From a breeders point of view trying to book in health testing is a nightmare at the moment. The back log from the BVA is so long that bitches we had scored June still haven't had results in.  I was on the telephone for 2 hours yesterday sorting out health testing.    People think its so easy but because of covid testing hasn't been available.  Ive managed to secure an appointment in November for hip and elbow scores for Maisie.  Yes November !  Its gone up considerably the cost.  
I couldn't get hold of any appointments for eye testing for glaucoma for months, and now everyones booked up.  So found someone in stamford that will do it, and it will cost and extra £15 per dog because of covid so its now £75 per dog.  But they don't do glaucoma, just yearly bva test.  So I would have to travel miles and I mean hundreds of miles to find glaucoma.  Thankfully rang my friend up who runs a dog club and she has told me they are going to try and get an eye clinic in September which would be fabulous. I said book 5 dogs in then please.  Luckily the tests are 3 yearly for glaucoma but still if its that hard to get a test done I had better get my young girls done this year rather than waiting for a few weeks before we think about breeding them.  Each breed requires something different, so you do not do glaucoma on a pug or french bulldog. 

Then rang up asking for boas testing to be done on pugs, and they still aren't doing it due to covid.  Now ive learned the French bulldog club are holding a day but it means travelling a long way.  What ive come to the conclusion with all this is, if we are asked to do health testing, and we want to do health testing they could at least make sure their is a qualified tester for each county.  We shouldn't have to travel hundreds of miles.  All this is going to do is put on the price of every puppy more money in the end which we don't see as it goes to vets.  Also a day away from home and organising someone else to come and dog sit whilst Im away.   I am royally pissed off that we cant just get testing done locally.  You can easily see why people just don't bother!  So Im still chasing the boas testing, and hopefully I can find someone who will do it for me soon. 

INDIE
Indie had a sperm test today, it is gathered, yes nice ! He wasn't cooperative for a start as he thought it was rather embarrassing having some strange woman holding his bits.   He looked at me with disgust, he got in car thinking it was a beach or woodland walk and instead he got violated.  
Anyway the good news is we have swimmers and plenty of them.  Enough for girl dogs to fall pregnant. 
Then put under a microscope, and when you look at sperm you are looking for sperm with misinformed heads, or no tails, but his all looked normal.  So the chances of girls missing has not been down to him.  It was worth finding out as Ive never had two girls miss before on the trot in the 25 years of breeding. 

REMOVED DOGS
I have removed Brooklyn and Leya's details from our website.  We only keep dogs of interest for breeding on our website or show dogs details.  Any retired dog is removed from the website.  

I know I have said this all before but its important to remember hot weather effects our animals too.
Anyone with a Pug or Frenchie must take heed. Because of the short faces, and lack of length of nose they can over heat quickly. Ideally do not walk at all on hot days unless you can be up at 6am and off you go for a short walk. Do not walk as the heat rises, and if you wish to walk again after 9pm when it cools down. Keep them in the house with fans on or air con, and you can use cooling mats, or give them cool baths. Not freezing baths because you can shock the system. Or get towels wet and place over the dogs.

For a Vizsla they are sun worshippers, again walk early and late. If they just have a run in your garden for the day its no huge big deal is it. Better to be cool than over heat and die.
Remember when walking on tarmac put the Palm of your hand on the surface and if its too hot for your hand, its too hot for their paws.
Do not let your Vizsla lay in the sun. They will lay in the sunshine and cook themselves quite literally as they love the heat, but a Vizsla can get sun stroke quickly. If your vizsla has sticky drool, lethargic, collapse its got sunstroke. You must bring the temperature down quickly, but dont dunk in cold water. Get a cold towel and lay on the dog, and with the phone in your other hand ring your vet. A vet will see the dog and put on a drip to hydrate the dog and give any other medication needed. Think safety, think for your dog!!

Put water bowls down and add some ice in the water. I actually give my dogs cold water from the fridge to drink, they seem to appreciate it. You can also fill plastic bottles with water and add in the bed to cool them down as well. I used to say give ice cubes but since reading how ice can cause a spasm in some breeds and bad belly ache, to bloat its probably better not to give ice cold cubes for dogs to eat. Fruit wouldn’t be as cold if frozen so you could freeze some strawberry’s or raspberries or blueberries if your dogs a fruit eater. Or mash banana and put in a kong, and place in freezer so the dog licks the frozen banana. You can do it with apples as well.