Supportive Networks
I have been thinking about this a lot recently so I thought I would create a blog post. I started doing the blog posts in the hopes people understood more about me, to help potential owners and to help anyone who enjoys reading about dogs (sorry I know they are long... I start writing and then I think of more to include). I know they have helped some people due to people contacting me for advice- that for me is massive. I am glad people have the confidence to ask and I am truly pleased that I can help.
A supportive network is something that should be a part of dog breeding. As much as we deal with life, we also have to deal with death. With every litter, we stay by our mums and puppy's sides pretty much 24/7 for the first few weeks. We barely get any sleep. Personally, I struggle to sleep as I worry about every tiny thing that can go wrong if I close my eyes. I am a light sleeper so every noise wakes me up and the puppy's tiny squeaks get me up in a flash. The lack of sleep, checking on everyone, doing socialisation, and ensuring all other furry and human family members are well takes its toll. It is emotionally draining and exhausting. Sadly there are times when a puppy or a litter may need hand-feeding. Feeding every 2 hours around the clock and they may also need to be stimulated to go to the toilet.
There is a lot to do and if you are on your own with new experiences- it really is tough. Sometimes a supportive word or 2 can mean a huge amount. Having people you can truly count on to say well done, keep going, you are doing a great job and to bounce ideas off when you are not sure means the world in those exhausting moments. Non-judgemental people who will be supportive are special.
If anyone reads this and realises they need or would love this kind of support, please feel free to contact me. I would never be too busy and I would offer guidance and support without judgement (life is too short and we can all learn new things). I admit I feel like a burden if I need to contact anyone but there are times when I have really needed someone and not reached out. I don’t want to feel like that again and I definitely do not want others to feel like that. Or if you are reading this and think "I can be supportive" then please get in touch.
There are many reasons why I offer my support. I know I have needed it and didn’t have anyone. Years ago, I had a female have an emergency caesarean with a stuck large puppy, have had a puppy PTS not long after birth, an unexplained issue with a 3-week-old that meant he had to be put to sleep, and an issue that ended up taking 3 puppies lives after causing seizures, paralysis, and a number of problems that I battled with for months. I stopped breeding for a long time because I couldn’t emotionally cope with what happened. I had vets perform every test possible to try and find what caused those issues. I got into debt to try to find the answer and sadly their thoughts were “It is just one of those things”. I was left devastated, heartbroken, and guilty for bringing lives into this world only for them to be short-lived… I wanted an answer to figure out what happened to and to prevent it from happening again. As much as it pained me, I still had that passion to breed and to breed well.
After a few years, I started to consider breeding again. This time with different lines and fully traceable lines. Ensuring they were health tested and had no known issues in litters. My research led me to my boy, Drake. I am extremely proud and lucky to have Drake in my life and my breeding programme.
Further research led me to the Level 3 course and Puppy Culture and after watching videos about them- I knew they were what I needed. Not just for the knowledge but for the reassurance they could bring. My confidence was up and I was beyond excited to socialise my future puppies.
Sadly my previous experiences made me more anxious than I expected. With Raven’s first litter, when all 7 puppies whelped and were breathing and latching on well- I took myself away for a few minutes just to cry with relief. Seeing them all thrive over the weeks was one of the best feelings. Letting them go to their new homes was extremely hard and I managed to put on a brave face. I needed to show the puppies and my other dogs that all was well. The updates I receive are so much more than a photo and a little story... They are babies that I helped bring into this world, gave them the best start, and helped find them their forever families. Seeing them thriving and making their families happy is what I want for every puppy.
If anyone wants to have a chat about anything, about my blog posts, any ideas for more posts, or anything at all, please feel free to reach out to me. If any of my posts have helped in any way, I would love to know.
I do have a long list of blog post ideas that I will work through and when it comes to Raven’s next pregnancy, I will post updates around the different stages.
Claire 🐾