Border Collie pups at last!

I am so excited! Finally after many barren years and bad luck, a litter of eight rough coated Border Collies have arrived! Four males, four females! What a perfect blend.
I think the roughest part was the fact that the Maremma's were like rabbits and while I love the breed and find them very useful as Livestock Guardians, they can never replace the love for the Border Collie.

The good luck began when I was given a young adulscent male that ever so much reminded me of my beloved Shane (my heart dog). This dog acts like Shane and looks like Shane in every way but the erect ears (Shane's were up). After his death, I would and continue to get anywhere from 3 to 5 phone calls a week looking for pups. There is even one that looks like the dog in Down and Out in Beverly Hills.. and I know he will go first... and it will be truly hard for me to not keep him.

The pregnancy was a tough one. I brought her in for her 4 week ultrasound and as the doctor was palpating her uterus, she released a slime green discharge. The ultrasound revealed that both uterine horns were filled with this matter. She was not symptomatic at all. Bright, happy, eating and no fever. I was informed that spaying was the only way to save her...

I went against all odds and relied on past experience of seeing dogs treated medically with pyometra. This should NOT be an option on a closed pyometra, nor one where the dog is symptomatic! But she was not either. She was open and still feeling great. I chose to medically treat and trust me got the stink eye and rude comments from several people ("Breeder mentality" etc).

Now, while I do breed, I am not a puppy mill and I breed only the best to the best. I do not show, but my dogs are all working stock. They need to have the brains, conformation to work and temperment for the job. If one of my bitches needed to be spayed for health reasons to save her life it would be done in a heart beat! They are not dollar signs but living breathing creatures that I dearly love!

Well, she was treated with Augmentin and prostaglandin . The Prostaglandin was given in such a small amount it barely registered in the barrel of the syringe... and 4 weeks later.. VOILA! Eight pups!! YIPPEE!!!