~21-30 days post-breeding, blood may be drawn to run an early pregnancy test for the hormone relaxin.  Relaxin is a hormone that is released into the female's system when fetal placentas attach to the lining of the womb.  Ideal timing to test is 28 days post-breeding.  This is a negative or positive test, but false negatives are possible earlier in the pregnancy. A positive test is a reliable determination of pregnancy, but does not give us any information about litter size.
5. At ~45-48 days post-breeding, puppy skeletons have begun to calcify and can begin to be picked up on x-ray.  Ideal timing is closer to 50 days.  This can be used to help estimate the number and size of puppies. As for any safety concerns, x-rays are commonly done in this later stage of pregnancy and are considered to be relatively safe. Early pregnancy is when x-rays pose the most significant risk to unborn puppies.

While we typically wait to do x-rays to confirm pregnancy because it allows us to estimate the number and size of the puppies, this time around we are planning to do the pregnancy test.  Rose is scheduled with the vet next Wednesday when she is potentially ~29-31 days into her pregnancy.  Once we get the test results back (probably next Thursday), I will make sure to update all of you!

Tomahawk: Dad-to-be?

The First Wait is Over!

Hi Everyone!

So...exciting news today!  Rose finally came into heat and with that news, we were able to make a decision on whom to breed her to!  After considering several different males, including our own male, Potter, we have decided on FC Schmitt's Platinum Tomahawk.  Tomahawk is a good-looking, medium-fast hound who has already produced 2 field champion puppies.  We previously had a litter sired by his dad, FC Woodside Platinum Plus, and the puppies grew up to be very friendly and outgoing, not to mention gorgeous!  In fact, our male, Potter, is Tomahawk's half-brother.  We bred Potter to Rose's mother, Rogue, last year and were very pleased with the resulting puppies.  Therefore, we are quite hopeful that this breeding will produce puppies with similar qualities.

Since Rose just came into heat, it will be ~11-15 days before she is ready to be bred.  Bitches normally have a surge in luteinizing hormone (LH) on Day 10 after they first start their heat cycle.  This triggers ovulation to occur in 1-3 days following, which makes this the ideal time to breed.  We plan to take Rose to be bred a week from this coming Thursday - then, the countdown for pregnancy begins!  We'll keep you guys posted!

FC Woodside Platinum Plus - sire of Tamahawk and Potter (below) from separate litters

Potter is  half-brother to Tomahawk and sired a litter with Rogue (pictured below).

Mom-to-be Rose with her own mother, Rogue (left)

 

Dallas and Eve are puppies out of Rogue (Rose's mom) and Potter (Tomahawk's half brother).  Our hope is that Rose and Tomahawk will have puppies who turn out similarly!

Previous puppies out of Tomahawk

Making Plans for the Next Litter!

Our planned Mom-to-be, Rose!

Rose at ~6 weeks

Hi everyone!  We are making plans for our next litter!  The intended mom-to-be is Rose, one of our girls from Rogue's first litter.  Rose is just as sweet as her mom and has even better looks!  At 4 years old, she is a very hardy, healthy little dog.  Rose has never been bred before, so this will be her first litter.  We anticipate that she will be coming into heat sometime during the month of April and we are still trying to decide whom to breed her to.  Given that pregnancy in dogs lasts ~63 days, this means puppies will likely be born in June and be ready to go to new homes at the age of 8 weeks during the month of August.  We'll keep you posted as we know more about puppy plans!