| Product: |
Hints and Tips in General |
| Date: |
04/05/08 (103 review reads) |
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Advantages: Rewarding and a wonderful experience
Disadvantages: Tiring, time consuming, costly and also findinggood homes for them
I have recently found out my dog is pregnant with her second litter of pups and will be having them at the end of this month. This will be the third litter of pups that we'll have had in the house as this is her second but our other dog has also had one litter too.
So having had two litters in the home and with a soon to be third on the way I thought I would share some tips on what it is like to breed your dog and just some of the main things involved and what you should be aware of if you are looking to breed your dog.
First of all let me say: It is hard work!!
You may think that your dog will do all the work and yes you'd be correct for most of it but you will need to do quite a lot too and if you think you'll get away with it being easy you're very wrong.
So I'll details from the beginning to the end as much as I can and hopefully this will help some of you out there to make an informed decision before starting to breed your dog or for those that are going to it will give you some ideas!
When you find out that your dog is having puppies you first need to work out an approximate date of when she will be due - this can be done by going to the vet who can perform a scan if necessary. Personally we worked out our dates from date of conception as we knew when it had happened. A dogs pregnancy which is called 'gestation' and is approximately between 60-63 days.
So you know she's pregnant and when she's due so next is to get all the stuff she needs. You will also need to create an area for her to 'nest' in which is where she will want to give birth. Now as most dogs will want to pick an area where they feel really comfortable it is important to make sure that you don't allow your dog access to an area where you definitely don't want her to be having them such as your bed! So keep all areas that are out of bounds for the puppies birth closed off from her. We made sure with both of our dogs that the spare room was completely open to her and this was where we kept her bed as we were happy for her to have them in there ad we always made sure the bedroom doors were shut and the living room in the night.
So once you've decided on which room is best for her to have them in you'll need to start getting all the things she needs. Start off by buying a bed that is suitable in size for her and the litter she will be having. Some people have been known to use a small sand pit - the plastic type shaped like a shell but it will depend on the size of the dog you have. We bought a plastic oval shaped bed and this way we could line it with newspaper and then place the sheets over it. Then as and when needed we could change the newspaper to keep it clean and the covers without the floor becoming wet because we didn't get a plastic bed!
Here are some basics that you WILL need:
Bed or whelping box
lots of sheets/throws
Tons of puppy food
Puppy Milk
Time!
Thermometer
Vets phone number to hand.
Some things you MAY need:
Surgical gloves
feeding syringe
scales
clock
notebook
heat pads/heat lamp
The things I 've listed as above that you will need are just the basics - the things you may need are mainly things that can help your dog or you will need if your dog is struggling.
Giving birth:
Your dog will start to nest when she gets closer to her due date which means she will start to get comfy in the spot she will want to give birth in and will generally go to that spot to relax which is why it is a good idea to get her familiar with the room you would prefer her to have them in and to get her bed as soon as possible so that she will get used to it and know it as hers.
When she goes into labour the classics signs to look out for are her panting (which is obviosuly a lot more noticable if you have a dog that odesn't do this often anyway!), pacing around and whining - she may also refuse to eat and lick at her vulva too. The labour can be very quick or as slow so be prepared to be waiting around!
TIP: If it is possible then make sure you have the time around her due date free such as booking maybe a few days off of work if this possible. I was able to do this the first time and I was really grateful for this. Obviously this is not always possible so if not make sure you have somebody who can be there.
Once she settles into her spot where she wants to give birth she may relax a little and the thing to look out for when the first puppy is about to arrive is a squirt of liquid to first come out - usually the first puppy follows this. Most of the work will naturally be done by the dog. It is normal for the dog to lick the puppy to stimulate them and to also clean them. Once she has fully cleaned them you will find they may start to suckle from her - this is really important as the first milk they receive from the mum is full of nutrients to help the puppy and it also helps to get the labour going again when they are suckling. It is sometimes worthwhile moving them slightly if you can when she starts to have the next puppy just so they don't get hurt.
If at any point you do handle the pups you should wear the gloves or just pop a towel over your hand to stop any scents getting on the pup that may make her reject them. During the birth you may want ot note the time and weight at birth especially if you are breeding for the sake of breeding to sell.
Once each pup is born they will be a gap between the next being born that can be short or even quite a while but if at any point the mother is trying to push and no puppy appears within approximately 15 minutes you should be calling the vet as there may be a puppy stuck.
After the final pup is born the mother usually becomes a lot more relaxed and will probably want to drink and may even want t go outside to relive herself so if this is the case make sure you go with her just in case she hasn't finished labour as you don't want any pups born outside in the garden!
Aftercare:
The mother will be the main after care for the pups but, it is important that you keep your eye on her and them. First time mums sometimes can squash the young by accident especuilly if there is a big litter. Also even if you dog is the mst loving and caring dog in the worl she will not want your hands all over them for unnecessary reasons so refrain from touching them or picking the up unless absolutely necessary.
Make sure their is plenty to drink for her nearby and that she is getting to go outside when she needs to.
TIP: When our dog had her first litter she hated being left on her own so at night one of us took it in turns sleeping in the spare room with her as normally she sleeps in our room and she visibly relaxed knowing one of us was there. Of course you will know your own dog and so this is entirely up to you!
The puppies:
Until she starts to let you touch them then it is best to leave them to their own devices. Once they start to get a bit older though you may find she cannot keep all of them in check as they will all start to wander in different directions - by all means you will need to start putting paper down and other usual training tactics but you'll also find the mother will clean up after them at first! This is something you might not expect to see the first time their is puppies in your house if you were not already aware of it but don't be alarmed as it's perfectly normal!
Whether or not you are finding new homes for the puppies or if you are keeping them you will need to also think about working anf leaing them and it is best to check at what age to start. Worming for example can start as young as two weeks old as all puppies will have worms to begin with. Also as they get bigger and older the mum will stop letting them feed as much or as often which is where we found the milk to come in handy. You can buy a small craton for about 55p from Tesco's which is designed for weaning puppies and it will also encourage them to start drinking from a bowl although you may find them running after mum everytime she is near!
Finding new homes:
If you are finding new homes for the pup you should make sure you are fully vetting any potential owners - I personally want to make sure they go to great homes and if they don't like you asking as many questions as you can then they are in my book not worth my time! I honestly think you owe it to them and your dog who has endured the labour and caring for them, the chance to go to a great home and this should not be scrimped on!
Final tips:
There is so much to think about when breeding pups but hopefully these pointers will be a good final thought!
Always get your dog checked when you think or know she is having pups - make sure you have the vets number to hand when your dog goes in labour and be prepared for the unexpected.
Be prepared to be in it for the long run - the dog will need proper care during her gestation and during labour.
Make sure you have enough sheets and a bed ready for her to have the pups in and that the room is warm enough for her - a heat lamp or pads are useful.
She won't want to have the dad to the pups near them until they are old enough so if you do own both parents bear this in mind.
If this is a first litter it is not also unheard of for the mum to birth a puppy that may not make it and it has been known for them to try and then eat the pup themselves - thye do this for a variety of reasons the most common to stop the remaining pups becoming infected. If you can try to remove the pup before she does this. Of course if the puppy is not breathing when born even with the mums help it may be worth trying to revive the pup yourself by rubbin their chest and also making sure the fluid is removed from their airways.
If the mum rejects any of the pups it will be up to you to feed them by syringe of milk yourself so again this is a huge responsibility and another thing you should be aware of when thinking about breeding!
Now I know this is not in any way a vetinarians opinion but this is all just from my experience of my dogs giving birth - hopefully it will have helped for anyone who is thinking of breeding or has puppies coming soon for the first time. The one thing to remember is that it is very, very hard work looking after all the pups and as they start to grow they will do what all new puppies do but, until they go off to their new homes which should be no earlier than 8 weeks (although some breeders do allow them to go eearlier) they are your responsibility. Think about it very carefully! The cost of feeding them soon adds up!!
One last thing to remember is to ALWAYS consult a vet - in no way should you try to do anything yourself that you are not sure about - the vet is the best person for advice and help and do not be worried about asking your vet anything even if something that seems trivial!!!
Overall I hope if anyone reading this who's dog is having pups that you enjoy the time with your dog and her pups as it is a very rewarding time!
Summary: A rewarding experience that is also hard work - don't under estimate this part of it!!
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