MissMaddy

Thanks Chocolate, he is a bit cute! I think average is around 500g for GSDs. I can't tell yet if long or short coat, but I have a feeling he's a short coat. We'll see if I'm right! How often do you guys weigh them? Is twice a day enough? She's getting more and more attached to him. While she is a bit worried about him under her feet, she goes out to the toilet, and then runs straight back in there. I'm amazed and so proud of my girl as how good she's being with him. :D

Yeah good point, thanks oakeydoak1. He had done a little at the vet, and there's some dark brown stuff on a towel (I thought it was old blood, but she's not been on the towel), so guess he'll do it. She's a little too interested in his tummy, so having to make sure she only makes him go to the toilet, and doesn't lick his cord too much. I think she's going to be a great mum given how easily she's accepted him.

So we went back to the vet this morning, and the heart rate had slowed a bit more. She decided to do a caesar then, so we have a not so little male puppy weighing in at 615g! :D She has plenty of milk already (and will have heaps more by the way he's hogging the milk bar), so if anyone hears of orphaned pups or an extremely large litter, I'd be happy to try her with them. She's not sure this little slug is hers, but she's licking him, has toileted him (although likes the cord a bit too much so will have to watch her with that), and is just very worried about standing on him. He hasn't pooed yet, how soon should he do that? I know human babies we give them 24 hours.

I'm not sure. The heart beat is the most important factor. If it's still good then yeah, I'd say we'll check it again tomorrow night, and go in for a caesar tomorrow night if needed.

Since this afternoon the puppy has started to move back and up towards her back end. She has tonight to have it herself! Fingers crossed!

She's day 63 from ovulation tomorrow. She was mated 2 and 4 days after ovulation. Vet just felt it was a bit early, but nearly decided to go in tonight, but wants us in 1st thing in the morning to be sure puppy is ok.

Ok, another visit to the vet. The heart rate is just a little slower, but still ok. Given she has no other signs such as more milk or nesting, mucous, temp drop (looks like she's holding her progesterone herself), the vet wants to wait til tomorrow, but we're going in when they open to have it rechecked. I'd say we'll be going in tomorrow morning at this stage.

Cute little man Jackofhearts! He looks very sweet (for now!) We're playing the waiting game now. My girl had her last prog Monday night, and we're checking the puppy's heart rate every day (plus me feeling for movements and listening with the stethescope), but won't be long now. No changes in temp despite the stopping progesterone, unless I've missed it. How long does it stay down for? I'm expecting it to go under 37degrees as it's usually 37.5-38 degrees. She's got milk in 5 teets now, so just waiting waiting. Will be much easier (and cheaper!) if she does labour natrually.

Thought I'd come in and update on my girl. Still plodding along. We're getting more undercarriage development, and I think she has a little colostrum in the back teets already. Just a bit of a whitish, thickish stuff very similar to what colostrum looks like in some women. I was a bit worried about her milk production for just one, but guess I don't need to worry now! Just a bit worried about her whelping tomorrow as it's the last day she'll be on her own for any length of time.

Very true Your dogs should come first before rescue!!! This is my greatest concern, the idea of bringing in anything that could risk the life of the already precious single puppy my girl has really worries me. I think I'd rather go through a rescue organisation who has some degree of controls and health checks, etc, but I don't even know where to start on getting her to accept and raise other puppies, especially as hers isn't even on the ground yet.

I didn't quite mean practical in that sense. I was actually talking about the idea of fostering puppies to be "littermates" to the singleton my girl is expecting. I was meaning more the practicality of doing it that way, not of rescue in general (which I would love to help out once I have my own place later this year). I would never have expected to make money in such a situation, the same as I know I'm not even close to breaking even on the one puppy expected. I would never consider undertaking something like this with the hope of making money, etc. As I said, not sure of the "practicality" of bringing in orphaned pups when my girl already has the one, but would love to do so if it was possible.

Personally I haven't helped out with rescuing to this point, but very interesting the timing of your post! It was actually suggested to me by a friend to look into the possibility of fostering more pups onto my girl after her singleton pup is born next week. I have to say I really like the idea of it, but not sure how practical it would actually be??

Congratulations Chocolate on safe arrival of your bubs! My girl had an ultrasound and x-ray today. Definitely just a singleton bub. Good size (well she said "big"), heart rate was good. Plan is to give the last prog dose on day 60, check the heart rate day 61, and if still no puppy by day 62 we'll be going in for a caesar. I've told her I want to act sooner rather than later as being just the 1 this puppy is very important to me. She's only put 2-3kg on, and I was considering I might need to feed her more, but if it's already bigger I don't think she needs it!

So sorry to hear that Jackofhearts. Hope your remaining baby thrives and is everything you were hoping for.

I have to agree with the difference in temperament between the GSD and dobes. I have had mostly GSDs, and the dobes I've met have been VERY different in temperament. I also currently have a rotty girl, have you considered that breed at all? While different in temperament again to the GSDs (she's more "bouncy" and silly at times, is the best way to describe it , however there are a lot more laid back ones than my girl), my girl is the most loving, people pleasing, sweet girl. She's a bit of an oversized lap dog really. I also am pretty confident she'd be the first (out of 2 GSDs and her) to run to my defence, followed very closely by the female GSD and then the male (just cos he'd be following their direction ). Not my females are higher drive for their breeds, and my boy is Mr Cruisey, and I would personally say he'd make a much better family dog, although all 3 would fit the role easily. I can understand what you mean about the strength of some dogs. The breed standard (GSD) is that sex characteristics should be defined, so a male should look like a male from nose to tail, and a bith should be more feminine. There are some sires out there (and bitch lines of course), throwing progeny with more bone, you just might need to do a little hunting around for a breeder you like.

I have to say, it's so exciting watching everyone else's bitches developing and then the litters on the ground! Now I just need some lack fo sleep myself! Have booked my girl in for an x-ray Tuesday next week. She'll be 2 days off 8 weeks if you go by her ovulation date (from prog tests). Is this about the right time? The biggest concern is litter size. Given there may only be 1, so we need to be sure. When do you guys find they usually whelp earliest from ovulation? i.e. what day? The vet has said to stop the regumate day 59, but it feels so early to me. I feel a bit lost with the whole multiple birth situation, as we only ever have 2 maximum (babies) born at work, and have constant heart rate monitoring on.

Eishund, sounds very exciting for you!! IS this the very first registered litter in Australia?? I can't seem to remember if there have already been some born? Good luck! :D

Ok, so have moved my girl into the spare room while I'm out, which will be where she'll whelp and be inside with the baby/ies. I'm moving the whelping box in there tomorrow hopefully, but am just wondering when to put her in there at night? There's a sofa bed (but there'll be no room left for her whelping box) and a single mattress I can sleep on, so am wondering when we should move in there? I don't like the idea of her sleeping in there on her own (although I'm sure she won't care, it's her favourite room in the house that she choses and chose last time before reabsorbing), she's slept in with me pretty much every night since I got her at 10 weeks. She's now 6 1/2 weeks in. Was also planning on the xray next week Friday, so she'll be 8 weeks and 1 day so I know what's happening the next week as to wheather she is given time to go into labour or just goes in for an elective caesar. Let's hope my human midwifery skills translate over into my dogs!

Congratulations Missymoo! Is that a normal size litter for your breed? I'd be happy with that many. Well, update on my girl. Tummy is still definitely growing (not huge given small numbers, but definitely growing), and we have teets getting quite a bit bigger and sort of swollen around them, so looking good so far! :D Only 2 and a bit weeks to go!

Thanks guys, was thinking around now things should start happening. She's definitely getting a bigger tummy, and is only getting another 1/2 cup of food in the mornings (so around 20% extra from 5 1/2 weeks), so not enough to put on this much weight. The vet I'm using up here has already pretty much said if no labour within 24 hours of the temp drop (although I might ask for prog tests as well given how often it's missed, but I'm guessing as she's being supplemented it'll drop once we stop at day 59 anyway) that we'll do a caesar. I stuffed up my days off at work, so have to work for about 2-3 days when she'll be due for the caesar, so hopefully it'll work around that, but I also have my rotty's breeder coming to stay to help me thank goodness! She'll be x-rayed at 8 weeks to double check numbers (I am hoping and praying for at least 2!).

When should I expect more nipple development? They've gotten really soft, pinker and slightly bigger, but no major mammary development. Hoping sge has no issues with milk, although my rotty bitch's mum always used to produce milk around puppies so maybe she'll come in handy were that to happen!

Yep that's my girl you've met, Zali would be her name. Thanks Chocolate, I'm glad we figured out the problem, but I was hoping myself and the repro vet (Michael Bell) were right and it was an infection (I had my other 2 dogs out at a show the week before she went off her food and started vomiting green bile). We have only seen 1 puppy on both ultrasounds, and she's not particlarly big (although does have a definite bulge), so I'm not holding my breath for many (if any) more. Last time we saw 3 remains of puppies on x-ray, so she must have gotten to ossification stage at least. At least we can now show long coats, so even if that's all I get I can keep it! She's getting close to when she went off her food, etc last time, so I'm sort of holding my breath at the moment!

Hi Jackofhearts, thanks very much for the well wishes! Please see these returned for your litter cooking. While I know my girl was definitely in whelp (like last time), now I'm kinda stressing and looking too closely at her every day! Today I'm stressing her tummy is smaller, and just can't believe I might get something. Her nipples are definitely changing, but very slowly (a little more pink and slightly bigger, but that's it).

Ok, so having just organised to post in here, I thought I would join this thread. I'm a first time breeder, and determined to do it right from the start (although am off to a rough start already). My GSD bitch is due 18th August, so she's 6 weeks this Thursday. This is our second attempt, after she reabsorbed last time around 6-7 weeks. The vet and I thought it was due to an infection, however her prog level was 41 on Friday, so she's on regumate to try and maintain this pregnancy. Most likely last time she acted "sick" afer reabsorbing, although there was 3 somethings visible on x-ray at 7-8 weeks, so guess I'm at a bit of a loss there (she must have passed something and cleaned up while I wasn't home after that x-ray I guess). This time, there was only 1 puppy visible, so there's not much in there regardless (possibly another 1-2 hiding if we're lucky). This will be my last attempt with her, as I don't want to breed a bitch knowing she'll require hormone support or that needs help just to produce more than 1-2 pups, and it's been too draining emotionally and financially with her. Hoping to get something out of her, but guess I'm not that optimistic this time.

What a scary thing to happen. My last GSD was attacked by an escaped dog (she commonly escaped from home according to the locals) while her son watched on while we were away on holidays with her. She actually got my girl on her back (although I'd say she probably submitted pretty quickly), and then started dragging her across the car park. We were sitting outside at a general store, and there were about 3-4 people there who all came to help. I tried kicking the other bitch, with absolutely no affect. It wasn't until a chair was broken over her head (she was hit with it twice) that she released enough to get my girl out. Once they were separated, the other dogs took off. My girl had some dog agression after that, which was basically hackling up and growling at approaching dogs. Luckily, she never took it further (I'd say as she wasn't at a critical period helped this a lot too), and I knew some local people (once home) with friendly dogs, and she never developed full on dog agression. She did, however, develop separation anxiety following, and I can only assume it was because I wasn't able to protect her, I'm not sure what else caused it (although she did have it very mildly prior). My only suggestion (and sorry I haven't read all the responses to know if it's been suggested), apart from getting your dog to the vet if you haven't already, is to find another, VERY calm adult dog to introduce your pup to asap. He needs to know other dogs aren't scary and won't all attack him. The sooner he is around calm, non intimidating dogs the better. ETA- and we did report this attack to the ranger, and saw our vet straight away for a report to back up our claim against the council. This was before the dangerous dog laws (14 years ago) I think, and as there was no "broken" skin on my girl, I don't know what happened to the other dog. My girl did have a graze on her shoulder, but luckily she had enough fur around her neck that no other damage was done.