The Miracle Puppies
As I’m writing this story, it hits me that if I was simply reading this story, I would seriously doubt its credibility. I am not the type of person who I imagine as writing these stories either, but this is a story that just has to be told.
I have owned Irish Setters since 1976 and began showing and breeding them in 1978. Basically every Irish Setter that I have owned since 1981 is a direct descendant of the bitch that produced my first show litter in 1983.
Gypsy was whelped July 8, 1996, my pick puppy from the last litter out of her dam, Marina. Marina has always been one of my favorite bitches and was 8 years old when Gypsy was born. Gypsy was to be the bitch that I carried on my breeding program with. Since she was the only bitch that I had ever kept out of her dam, Gypsy was to be an integral part of my future in Irish Setters.
When Gypsy was about 2-1/2 years old, I first began taking her to several different veterinarians to try and discover why she had not yet come in season. I had never encountered fertility problems before, so had no clue where to start. In the beginning I got many different explanations; “she could still come in season,” “she must have come in season and I just didn’t notice it,” “she could have silent cycles,” “try taking her around other females that are in season,” etc. Nothing else appeared to be wrong with Gypsy, she was otherwise extremely healthy, very active and had a beautiful, dark, shiny abundant coat.
By the time Gypsy was 3-1/2 years old and still hadn’t come in season, she had had several different tests, cultures, multiple thyroid tests, and was seeing a veterinary reproduction specialist, but to no avail. In January of 2000 Gypsy was put on a medication for 28 days and this did bring her in season. The cycle did not seem normal to me, but I was advised to try breeding her, which I did. The stud dog was well experienced and we got 3 natural breedings, but no puppies.
Shortly after this, I moved several states away and started over with new veterinarians and more tests, but no results. Gypsy was turning out to be everything I was looking for when I bred her mother, and I was becoming increasingly disappointed over the possibility that this could be the end of the line for my current breeding program.
In March of 2002, after moving back to Illinois, and at the constant urging of a very good friend, I took Gypsy back to the veterinarian that had prescribed the medication that had brought her in season 2 years ago. We tried it again, but this time there were no results. Due to Gypsy’s age (she was now 6 years old), I reluctantly resigned myself to the fact that, for whatever reason, she would never come in season, much less have puppies.
In June of 2003, due to several things that had nothing to do with Gypsy, I began researching dog foods again. I have fed Iams and Eukanuba brand dog foods for over 20 years and have been basically very happy with the results. My Irish Setters have always had dark, shiny coats, are generally very healthy, and I have been blessed with several of them living to the age of 14 years. My dogs live in the house with me and are a very important part of who I am as a person. After numerous conversations with other dog breeders and friends in the “dog world,” around September 2003 I switched to Canidae brand dog food. The litter of puppies that I bred and were whelped in February 2003 have the best coats my Irish Setter puppies have ever had.
Well, in March 2004, much to my shock and amazement, Gypsy came in season! Everything appeared to be normal, but Gypsy was almost 8 years old! Since Gypsy was healthy, and I had dreamed of breeding her for so long, and at the almost constant urging of a good friend, I decided to attempt to breed her. Now the big question was who the stud dog would be. Many hours were spent on the phone with a couple of close friends, analyzing all the possibilities. Since I didn’t think the chances of actually getting any puppies were very good to begin with, I decided that traveling would probably not tilt the scales in my favor.
After analyzing several possibilities for potential stud dogs, and not really getting excited about any of them, it occurred to me that I had a 13-month old male myself. On paper it is a nice line-breeding. The breeding required the help of a friend, but we did manage to get two breedings. All that was left to do was cross my fingers and pray.
On May 27, 2004, in the midst of a severe thunderstorm that knocked the power out for several hours, there was a miracle at my house. Gypsy whelped a healthy litter of 4 males and 4 females! She had no trouble during or after whelping and she is a wonderful mother. I guess you could say they arrived with a bang! The puppies are doing very well and look very promising. They have the thickest coats I have ever seen on puppies this young!
I’m not a veterinarian, but the only logical explanation to me is that there had to be something in the Eukanuba dog food that for some reason affected Gypsy enough that she never came in season. After about 6 months on Canidae dog food, there was enough time for her system to cleanse itself of whatever it was and she came in season. I’m not sure what the odds are of breeding an 8 year old bitch for the first time that has never come in season to a one year old puppy that had never been bred before, and actually getting healthy puppies, but I’m guessing they are about a million to one!
The theme for the registered names for these puppies is "Cloud" since I was on Cloud Nine aftey were born. Appropriately, Redfeathers Cloud Nine and Redfeathers Floatin' On A Cloud will be staying here.
Dated July 2004
