How to know your dog is in heat

I debated putting up this post. Pacey is spade now, and Bob Barker would be smiling from his easy chair. I really don't need to keep this information for my own future use -- unless we get another dog, or a friend is maybe going through the same thing we went through with Pacey. Maybe it's my inner pack rat -- I can't beat the urge to delete this file I created on my desktop named inheat.txt without saving the information for future generations.

For whatever reason, I'm going to fight my common sense and share with the world the knowledge I've collected on signs that my dog was in heat. I hope you all enjoy this revelation as much as I did! And finally, my desktop is one file cleaner.

Without further delay, here they are. The signs that your dog is in heat, and what step in the process she's in:

"Proestrus" (duration, 4-15 days)

• begins to lick her self a lot
• swelling of vulva
• increased restlessness
• frequent urination
• fatigue
• blood color will also change from dark red to salmon color
• will not accept male
• male dogs begin to hang around/notice female

"Estrus" (duration, 4-8 days)

• dog can get pregnant
• will accept male/willingness to stand for the male
• she will hold her tail off to the side called "flagging"
• she will often back her butt up to your leg as well
• sometimes spayed during this time
• shouldn't breed until 3rd heat
• fertile 12 days after the bleeding starts

From PetBitsForYou.com:

You can avoid blood spots in the house by putting little boy's jockey type underwear with a fly on her. Or purchase commercial pad holder, available at most larger Pet Stores. Initially place a Light Days pad into the shorts (or pad holder) and then put the pants on backwards, so that the tail comes out the fly. Most 30 lb. dog can use a size 6 or 6x jockey underwear. This method can also be used to avoid unwanted pregnancy, for obvious physical reasons. Disposable children’s pull-up diapers can also be used, but they are expensive, than commercial dog pad holders. Change the mini-pad regularly as needed through the day, and give the female dog time to clean herself periodically when she comes back into the house from doing her natural duties before you put the pants or pad holder back on her. Remember to remove the pants or diaper when you let her outside to relieve her self!

If the dog becomes pregnant the gestation time is 58-63 days.

"Diestrus" (duration, 6-10 weeks)

• dogs may moan/howl
• teats get bigger, may produce milk

"Anestrus" (duration, 15 weeks)

• no hormonal activity

Pacey's first birthday!

Pacey turned one on March 31. To celebrate the occasion, we invited all of her friends from the neighborhood over yesterday. First we went to a nearby park and ran around and played with the dogs. Pacey's neighbor Keslie down the street, a 5-year old Vizsla made it to the party, as did Molly, the chocolate lab that lives across the street and Wilson, her 3-month old mentee.

When we finished at the park, we invited the dog parents back for a barbeque and some cake. Thanks to Tom and Sue across the street for making the best homemade chocolate cake (with homemade frosting!) I've ever tasted!

What fun!

West of Boonsville

My brother-in-law Chad, his friend Chad and I just returned from a ski trip in Utah. What a great time! I've been skiing in Summit County (west of Denver) and to Whistler (north of Vancouver), but skiing in the Salt Lake area has to be my all-time favorite. We went to Alta and Solitude.

We flew back into St. Louis and, instead of heading back home, I drove west to Kansas City. I had a 3-day meeting in KC where I would have the opportunity to meet a group of State Farm Agent interns and their leadership. Over the past 5 years, I have been pursuing an opportunity to become a State Farm Agent. Meeting these people would definitely help me in the future as they have responsibility for hiring new agents in the St. Louis area as well.

For some, the process to become an agent can be as quick as six months. It hasn't been that easy for me. I'm in the final step now, interviewing for specific openings. Each step along the way, I've been asking myself if it's the right move. After so many setbacks, it's hard not to question . . .

Driving along on my way from St. Louis to Kansas City, the thought came to my mind, "What if I don't ever become a State Farm Agent?" That was a profound thought, considering how much adversity I had fought through to get to the point I'm at.

At that moment, I felt a great sigh of relief come over me. I thought about how I could be a great father to my yet-to-be-born children, how I'd have more time to give to my wife and how I'd be able to continue to enjoy hobbies that I enjoy today. Owning and running a business means that you're probably working 50-60 hours a week, and when you're not at work, you're thinking about work. There's a lot of sacrifice that goes into it.

While these thoughts were going through my head, I looked up and saw a cloud that was shaped like what I thought reminded me of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes, I seem to have a difficult time knowing when God is speaking to me. Maybe it's because I keep myself so busy?!

As I was driving west into the sun down Interstate 70, the best I could do to capture what I saw was to snap a few pictures with my cell phone camera. What do you make of these images?

All I can say is that I felt like God was using this opportunity to reassure me that living a life without having the opportunity to become a State Farm Agent could be great. And so I continue my search to see what opportunities await where God will fully use the gifts he has given me . . .