Stress

As I watched through my kitchen window while Reba hopped up on Bella's bum and started wildly humping, I thought - good god, what is she doing!  Remembering what my friend's sister a vet tech said, I raced to the deck door and bellarred at Reba to stop being a bad girl.  The vet tech had said that when a female dog does this it's an act of dominance and to treat it as a behaviour.  So I did.  But later I got to thinking.  The only other time Reba had the strange compulsion to hump Bella was just before Bella came into her first heat cycle.

So when I did my chores tonight I rolled Bella over and examined her bum.  And yep - it's getting pouffy.  So Bella is indeed coming into heat.  Here's where the stress come in.  I had originally planned to breed her this cycle.  But now I'm worrying.  I'm worrying about creating dogs no one will want.  I'm worrying about keeping Bella safe from opportunistic males.  But mostly I'm worrying about just what is the right thing to do.  Bella has a stellar personality, temperament and guarding traits.  It would be nice to breed to continue with this genetic pool.  But is it necessary?  I just thought I'd have more time to make a final decision.

What to do, what to do...