Hi

I just wanted to know if anyone has gone through having a litter of puppies as Jazmyn my dog is due to have her only litter between the 6th and 16th of november and I have no idea what to do. I have only had my own dogs for 2 years and have no idea on the whole labour process so any info would be greatly welcome.

Thanks Katie

I'm amazed that you would have a litter of puppies and not have a clue what to expect. That said, there is a lot to consider.

1) What type of breed is she? Is that breed renowned for not being able to birth naturally? Will she need a c-section as a result? If so, this will cost around $1,000 for a small breed (under 10kg).

2) Have you taken her to the vet for a check up? If not, you probably should.

3) Have you got somewhere safe and secure for her to whelp?
When she's getting ready to whelp she will start scratching around and trying to "make a nest". Are you able to be home with her when it looks like she's going to have them? She could have them any time of day or night. Once she starts actively pushing, she should produce a puppy within the hour. If not, you will need to take her to the vet. On average, the entire birthing process takes 1 hour per puppy, but some are born quicker than others.

4) You may have to assist her to break the bags surrounding the puppies to enable them to breathe if it's her first litter and she's not quite sure what she's doing. She may or may not try to eat the placentas. If she does, it won't hurt her.

5) Check for cleft palettes on the puppies because if they have them they won't be able to suckle from her and they will die (place one of your fingers inside their mouth and feel the roof of the mouth to ensure there are no 'gaps').

6) She will need an enclosure that will enable her to get in and out but not the puppies as you don't want them moving all over the place.

7) She will "leak" bloody fluids for up to a week after the birth - but it shouldn't be an infection type smell. If something doesn't seem right or it goes on for longer than a week, take her straight to the vet as she might develop a uterus infection through not expelling everything properly.

8) If the puppies are healthy and mum is healthy, take them all to the vet at around 2 weeks and ask the vet about worming and vaccination for the puppies. Their eyes and ears will open around this age as well so you can ask the vet to check their eyes as well. Worming starts quite young for puppies and is continued every 2 weeks through to about 3 months and then every 6 months. Vaccinations for the puppies should happen at 6-8weeks before they leave you and then again in subsequent weeks, after which a yearly booster will be sufficient.

9) Unless your dog is a registered pedigree and you are considering showing her - talk to the vet about sterilising her before she comes into season again.


That's just some of the stuff to think about - I'm sure I've forgot to mention lots!

Thanks for the reply

Jazmyn in a Moodle (Maltese cross Poodle)and she has been to the vet and we have her xrayed and she is having 4 puppies, I can understand that I dont have a clue as this is her first litter and we have no plans to breed from her again as she will be desexed as soon as the puppies have gone to they new homes.

Katie

Katie

Can I ask why you bred her in the first place?

Hi

Thank you for the info on the birth process of a dog and we bred her because we wanted to there was no reason in particular to not breed from her but asking me why we are breeding her is not really the subject I brought up, I asked for info on a dog giving birth.

Katie

OH I sense the tension in the posts.

I think the reason why TheMuriels asks is because these days it's not so cool to breed considering the amount of unwanted dogs/cats at the shelters and pounds.

That's just an assumption of course.

Best of luck with the birthing process, I'm sure it will be an experience you will never forget. Take photos to look back on.

Every year many people get involved in breeding for all the wrong reasons. People do not seem to realize there is more to breeding then just putting 2 dogs together and hoping for the best, they do not seem to realize that breeding, whelping and raising a litter of pups is a huge responsibility. Below you will find a list of 10 Reasons Not to breed.

10Reasons Not To Breed:

10 reasons NOT TO BREED your dogs
(a.k.a. "10 REASONS TO SPAY OR NEUTER")

1.DON'T BREED your dogs if you do not have the best interests of the breed at heart. If you are doing this for money (or any reason other than the passion of producing a better animal than you started with...... *this is called good animal husbandry, by the way) then DON'T BREED. There are far too many litters brought into the world because "the neighbors liked my dog and wanted to have one just like it" or "we thought she wasn't in heat yet but we were wrong..." and there are far too many breeds in this world that have literally been destroyed by over breeding because "everyone wants one and I will make big bucks selling this litter".What happens to puppies from these breeding? All too often they end up in the pet shelters of the world....which is why a breeder should be willing to always take responsibility for every puppy they breed and should be able to be involved in "rescue" of their breed if they are a breeder.

2.DON'T BREED if you do not have the financial wherewithal to keep the puppies, whether there be 2 or 22, if you do not get them placed into appropriate homes. Remember that what YOU bring into this world, is your responsibility. Be prepared to grow those puppies up if you don't find homes!

3.DON'T BREED just becasuse the neighbor likes YOUR dog and wants a puppy from him/her. Chances are that once the pupies arrive, your neighbor will have changed his mind. and can't take a puppy. And if he wants you to breed your dog to his dog, then you are usually in even deeper trouble because often the dogs dont turn out like HIS dog and you are the one to catch the flak!

4.DON'T BREED if you do not have health checks done on the prospective parents. There are enough diseases to go around in the dog world without deliberately propagating dogs who have a good chance of being born with inheritable conditions that could have been avoided. Furthermore if you are responsible for producing an animal that is going to have a painful or debilitating condition just consider how devastating this can be to the future owners of that dog and what you yourself have done by producing an animal that will be in pain.

5.DON'T BREED if you are not going to be able to spend at least four hours daily (at a minimum) cleaning the whelping box, taking the dam out for walks (on leash in her own area so she won't bring back extra "unknown" germs into the household, washing the dirty towels and rugs the puppies need to have (a non skid surface for them so they can learn to walk is a MUST) ....these things that I have mentioned are just a few considerations when it comes to raising up the litter....

6.DON'T BREED if you aren't able to bring the puppies up so they will be socialized. There is nothing WORSE to have in a household than a puppy that has never been introduced to house hold noises, children, and so on......a puppy that quivers and quakes in fear is , contrary to what most people believe, often NOT a puppy that has been "abused", it is a puppy that has never been socialized. There is more to the care of the litter than just keeping the area clean , there is a lot of time that must be given to handling and socializing those furry little babies. (if you are already working a 12 hour day, don't expect to be able to come home and then take time to clean the puppy area PLUS get them out for socialization.)

7.DON'T BREED dogs with poor temperament just because they are "a good example of the breed". Temperament is definitely inherited. A good boxer who is "crazy" will produce "crazy" puppies, a good Saint Bernard who is "mean" will produce "mean" puppies.

8.DON'T BREED if you do not realize that YOU are putting the life of your dog at risk. Yes my friend, there are female doges who die in the process of whelping puppies, to say nothing of the fact that the puppies often die too!

9.DONT BREED if you think it would be good "sex education" for your children. How will it help them if the female dog does go into eclampsia and she dies in horrible pain? Because of something YOU made happen?? children can get good education from watching animal planet and at least it is not their own beloved pet that is at risk.

10.DON'T BREED if you are willing to let those pups go to just any home without consideration of the place they are going. In other words, you need to know whether the family knows what they are getting into...will the puppy fit into their life style, will they have the financial means to care for the dog?? Lots of these questions need to be taken into consideration when placing the puppies into homes. You should have a contract which guarantees the health of the puppy, DON'T BREED if you are not willing to stand behind your litter. And your contract should require a spay or neuter agreement (are you beginning to see why??)

Anna, yes, you are spot on in your analysis of why I was asking. My partner and I have rehomed over 200 unwanted, unloved, un-cared-for and abused dogs over the years and it breaks my heart to think that people keep breeding dogs without any thought to the existing problem that we already have in society. I'm sure every single one of the dogs we've rehomed were cute little puppies at one stage, but they don't stay that way! We even came home one day after work to find a six-month-old x breed tied to our downpipe. It had been left there for goodness knows how long with no water and no shelter. The reason? The note attached to her collar simply said that she was digging and they couldn't handle it anymore.

We have bred dogs in the past. We've had 4 litters of purebred Griffons over 13 years and yes, we were registered breeders. We did it every time to improve the breed and we had a waitlist of people wanting Griffons (because they're not that common in Australia). It's bloody hard work if you do it properly. Of the four litters, three ended up being c-sections. We both took time off work to care for the mum and puppies around the clock until they were ready to go to new homes. In fact, we even had airconditioning installed just to ensure they were comfortable during summer.

They were all vaccinated and wormed and their new homes were thoroughly checked out by us before the new owners took possession. To the point of driving past their properties to ensure they had adequate fencing, etc. We also made them sign an agreement saying that if they no longer wanted to puppy for whatever reason at whatever age, they would be returned to us.

It's actually a very stressful process if you're truly invested in the welfare of the dogs.

Our last litter was nearly 4 years ago and one of the little boys turned out to be blind in one eye (an injury he sustained when his eyes were still closed - his mother knocked him). Because it's unethical to sell dogs that are unhealthy, we kept him and he's still with us today. Actually, he's the apple of my eye!

We also hand-reared a litter of large dog puppies (10) that came to us after the mother developed severe mastitis and the owner didn't want to know about it anymore.

Two of those puppies ended up staying with us for six months until we found the perfect homes for them. But the point is, if you're going to breed dogs, you need to be prepared to keep every single puppy that doesn't find a home for whatever reason and you need to be prepared to take them back at whatever age they are. They are ultimately your responsibility.

Sounds like you need to do a crash course asap - Some Dr Googling would be good.

First thing is are you ready? which sounds like you arent.

You will need to hire a whelping box (heated) work our what room is best for the mother - somewhere quiet with easy access for her to go to the toilet.

Someone will need to be with her atleast 24hours before and all the way through until all four pups have been delievered. I usually take the week or two off work when my b**ches had pups. As you can never know what is going to happen.

Have you got a plan if she needs a "C"section? Will you know what signs to look for? Probably best if you can get to the libary and get some books to give you a run down.

As you will need to know what to do if the pups come out still in their sacks etc.

You will need to get loads of blankets that can basically be thrown out or washed, newspaper for the whelping box - Your local vet may also hire these out. Maybe go to the newsagents and get some of the dog magazines - I am pretty sure you will find something on dog whelping in there

Sorry if I sound like I am rambling but with only 2 weeks to go there really is so much more involved than hoping she will just pop them out in a quiet corner.

I do have to agree with the PP - It really isnt a simple thing - I have been a reg breeder for a long time and each litter threw something unexpected for me - I just hope you arent doing it for the money as you will probably be very surprised how much money it could cost you having a litter of pups can be.

If I can think of anything else I will be back.

Felicity.

Thank you for the info mum2brodie

I have tried to google info on the labour subject but cant really find any useful info, my partner has built her a whelping box and we all ready have the money put aside incase of a C"section.

Katie

Katie,

Has your vet got any info, pamplets etc that they can give you?

I am just trying to think of a good book that I can suggest but my brain is blank been at the Zoo all day. Maybe have alook at the RSPCA website see if they have any info.

You will need to get her used to the whelping box and see if you can get her sleeping in it now as you may find if you leave it too late she might just have pups on your bed LOL

If I can remember the name of the book I will come back again

Felicity.

Here's a website that might give you some much needed info:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/whelping.htm

pm me if you need anymore info , used to breed (well not me my mating pair of dogs did) up to 18 pups per litter (yep large dogs).
you can make a suitable whelping box from wood crates/pellets
and the best thing is to only have who she trusts most with her - with our b**ch - only I could go near her, the pups or help her
my b**ch would walk around the yard and maked like she wanted to go wee but couldn't sort of thing - thats how I knew when she was ready.she would have"a show" while doing this.
you will need a heat lamp or fan if cold/hot for the pups. if its really hot lay wet towels down under where the pups lay(after 1 day old)
do not let anyone touch the pups
do not let anyone near the box, the pups or the b**ch
if she rejects a pup don't try & save it - it will die anyway & all you will get is a broken heart
DO NOT GIVE/SELL YOUR PUPS TO A PET SHOP ESPECIALLY PETS PARADISE
make sure you have vet's powdered milk replacement & teats & bottles on hand in case she just isn't motherly & rejects them all
I'll add more if I think of it

Here are the books I was thinking of see if you can borrow them from the libary.

"Breeding A Litter: The Complete Book of Prenatal and Postnatal Care" by Beth J. Finder Harris

Complete Book of Dog Breeding

Also to the PP re: Pets Paradise - Even though Myself and my family are against backyard breeders. My sister was the manager of the Melbourne stores up until last year and I can tell you those puppies are better looked after than some of the homes I have had to go to - To rescue dogs/puppies. Anyway I am not going to get into that on this thread. But yes some pet shops are shonkey and all pets shouldn't be sold in shops period.

I had to sell 4 of my last litter to Pets Paradise (PP) North of the river- they gave my pups pavo! (trust me I really didn't want to but I had moved to the country and couldn't find new owners)I gave PP the immunisation/vet records of all pups with my number on - 3 of the 4 new owners rang me re: pavo the pups had. I had there appropriate immunisations/vet checks done before giving them to PP and my dogs were fine, so where else could they have gotten the pavo from? PP!

As I live in a small country town in central Qld the puppies wont be sold to pet shops but sold to families in the area

Katie

Good on you Katie. I sold 12 of 16 locally but they are large dogs so not as many people wanted them here as when we were in the city (go figure you would think it would be the other way around tho!). But in saying that , when more of the locals got to know my dogs they were begging for pups but it was too late!
like I said if you have anymore q's or whatever don't hesitate to pm me - judgement/preaching free of course! (meaning I will not do these things not that I will do them freely hehehehee)

Just thought I would bump this up again

You may also want to check out http://www.dogzonline.com.au

There is a forum section where you can ask dog lovers for help.

Mel xx

Hi again Katie
to answer your question directly I can only give you examples of ewhat my b**ch did-
like I said in a pp - my b**ch would walk around the yard and maked like she wanted to go wee but couldn't sort of thing - thats how I knew when she was ready.she would have"a show" while doing this.
she became agitated - on her 1st litter she almost had a "scared"/"distressed" look on her face
she would start scratching and trying to make a hole for herself outside (she really wanted to have them ooutside)so I made her go to her whelping box & kept her there (not an easy feat with a 60kg pg b**ch). she would start getting more & more agitated moving around trying to get comfy,eventually she settled as the first contraction started - you can tell these easy as the whole body shakes/shudders and you can see the waves going down the body, soothe your girl, talk to her , rub her belly etc for her if she will let you, she will have a big shudder/wave and out would pop a pup, she would eat the sack off the pup & lick it clean, get it breathing & tuck it under the blanket & get ready for the next one. sometimes she would have 2 so close together she wouldn't be able to break the sack of the first one & I would have to do it for her , clean it off with a soft cloth, rub its chest from belly towards the chin between the rib cage to get it breathing - basically you want to imitate the mothers actions if she is unable. then you place the pup (when your happy its ok- this is not a time for cuddles or anything - you want to do the bare minimum & get it back to mum to accept asap)with the others. dont think she is smoothering them under the blanket - she isn't shes keeping them warm. when all done make sure mum is ok & leave her to it. make sure mum has loads of food & water. it doesn't hurt to give her some of the puppies vet powdered milk (I think some of them are called divetalac?) - its really good for her.
you will need lots of newspaper & old towels /soft cloths to change the box daily at a minimum - I had to do my b**ches 3 times a day with so many pups. its normal for mum to eat the pups number ones & twos - its just grose!
OK this is best case scenario type thing. things may go wrong so be prepared (and it sounds like you are).
all else fails reffer to human labour - its all pretty well the same. DD2 is DH 1st - I had to keep saying things throughout pregnancy / labour "remember when Lucy had / did this" so he would get it lol. pups & bubs are remarkibly alike too hehehehehehe
hope this helps, gives you more of an idea at least.
your b**ch maynot be like this I can't say as they are different breeds/different dogs
any q's just ask