Show Positivity
By Jess Pearson
I experienced one of the most horrific weeks of my life as a dog breeder. I had a bitch who sustained an injury, and for treatment, we knew that there was a possibility that she would not be able to nurse her litter because of this. By the end of the week, we decided we would have to do a scheduled c section, and this gave me time to prepare for a back up plan. The bitch went into early labor, and we needed to act fast.
I made a post on Facebook to my dog show friends that I was in need of a lactating bitch for the puppy. Immediately, I began to receive responses from dog show exhibitors and breeders all over the country. Several offered a lactating bitch, one had a bitch that was due any day, several offered to assist with tube feeding or bottle feeding, and a couple of people even offered use of oxygen boxes and incubators. Luckily, there was a local show, and I was able to meet Kathy Knoles to pick up her Crested bitch to help, and the rest was history.
I was, and still am, overwhelmed with the support from breeders and exhibitors throughout the country, and many who did not even know me on a personal level. This is by far the biggest family and support group, and with them, anything is possible.
