SLF Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) How much time away from the pups does your girl spend? My pups are 10days old, and going great. Fat shinny pups that sleep the day away :) In the last few (4 or so) days the Mother is spending a lot of time away from them. Initally she was very restless so I would let her out for exercise etc....Still a great Mum and very protective of her little ones. Yesterday as an example she didnt want to be with them from about 8am to 6pm....only when when I forced her back into the box in the evening. She is a work-a-holic normally, so Ive made sure to let her have plenty of exercise etc...but now she wont sit in the box unless its feed time. She has taken to jumping onto the laundry bench (the whelping box is in the laundry) and sitting up on it whenever she is inside. The pups seem very content, but she seems a bit over it...is this normal? thanks Edited to add - yes she is normally an outside dog Edited January 20, 2013 by SLF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 (edited) That IS a long time ..and , IMO not usual. Any of ours with pups are free to come & go as they want .. and they are normally only away for 10 mins or so , if that! When pups are around 3 weeks ..then absences are much longer ... is it perhaps too hot in the whelping box? has she been checked for mastitis- perhaps she's sore ... I suggest a vet check .... I also suggest not too much great exercise time outside ... her priority should still be her litter..... Is she normally an outside dog ? if she has been brought inside just to whelp ..maybe move the pups outside in a kennel ? Edited January 12, 2013 by persephone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 Mine won't stay away 10 minutes at this age & none of them ever has. All checks as persephone suggested. Also in this hot weather sometimes they are more comfortable in a bigger whelping box. Could be that is just the type of mum she is so weigh pups daily & if all is well there is nothing to be done. Pups will wean soon & then it won't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 My current bitch with pups, started spending a couple of hours at a time away from the pups around that age. By three weeks she was spending more time out than in and now coming up to four weeks she just goes back in for 10 minutes at a time to top them up. I would not be worried about her behaviour unless the pups appear restless. Check how hot it is where she is located. You might also find that the location is boring and she'd rather be out somewhere else in the house with the pups, which is not altogeher a bad idea as it provides the pups plenty of socilaisation too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pockets Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 My girl with this litter wouldn't spend much time away from her puppies....maybe about 10 minutes at the most, she would he always at the door, eagerly waiting to get back to her babies.... Not wanting to be with her babies for 10 hours is very unusual and not normal to me..definately worth a vet check Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLF Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 I have just made her go back in the box, and laid her down for the pups to feed, (she hadnt been in since before 7am) I had to 'make' her....the pups then fussed and swapped teats but are now having a drink. She is now staying there while they feed. How often should I make sure that she is feeding them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 When you express the bitch's milk , does it look and feel normal ? Colour, 'stickiness' , ease of flow ,and thickness are all important indicators of what is happening ....mastitis can be picked up early if you know what is normal for your bitch :) Not sure of times .. I would suggest 2 hrs maximum - but remember , toileting the pups is just as important . if she is not attending to that regularly you may well end up with problems Is there any way you can leave her to be free to come & go? Just see if it makes a difference- setting her own schedule ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLF Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 (edited) She is free to come and go, she is being attentive. Checks them when they squeek and toilets them, etc...just not happy to feed now or stay with them, is keeping a distance away nearly all of the time. I cannot express any milk. ? but she has just feed them for about 10mins, they are now asleep and she is out of the box. Edited January 13, 2013 by SLF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 If she's free to come and go then chances are that she's whipping in and out of the box and getting on with it. The pups will call and cry if they are not being attended to Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRG Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Certainly you should check for mastitis etc as the other have suggested, however I had a young bitch like this - she did not want the babies to "cramp her style" and she would sit out and just watch them for hours. She was confined in the same area as her whelping box and could come and go as she wished, and the pups showed no adverse effects from this treatment. She did sleep with them at night although I have no way of knowing if she spent all the night with them. Dr J.E. Mosier DVM in Pediatric Care (an article written for Uncle Bens Australia in 1982 - yes I know it is a long time ago!) talking about feeding orphan pups says " The number of feedings per day may vary from 3 to 12. . . . . The greater the number of feedings the greater the liklihood that the puppy can be maintained on comparable condition to a well fed nursing puppy" So he is saying that you can feed orphan pups as infrequently as every eight hours and I have certainly found this to be true although probably not desireable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Our bitches will spend hrs out at that age put will pop in/out for a quick top up. Infact we love the bitches that aren't obsessed BUT you must make sure there are no issues like mentioned. We have some girls that are velcro mothers & drive you nuts but most of ours are very chilled & still want to play & be part of the normal routine,The box is in the kitchen so they see & interact as normal with TV on etc etc & just get let to the other side when they ask. Are the pups restless?? Are they very fat ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
becks Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I have pups in the lounge as I found my girls will stress if put out in another room for quiet time with the pups, they end up trying to get back to the pack! Also have you checked something simple like the pups claws if they need cutting or they maybe scratching her as they feed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Our working kelpie bitch had a litter after 2 weeks she was over them and had to be held down periodically and be made to feed them. We had the puppies all out running around at 6 weeks and noticed her and two pups were missing. She had taken two on a walk to the creek in front of the house (dry at that stage but lots of bush) whipped through the trees and bolted home. We thought it was accidental until we observed her do it again and she was intentionally trying to lose them. Maybe she just doesn't do motherhood that well? Many a tail has been told of bitches whelping a litter next to the yards then retiring to working in the yards only to pop back in quiet moments and feed them. I think working bitches can feel the strain a bit because they love what they are going and hate to be missing out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLF Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 thanks for all the advice, the pups are fat, round and sleep alot. They are clean and warm so I guess they are contented :) They are in the lounge room during the day, the laundry at night due to my girl jumping out of the enclosure and weeing on the carpet! I have checked her temperature, I have checked for mastitis all seems ok to me. She is eating and drinking so Im not convinced she is sick. I am now thinking she is just a bit bored with them. She is a true worker, and motherhood has definately slowed her down more than her liking. I will continue to closely monitor the pups feeds and her health. I remember with our last litter who was also from a working dog, that we started to supplement feed them at 2wks bc every time the bitch heard the motorbike start up she will ditch the pups. Though she had 9 in her first litter, thankfully I only have 6 little mites to worry after this time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hilaryo Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 I have just made her go back in the box, and laid her down for the pups to feed, (she hadnt been in since before 7am) I had to 'make' her....the pups then fussed and swapped teats but are now having a drink. She is now staying there while they feed. How often should I make sure that she is feeding them? Agree with Persephone every 2 hours. Take her in and make her lay down to feed her pups - they still need her! Not only that they will become dehydrated. She needs to feed regularly to keep her milk supply sufficient for them. Pups at this age sometime start fussing around on the teats due to the delay in the milk letdown which can seem to take ages. Generally, once the milk lets down the dam will settle and let her pups feed. Good luck with her and bubs :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 Forcing the bitchc to go back into the box and forcing her to lay there and feed the pups, when they are not restless, crying or dehydrated is unwarranted and quite frankly boarders on being cruel to the bitch. The fact that she has healthy, content babies speaks volumes for her care of her pups. She's being shuffled from lounge to laundry and back agaid and clearly this is upsetting her to some degree. Pick a spot, stick with it and have a bit of faith in the bitch to raise her babies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLF Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 Forcing the bitchc to go back into the box and forcing her to lay there and feed the pups, when they are not restless, crying or dehydrated is unwarranted and quite frankly boarders on being cruel to the bitch. The fact that she has healthy, content babies speaks volumes for her care of her pups. She's being shuffled from lounge to laundry and back agaid and clearly this is upsetting her to some degree. Pick a spot, stick with it and have a bit of faith in the bitch to raise her babies I am not sitting on her holding her down, Im leading her into the box, telling her to drop and stay while the pups attach. It had been a long time and the pups where fussing and calling. She wasnt staying with them for long enough form them to feed themselves so I assisted. I thankyou for your opinion in thinking that shuffling them around may be some of the problem. I will take that into consideration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jumabaar Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 My girl was more interested in the kitchen than the pups after two weeks so I would make sure that I sat with her and the pups and would read a book while she fed. She was more than happy to settle in with them and care for them when she knew there wasnt anything more interesting going on around the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasha Posted January 13, 2013 Share Posted January 13, 2013 SLF I had 2 working border litters a while ago. 1 bitch was quite relaxed and lay in the box ALOT with her pups, She even let the other dogs come in and sit in the box to see the puppies. The other one is a very busy bitch. She didn't want to miss out on any activity. As soon as the back door opened, she would be ou of the box and wanting to come with us. She would even lay with her head hanging out the side just so she could see if someone came out of the house.... And if you went anywhere near the gates to the sheep, the barking she started was crazy. I used to just leave her in the shed a lot and go in and sit with her. If I let her have free roam, she wanted to see everything else that was happening. Like yours, if puppies squeaked, she would go back but she was just so interested in everything. That is her nature though. She is due to have the pups next week so I am expecting the same thing. She was just best left alone to do the job. It was better that I went in to her kennel area to play with her and spend time with her IN the kennel rather than be letting her out. I would let her out regularly to toilet and stretch her legs but if I let her out too much, she just expected it each time someone went outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLF Posted January 13, 2013 Author Share Posted January 13, 2013 Thanks Dasha, I think your right. I cant wait to see how many pups you end up with. Not long now :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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