Paptacular! Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Usually how long do you keep the Whelping box in your bedroom for before you transfer it to a living area? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barat Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I usually have my whelping box in the spare bedroom and I sleep in tehre for teh first 4 - 7 nights (depends on the dam, teh size of eh litter etc). Then I move back to my own room At around 3 weeks old I move the babies to my dining room with easy access to the outside and ongoing interaction with people, dogs, noise etc. Studies show that the most critical socialisation period for pups is 3 - 12 weeks so I do not want to miss any of such a short window. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paptacular! Posted January 29, 2011 Author Share Posted January 29, 2011 This is the dams 2nd night, first time mum. Box is set up in my room, room is only small so haven't put a pen around it. Have found her trying to sneak off mum duty and lie under my bed, which is where she would normally sleep and she seems to want to get back into the routine of visiting my parents room after a toilet break (where she would usually stay till morning). She's back feeding now after a bit of coercion. She's attentive to their cries still but maybe a bit less than before. I'm thinking maybe she is getting sore from the suckling? Just really wondering when I can start sleeping again!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tentapride Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 If mum is settled and doing well then I would move them out into another room now wih a pen around them. Its sounds like mum is quiet comfortable with them and feels confident and secure if she is happy to sleep under the bed away from them. If pups are settled there's no need for her to be with them constantly but I would keep her penned with them until 3 weeks. At teh 3 week mark I alsways allow mum easy access into and out of the pen so they can come & go as she pleases. When I started breeding I always had them in my room but now I realise that if the signs are good and mum is settled there is no need to be with them constantly (I have a small breed with little to no threat of squashed puppies) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angelsun Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I've never whelped and had a bitch in my room. They are always in another area with a pen around the box to keep her contained, but not force her to remain IN the pen if she doesn't want to be. Depending on the bitch, I toss a cot by the pen for a couple nights, but more often as I"m fortunate to have good moms, once whelping is done, I go to bed. Yes I sleep with an ear open, but more times than not, I get plenty of sleep AFTER the whelping is done....my problem is that my girls seem to want to whelp through the night (as many do) and they aren't quick whelpers, taking up to twelve hours in many cases to get the job done. Funny how that twelve hours isn't a big deal if it starts at 8am....different story when it starts at 8pm!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puglodge Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Usually how long do you keep the Whelping box in your bedroom for before you transfer it to a living area? This is the first time we have had the whelping box in our room. Usually we would have it located in the family room off the kitchen however we have 7.5 week puppies in there. It has worked well but you hear every sound and movement and get up continuously on autopilot. The family room for me is the preferred option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I'd be inclined ,for a first timer to give her her OWN area .. so she doesn't get confused, as she is now, and ignore new babies to sleep under your bed . She needs to be totally with the new bubs to bond strongly now ...with no distractions for a few days ..so she gets into the habit .If her maternal instinct is not strong..she may gradually spend longer away, and sleep in her normal spots... just my 2c worth.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandra777 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Never slept in the same room as bitch and pups. Confine her to an area around the whelping box but give her a place to sleep away from the pups. By the 2nd night a lot of my bitches prefer to sleep separate from the pups - but never far away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lappiemum Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 My girl whelped in a spare room, but I slept in there. She was a maiden, so I stayed a bit longer to make sure she was getting it right. Once she got the hang of it she was a great mum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymoo Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I have my whelp box in our bedroom for the first two weeks, I allow her to do her thing, but keep a close eye on all ooohh baby Paps!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunnwarren Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 My whelping box is in the spare room with a puppy pen around it with enough room for the bitch to get out. Must admit I have very good mums and usually have to physically take them out so they can go to the toilet. I'm with them when they whelp then take myself off to bed. Bitches wont leave their pups for at least two weeks unless they go to the toilet. At about 4 weeks I move them into the kitchen area but still in a puppy pen as I have other dogs/cats inside. My bitches get very protective of their pups and heaven help if one of the other dogs even pokes their head into the spare room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 IMO not all bitches are born to be mums... in some, the first rush of hormones ensures they stick with puppies when first born... but, given access to all their normal things.. some of the newbies will 'go to the dark side' ...and prefer their pre whelping habits They are only dogs ---- and simple choices can change everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 She may be more settled with them if she has a more private area, mine like to have the box covered over and there are sheets around the pen so no one can see in or out. I find my girls settle well like this and I can sleep fine in the same room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowenhart Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 For the Lowchen, the pups stay in my room until 8 weeks. But my dogs sleep in pens in the room anyway. The last litter I had to keep the bitch from squashing the baby for the first 4 or 5 days. Baby would cry, mum would whinge but not move off the baby she was squashing. . Litter before that I had to monitor all feedings (and top up feed) for about 4 days. I was awake every 3 hours, just easier to do right next to the bed. For Afghans, if it's warm enough, they are moved to a puppy run at 4 weeks. Last litter didn't move out until 8 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeamSnag Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I slept in the same room for about 2 weeks... Then i went back to my own room and i would get up duing the night to check... About 5 weeks i moved them to a puppy pen as they were chewing their whelping box and wanted room to run lol.. Dunno if that was a good thing or not cos then they enjoyed ripping up paper LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Baggins Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 I have never had them in the bedroom, not enough room. Loungeroom and have slept in there on the floor 1 or 2 nights. Mum has had an inclination to return to pre whelping sleeping spot, on the bed, I just tell her back to your puppies and she goes back. This is usually the first night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Mum and pups in the dog room, I sleep in the whelping box with her and the babies for 2-3 weeks. She has room to sleep away from them if she wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burdy Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 In the lounge room. I split the room in half using the couch and a pen covered with a sheet to block out other inside animals then I sleep on the couch which faces the whelping box. The area is big enough for the bitch to get out of the box if she wishes and a crate with door open if she wants space away from the pups but its only 3 feet from the box. My last bitch chose to try and sleep on the couch with me but soon got shown her own space. i will sleep on the couch next to the bitch and pups from 4 to 6 days pre whelp (to help them get used to the box) up until at least 2 weeks post whelp as having a giant clumbsy breed the risk of squished pups is very high. I agree with what others have said, you have a toy breed Paps and she sounds very confident, a puppy pen around the box will give her the space she needs but keep her in tune to the pups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ophnbark Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Our whelping box is set up in the lounge room with a puppy pen around it. I sleep in there for a couple of nights before whelping and a couple after. Our bitches usually stay with their pups except for a short pee break for at least a week or two but the puppy pen is open should they want to go out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hotwyr Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 we have a purpose built whelping room in our sleep out. We have a single bed in there for the whelping hours. We then leave the mum to it with a walkie talkie on open communication for the 1st few nights... :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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