Your Last Litter

[SpikesPuppy]

I actually slept in the spare ('whelping') room with my bitch for 2 days before the pups arrived - she is a spoilt thing and doesn't do well sleeping on her own (yep, my mistake - I wont be repeating it!!), her water actually broke on my doona and she was then swiftly transferred into the whelping box. For the following weeks I remained in the room, she slept on my bed with me between feedings (for the first 2 weeks I had an alarm set every 2 hours over night to ensure they weren't too cold or too hot - first litter so maybe a little over-concerned on my part...), there was also one night where the littlest girl wouldn't stop screaming and wouldn't feed etc. Eventually we worked out that she was too hot and just before daybreak got her settled, fed and sleeping peacefully.

Visitors (other breeders etc) were around from the very first morning, Ziva was watched carefully but the worst thing was she was disappointed when the visitors were more interested in the new babies than her

[becks]

Born in a whelping box in the lounge next to the window and heating, surronded by a playpen which is covered in sheets to give the bitch privacy from the other dogs. Base of the pen is a plastic tray (same as in crates). Older dogs are allowed to visit when mum is happy for them to do so. Pups are in with all the household noises from the start and are handled and weighed daily in the first couple of weeks 9or until I am sure they are gaining weight properly). When old enough they are moved to be free range in the kitchen and outside access is available while i am at home, otherwise they are in their lounge room pen to keep them safe

[t-time]

Also born in a whelping box laid with blankets, a heat pad and until the babies start moving around too much, a donut bed for Mum.

I have 2 rooms off my main living/family room - one is dogs' bedroom and the other doubles a spare/storage room and the whelping room. This room has carpet so I lay down a giant tarpaulin a set up the whelping box etc on top. The room has no door so I put up a baby gate to prevent the other busy-bodies from contact with the pups until the Mum is ready and sometimes a sheet over the doorway if it's windy and there's a breeze going in the room.

Pups are moved into a large pen in the main living room once their eyes are open and then there is a concreted "day pen" outside area with a gate onto the grass. Sunny days outside and they only sleep in the inside pen at night or on rainy/cold days.

ETA: the pups have free range in the house after nightfall until it's their bed time (and mine!)

Edited June 29, 2010 by t-time

[gapvic]

Our last litter (greyhounds) were born six weeks ago - five girls and three boys.

We have a bathroom that is being renovated, so they were whelped in there (bathroom has been stripped so it's currently just a bare room with tiled floor). The pups were whelped in our heated whelping box, straight onto newspaper. After the bitch had finished we cleaned up, put fresh newspaper down and the fluffy vet bed on top.

The pups remained in the same room until last weekend when they turned six weeks. We have now shifted them into a stable inside a shed, still with their heated whelping box on. We've just started to turn the box off during the day but back on at night. We'll slowly harden them off and then they'll shift out into a rearing paddock. Stable flooring is concrete and we put newspaper down over this.

We had newspaper on the floor of the bathroom when the pups started to get out of the box. We also had a fan heater in there that was used during the first couple of weeks to keep the temperature up.

I sleep with the bitch and pups the first couple of nights, and use a baby monitor after that.

Pups were handled many times each day, and weighed daily till two weeks (then just weighed prior to worming). Dew claws removed before they were one week of age and nails trimmed a couple of times a week. They were given their first soft toys as soon as they were starting to play (can't remember if that was three or four weeks) and now have quite a collection LOL!

[benshiva]

Border Collie puppies delivered at home (12 weeks old now). Whelping room set up next door to our bedroom (moonlights as an office as well). Heated whelping box and heater in room as well. I sleep in the room for the first week to make sure mum is settled. Mum and puppies stay in the house for first 4 weeks. Puppies confined to whelping box for the first three weeks and the last week are allowed out and about in the house. After 4 weeks we start to introduce them to the outside world and set up a sleeping area in our back room. The sleep here until they leave home

[Joan of Arc]

Just had to post this...

I remembered someone posting here that they keep all thier other dogs away from thier pups etc.

Our eldest black girl, who is also grandma to this current 15 day old litter disappeared from the family room about an hour ago. OH decided to go and investigate adn finally located her IN the whelping box. So there was 6 kids, with mum all having feed, and at the other end of the pups was Grandma, toileting them. And Mum? Sound asleep

[t-time]

Hi Mercedes - that was me and the reason I have to keep mine away is exactly the same as you.....

KIDNAPPING!!!!!!! :rofl:

[Joan of Arc]

Hi Mercedes - that was me and the reason I have to keep mine away is exactly the same as you.....

KIDNAPPING!!!!!!!

:D :D

Thats our yellow boy - he loves babies, he gets in the box, toilets them, snuggles up to them etc but her really comes into his own when they are out and about at around 6 - 8 weeks. When they are roaming the yard you can actually tell him to 'bring that baby back' and he heards the pup back towards you. Never has he hurt one pup but gheez he's a great foster dad!

And we believe that this is part of the reason that we can have entire males come and go all the time and he nevers looks at them other than to play. Most of them are his foster 'sons' coming for a visit and it might only be once a year. But he has such a soft and gentle nature - you know? "A lover, not a fighter"

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Having mentioned earlier that we would leave the pups in our Granny Flat, we have today moved them into our living room, where I can waste even more time in the day.

[laneka]

My last litter was an elective c-section. The pups were raised in the spare bedroom, I slept in the bedroom next to it for 3 weeks, I actually slept with my head at the foot of the bed so I could hear any noise (I am a light sleeper). The pups stayed in there at night till they were six weeks old then were moved to the stables where it is nice and warm. During the day they were in the puppy run which is grassed and has an undercover area.

[angelsun]

My last litter (born in Canada) was born in the downstairs computer room and stayed there til they were 14 days of age. They then moved upstairs to the dining room and that is where they stayed until they left home, with the oldest at age 5 months before I found a suitable home and finally let him go.

This was normal for my litters. I like to keep the babies quiet for the first bit and then introduce them to noises of everyday life as well as seeing/smelling the adult dogs coming and going. They also are introduced to outside when weather permits at 4 weeks and by 8 weeks are half way to being housetrained due to the routine of feeding and toileting outside and sleeping inside at night in their pen.

My litter here will be done the same.

Our last GSD litter was born in the whelping room which is attached to the house but access from outside with a fenced in pen to allow the female to move around when needed. We have heating and of course electricity out there and we are constantly in and out of there. The adult dogs can get to the fence but not inside. Puppies remain out in that pen until they are about 4 weeks or so and then move to a larger enclosure if there are more than half a dozen. This last litter had only three so they stayed in that pen, and were introduced to the adults at about 5 weeks or so and brought out front to play with the pinscher about 6 weeks. By the time they left, they were used to older dogs and any guests that came along after they had received their first shots.

[alpha bet]

Aussie Shepherds - Last litter March 2010 5 dogs and 1 bitch.

Born under the dining room table - open plan house with slate floors. Heated whelping box and we drape a blanket over the table which creates a den. Makes it really easy to manage as I work from home most days and allows me to see what is going on with the pups all the time. Mother dog has the opportunity to come and go as she wishes. Other dogs also can move around and generally mum has set the rules as to how close she allows them near the pups. We also have two cat who wander around and at times go and sticky beak at the pups.

We have found that the Aussie bitches seem to be happy to share the washing of the pups and my older male GSD was allowed into the pup zone once they were about 3 weeks old, then the male became kinda like a fun uncle.

Once the pups start to move around we open one side of the box and place a pen around to give pups a bigger area. We start with newspaper on the floor and then progress to mats of drybed that are easy to wash.

By about 4 weeks if the weather permits we have a small pen and shelter set up on the front lawn (we live on acerage so the front lawn is still private) then the pups start to spend time outside during the day. Night time they come in and sit around the lounge floor with the family (human, cat and dogs). by this stage they are starting to go to the same spot for toilet so we just put newspaper down there and have a few mats elsewhere. time for bed pups end up going back to whelping box with a smaller area fenced off.

Pups are handled heaps from birth - various kids and adults sit around with babies snuggled into their necks. We fence of the lounge and dining area with portable pen - use a stool so the older dogs can step up and jump over if they want to go outside.

from 5 weeks I start taking pups for walks around the farm and then usually two pups at a time start having turns going out in the car and visiting friends homes.

Thats the routine until pups go home between 8-10 weeks.

Edited July 2, 2010 by alpha bet

[jerojath]

All our litters whelp in a whelping box located in the lounge-room.

Our pups are right beside the TV and learn very young to deal with all the sounds and noise a family with 4 young kids can dish out.

Depending on the weather, they normally move outside at about 4 weeks but sleep inside if nights are too cool.

Outside they are in a purpose-built shed on organic straw with a grassed, fenced pen off the shed.

[bullyfan]

Of two recent litters (of british bulldogs)the first litter was born at the vets, c-section and the pups were bought home and put in a "large plastic reptile enclosure" with a heat lamp in it and lots of bedding, dry bed, sheets, newspaper (scrunched up for lumpiness) etc. (in the lounge room/ kitchen)

(Mum and pups are not left together.... mum's spaced out after a c-section and can squash the babies)

Mum was crated beneath them, for the first 48 hours (to stay warm) in this case mum had no milk what so ever, so she stays inside for a few days and was eventually allowed back outside but I needed her healed first. (this mum was not interested in her pups either and after 5 or so days of begging her to clean them, I took over feeding and cleaning and left her alone.)

The remaining pup is now 5 weeks and is still in the enclosure as it's quite cold here at the moment and no major drafts can get him. I have him out for plays and also out to feed him but he goes back in to go to bed.

My other litter, also born at the vets by c-section was put on mum, ( she had milk) for the first 16 hours non stop. I sat with them, then, I topped up the pups and put them back in the enclosure, then left mum in the whelping box, she prefered to be in there and didn't want to move. Every 4 hours put the pups back in with mum and let them feed, after an hour with mum, I'd top them up and put them back in the enclosure. (This mum refused point blank to clean her babies also.)

Unfortunately this litter died by day three. Sooo I can't give you any more input.

In the whelping box, I have heated flooring but it's too warm for mum, so I have a heat lamp above the pups and mum is able to move away or get close. This is in the loungeroom/ kitchen, (open plan living)

[Pulilover]

My last litter was born by c-section at the vets (due to vet's recommendation). Pups were raised in our rumpus room in our house until about 4.5 weeks old, after which they were raised in an outside kennel, with most of the day spent running out on the grass yard.

[RoseRed]

Cavaliers - litter of five - 3 males and 2 females

Dani (pups' mum) refused to use the whelping box, so just gave birth on the floor of our lounge room. She also wouldn't lay down to whelp, so actually gave birth to each pup while in a semi sqatting position.

After all pups were born, they were transferred to the whelping box, which was just Dani's crate which we converted for them. They slept on normal blankets and the room was heated. We also live on the central coast of Qld, so the weather never gets terribly cold anyway.

They lived in the crate until about 3 weeks old, when we transferred them to a spare room just off our lounge, and they've had the run of that room ever since.

So they are used to all the household noises - tv, kids, etc.

Three of the pups have just left for their new homes. One is going next weekend. And one we are keeping

[Ashanali]

When you had your last litter where was it whelped and where did the pups live for the first 3 weeks ?

I need you to describe the environment your pups lived in during whelping and for the first 21 days.

Last litter born 10/5/10 (nearly 8 weeks old)

Born in a homemade whelping box in the laundry.

Stayed in there for the entire first three weeks, only coming out when mum had to go to the vet to have her leg sown up when she decided to jump out of the window.

The whelping box is made of mdf, 50cm high on all sides with a pig rail on the inside. There is no bottom as being in the laundry the floor is tiled and there is a drain for easy cleaning.

For the first few weeks I laid thick cardboard, then newspaper, then polarfleece blankets, the blankets are the right size to be held down by the edges of the whelping box so they can't be scratched out of place. I put a couple of rolled up towels under the blanket and this gave the pup a bit of traction to get around the box.

The room is warmed to around 26 degrees, the heater is placed up high and there is no direct heat/air forced onto the pups. I have a 'grobag egg' in the room to monitor temperature (it's a left over from when the human babies were little and we monitored temperature in the room.) Now the pups are older, the heater is no longer on unless the temperature drops below about 21.

ETA: The room is at the back of the house near my older boys bedroom. My older kids handle the puppies daily and are typical loud kids. As you can see by this video, not much phases them even with my son stomping around and jumping over their heads.

Also being in the laundry the pups have lived with all the loud laundry noises such as the washing machine spin cycle.

Edited July 3, 2010 by Ashanali

[dancinbcs]

My last litter was my most unusual due to being born in the middle of an extreme heat wave.

Whelped in a whelping box in my bedroom at the opposite end of the hall to the room with the split system air conditioner so they would get the cool air without being directly in a draft. Air con was going 24/7 but the babies where still screaming with the heat. This was a litter of three very large Border Collies.

I always line the box with newspaper and drybed to help with sturdy footing and removing the drybed made no difference to the heat, just made it harder for the puppies to move around. The solution was to put the drybed back in and put Ice Packs wrapped in towels in the box. The puppies lied bellies down on the ice packs, let out a sigh and finally went to sleep. They only woke to feed and then returned to the ice packs.

They stayed in my room until they started escaping the box at 2 weeks so it was shifted into the internal laundry with newspaper over the concrete floor. Normally I would shift them to an outside covered concrete run with a shed attached and a daytime grass run at 4 weeks, but the heat continued and it wasn't an option. At three weeks I fenced off about a third of the yard with puppy pens and put the puppies out for a couple of hours first thing in the morning in the full shade of the house. Once the sun started to move around they would scream to come back inside, so spent most of their time in the laundry, only going out to eat meals and toilet on the grass, with a final outside run after dark before their final meal late at night.

[Christina]

Born in the lounge in a big cardboard box which mum just hopped in & got it all over in an hour. Then put a 6 panel puppy pen around it & stayed there most of the time. It was heatwave time so a few times I moved them to a cooler room for short spells checking thermometers in other rooms. Try not to move them until eyes are open usually.

[shortstep]

I usually whelp the litter in my bedroom. They stay in that room for a few days. then I move them to their own private bedroom, this is because I have a lot of dogs in the house and moms like some privacy with their pups. I have a half door on this room, so the house sounds enter the room, but it is private from peering eyes of other dogs. Mom can jump over the half door to get in and out, and the pups are in a large whelping box.

Around 2.5-3 weeks I move them to the family room/kitchen, (edited to add, into a large 5 x 7 ft play pen with 2" high elevated sleeping bed) which is the center of my house and center of everything that happens. By then the pups are hearing and seeing and the mom will tolerate the other dogs in the room. At 4 weeks they start to visit my outside puppy pen, which is next to the family room and again lots of dogs, people and life going on around them. At 4 weeks I add a crates (no door) to both areas and put bedding in the crates, soon the pups are sleeping in the crates. Week 4 we also have (loose) play time in the family room and in the evening they all get a cuddles and play time while we watch TV. Gentle alder dogs are with them for this play time too.

They also spend a lot of time going for walks on the property with me and the other dogs, they have time with my older dogs that are good with pups and just prior to leaving then spend some time with dogs that will tell them then need to knock it off LOL. From 4 weeks on we go out 2-3 times a week for socialization with strange people, strange places, car rides and so on. Pups are also taught to tug, chase ball, come when called, a little leash work and most are on the way to being house trained. Lots of sensory items are placed in the play pen, as well as things to climb on and into and even a little pool on hot days. Week 6.5 the pups start crate training and by 7 weeks they are sleeping 2 to a crate at night, but 7.5 weeks one to a crate at night.

Edited July 4, 2010 by shortstep