OK to WA

When we last spoke, my co-owner/Lexi May’s breeder and I had decided on a Puppy Daddy (aka stud dog). Whew; not an easy decision, but wonderful to find a dog we’re excited about. The only down side? The dog we selected lives 2000 miles away from us. We’re a family who enjoys a good road trip, so it did (ever-so-briefly) cross our minds to drive the 2K miles when Lexi May came into heat. But that trip would be stressful for the humans and canine, and a little crazy, so I started to investigate artificial insemination (AI) options. 

The first step was sorting out a reputable repro vet – ideally a board-certified reproductive specialist. Being relatively new to the area, I didn’t know many (any, really) dog breeders, so I started to ask around at dog training seminars, lessons, etc. with limited success. As luck would have it, my agility class schedule changed, and I met two women in my new classes who breed and show dogs. Both of them recommended the same repro vet (one I’d heard mentioned before), so I reached out to the vet for more info.

A vet tech from the office and I had a nice talk, she gave me the practice’s recommendation on AI method (trans cervical insemination aka TCI), and told me to call her back after Lexi May next came in to heat.

And so we waited. For months. While Lexi May took her time coming into heat again.

And then it happened. Lexi May came into heat on the last day of a business trip I took to the other side of the country. While I waited for my flight, I activated Project Puppy, and sat in the airport leaving messages for the repro vet so we could get things started. (And yes, I did get some funny looks from those sitting nearby – apparently, the general public is not used to someone saying bitch that frequently.)

The vet’s advice was for us to wait a few days before doing the first progesterone test so we could time the breeding right. Which is where I’ll pick up in the next blog.