Hi to our loyal RODEO Swiss Mountain Dog web page watchers! Wookie and I are still working hard on our tax season (ok I prepare the returns, she watches, asks for bits of my snacks, and we go on walks to take breaks). Since Wookie hasn't learn to read a calendar yet, she has no idea that we roughly estimate her to start her breeding season during the last week of March. So, since she won't give us any hints, we just check her daily. She has her visit with a reproduction vet coming up this week, where we will check all her fitness and health data points in advance of her breeding, and get all the planning done for the testing we will do to breed her on the correct days. Even once her heat starts, it is 10-14 days on average before we start the actual breeding, so we do know that we are at least 12 days out from any actual "breedings" as of today (March 15, 2014). We will definitely be updating our blog once the countdown starts, and keeping everyone up to date here, every step of the way. In the meantime, if you are interested in a puppy from our upcoming breeding please go to our puppy page to download an application to send to us. RODEO puppy pageWe are doing "fresh chilled" breedings, with the stud dog located on the east coast, so Wookie will start getting her blood tested every other day, about six days after her season starts. At some point, her testing will advance to every day (during that time we will move into a hotel room within a few miles of the vet, for easy daily visits). Then, once the time is right, we will do two breedings, either in two days in a row, or with a day in between, depending partly on the days of the week, as we can't do a fresh chilled breeding on a Sunday. So, lots of advanced planning goes into this process, and lots of vet visits.
Lucky for me, I hope to be "off work" during puppy raising. In fact, Jeff will also be taking off a lot of time too, and we will be recruiting other trusted helpers during the first two sleep-deprived weeks when we make sure puppies are eating and not getting squished by Wookie! It is a 24 hour per day job, especially if we get a big litter. But, that also means that I am working 70+ hours per week now, as a CPA, and that I may not be able to do puppy home interviews from now until after April 15, 2014. I do respond to all e-mails, at least to let you know about our application and that we are waiting on interviews, so that we can be ready to interview when work slows down. Wookie would be happy to interview you now, but her preferred interview technique is to jump up high and give you a wet kiss in your ear or mouth (one of her special talents). In the meantime, Wookie enjoys sunning herself in the garden and enjoying an early spring. She doesn't know that she is waiting, but she is the kind of girl who is always ready to "go" and she will certainly welcome all the car rides she will be treated to when the time comes.