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This was sent by a woman in Ohio who after quite a bit if work and research, felt she was ready to breed her dog. Best laid plans can end up tragically: here is her story. Will O'Wisp Shelties thanks Shannon (rest of name held upon request) for sharing her story.

My Breeding Experience

by Shannon, an Ohio Friend

Hello my name is Shannon and I live in Portage County Ohio. I have been raising Shelties since 1993 and over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with a lot of successful breeders here in my area. Over the years I have been told to read, read and read a lot of info on shelties and I did because some day I wanted to be able to have the experience to make improvements with a certain sheltie line. And so this year, I did have that experience and I just feel the need to let the whole world know that what I experienced wasn't anything what I was prepared for. No reading or pictures or even the knowing could of prepared me for the death that I experienced, my first whelping also put in my lap the experience of a breech birth and let me say this it was a very scary thing for that mom and pup to depend on YOU to help with this.

For any of you out there thinking that breeding/whelping is easy and its a money making thing well think again because its not. This has been a hobby for me and I will say an expensive one. It's a lot of work starting from the day you decide you want to do this. From being sure mom gets enough running and walking to making sure she eats proper to get all necessary testing done before breeding that's not touching anything that could happen to cause you more expenses and then you have the stage of whelping you have no idea what time of the night it will be or day, you have to be prepared for every possible thing that could happen because, I didn't think there would have anything but an easy delivery since her first heat was all natural no problems. Are you prepaid to stay up all night, just when you are not expecting her to go into labor she will, mine had hers a week early. I really sat and thought all this through before I did this breeding and I was assured myself that I would promise to every pup that I had I would assure that I was prepared to take that puppy back if new owners couldn't keep them. I have watched mine now for 2 weeks unable to handle them to assure they won't get something from my hands until recently then I use a hand sanitizer on my hands each and every time I handle them, are you prepared for that? And staying home most of time only time I can leave is if I have someone that I TRUST to sit with them.

In closing I would just like to add this: Yes you could be like some of these back yard breeders who leave their whelping moms out and leave it to nature but you know what. In my case what if she were out all on her own trying to have a breech birth with no one around to help her to aid? That to me would be a person who didn't love the mom and further more didn't care if she lived her died as long as the money was there the next morning. Please for the love of your animal. Please think before not after.

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Updated

12/2017

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