A Simple Blessing

Abby had her puppy today weighing in at 1lb 8oz. At Abby’s last sonogram two weeks ago, the veterinarian could count six pups, but felt there were more. When a dog miscarries a litter, the dog’s body will absorb the fetuses. That was exactly the case in this pregnancy. Abby gave birth to two puppies, a boy and a girl each weighing over one pound. The boy had problems with liquid in his lungs and could not breathe well. Two veterinarians worked on him while my vet tended to Abby in the operating room. They tried everything they could to save the little guy, but finally I had to let him go in peace.

We are now home with Abby's little girl who I haven't named yet. I have decided I am keeping her. I wanted to keep one pup out of the litter to be a continuation of Abby.

The vets felt badly for us having gone through all that expense for what amounted to a litter of one puppy, but that is not how I feel. I have always maintained that a truly good breeder will not breed for the money. We breed our dogs out of love and desire to bring a few good Berners into the world to be loved, enjoyed and hopefully have a few show puppies that will go on and have a long and successful record in the show ring. Although the entire breeding and birthing process will end up costing over four thousands dollars, the love and companionship I will have each day cannot be measured by how much was spent. Seeing Abby in her pen with her little angel and the love in her eyes makes all of this worthwhile.

There may be those who are planning on breeding their female Berner. Please do not let your judgment be clouded by thinking only about the money to be made with a big litter. In this case as well as many others, people end up with litters of one, or even none. A litter is more than just financial expense. Besides the stud fees, doctor’s fees, food, pens, fencing and even occasionally hiring outside help, there is still the cost of time. Time spent driving to matings, time spent going to veterinary appointments, the 24/7 care that the pups need in their first weeks of life, the constant cleaning and feeding, and the hours spent screening potential families.

Breeding one of our girls is something I truly love doing. I love the puppies and caring for them is never a chore for me. But I also knew from the start what to expect. My reward is bringing a new Berner into the world and watching that dog grow into a loving family pet that is equally comfortable lying in front of the fireplace as winning a championship in the show ring.