Bitch pregnant??

I understand that everyone is different & that's up to everyone's liking but I can't imagine not being around a bitch during & post whelping - I hope that baby monitor will help you. My girl was supervised all the time for 3 weeks - in situations when she would be left alone with pups we were taking her out of the box. Puppies had a heating pad in the box so were fine for a while.

Is your bitch an outside dog or just your wife doesn't agree for a litter inside?

The whelping box was about 30cm height at first but when puppies grown a bit we've taken small panel out & added a puppy pen around so they had much more space & we could divide that area into "bedroom/playroom" & "toilet" - our puppies went homes nearly toilet trained.

Have you got a plan of socializing puppies (washing machine, hoover, tv, radio, hair dryer) if they are going to be in a shed? Maybe some CDs or youtube?

 

Jet is out in her pen most of the day whilst we are at work, but comes into the house in the evening and sleeps in the kitchen. I think my wifes more worried about smell and mess in the house from having puppies lol.
I was going to have a radio on in the shed whilst i was out during the day, but im lucky enough i work close to home so i can pop home at lunchtimes to attend to whatever needs done. Ive booked 1 week and a half off work around the time of the puppies arriving so will be there constantly for the first days.

 

If you keep puppies area clean there's no smell - at first once a day is enough but obviously later on you have to clean few times a day.
What are you planning to lay in the whelping box?
Good to read that you'll be with pups & mum for at least a week and a half - I hope everything goes smooth for you.
How's Jet feeling? How's her appetite?

 

Thats good to know, i think im talking her around lol. My only concern with the shed is, that if it gets warm outside then my shed can turn into a real hot house and the poor pups could get too warm if im not about etc.
I was planning to lay the floor with some cardboard and then plastic sheeting on top of that. Then just layer that with news papers. Was going to leave a blanket on it until Jet gets used to it and then remove the blanket near the time.
Jet seems to be improving and this antibiotic seems to have really kicked in this time and is working well. Her appetite is coming back now, which is a good sign. She wolfed her kibble into her last night. She also seems alot brighter now.
What height did you make your whelping box?

 

Im delighted that finally approval of my Kennel Club name came through, i'm so happy that i got the name i wanted as it means alot to me and my family.
The kennel name is "Kilicranvale".
My grandfather was a world renowned gundog trainer and one of his most famous name which he trained and handled was "David of Westley", the dog was a Golden Retriever whose record still stands today of being the only dog to gain Champion Titles in Ireland and UK as well as Field Trial Champion status on both sides of the water!! His name was Jim Cranston and he lived in Killilea, thus "Kili".
Then "cran" for my surname Cranston, and finally "vale" because i live in a place called Laurelvale.
Made up with my certificate and knowing the pups will carry this name when they settle in their new homes!

 

That's lovely, so pleased that you were able to register a name that means so much to you

 

It's really good to read that she's feeling better & that you have you kennel name that you wanted

Tbh keeping puppies in that shed doesn't sound like a good idea especially that you know it can be really hot in there. Puppies can't regulate their body temperature so need to be kept warm but not too hot either. Also if there's so hot your girl won't be comfortable in there. As you decided to breed give your bitch the best conditions you can.

Our whelping box was 30 cm high but when puppies were older we used puppy pen that is about 70 cm height.

Also keeping puppies on just newspapers isn't a great idea as paint used to print them can be poisonous - you need to put something on papers. I recommend vet bed - other breeders advised me that & it was really good advise. I bought 5m of profleece vet bed & cut it to size. It washes easily & dries quickly.

 

Just out of curiosity, if you don't mind , what health test have both parents? Which colours are you expecting? What's your girl's pedigree name & are you planning to add your kennel name to hers?

 

MGreat that you got the kennel name you wanted

Newspaper is too slippery for pups, unfortunately. For nornal limb and joint development they need something with a lot more grip. As BeataK suggests get a big length of vet bed, and stock up on washing powder! Re the slippery surface do a bit of research on 'swimmer pups'.

If you can convince your wife to have the litter inside it'll be so much better for them. Little bodies can't regulate their temperature and will need a constant suitable temp. Exposure to normal household noises and life will also be very important for the pups' socialisation too and will be a selling point. To be honest I would not buy a pup that had not been raised inside a house from Day 1 for that reason. Hope that helps to persuade your wife

 

In that case you won't be able to have your bitch whelp in the shed. In any case during whelping you may need to be with your bitch for many hours in a row. A well designed outdoor kennel can be an acceptable place for puppies in the first few weeks, and I have raised several litters in kennels. But all my bitches whelp indoors. It is too risky to let them whelp alone, and I don't much like sitting in a kennel. A garden shed is not really going to cut it I'm afraid. Your bitch needs to whelp where you can keep an eye on her around the clock

For a successful whelping you need a reasonably constant temperature, plenty of light, access to water and somewhere for you to sit and get comfortable. It also needs to be somewhere that is familiar to your bitch and where she is used to sleeping on a regular basis, or you will find she may get very distressed.

 

Maybe not the best video but it more or less shows the puppy pen
https://youtu.be/WS-gn0fsdfg

 

I'm really interested, as I'm thinking of breeding my girl next spring, so looking forward to hearing all about your experiences! I'm just in the process of applying for a kennel name, and had a visit from our breeder's association the other week. They were very clear that Mum and pups should've in the house, close to the breeder, but not in a noisy room, for at least the first three weeks. After that a room adjacent to the house, with direct access to the puppy exercise area, such as a garage or stables, would be good. I hope you can talk your wife around to letting your bitch have her pups indoors, where you can keep an eye on them at all times and call the vet immediately if necessary. I am quite daunted by all the do's and dont's, as I am sure you are too, so keep coming on here, there are lots of people here with a wealth of experience who can give advice.

 

OMG Beata - that was just ADORABLE!!

 

thank you
That's another reason to have puppies indoors - watching them, how they play, how they develop is unforgettable

 

Jet hasnt had any health tests apart from a general vet check, but i know both her parents had eye tests and hip scores done and both are fine. As for the sire "Scott" his hip score is Hips are 4.4, Elbow 0, Eyes Clear 2014, PRA/CNM Clear. Ive no idea what to expect colour wise as im unsure what colour of labs are in her family history, just i know Jets parents were both black labs. I'll post both their pedigrees at the end of this thread.

 

Thanks for that, finally got my wife talked around lol. It didnt take much once she read some of your posts. We are only planning on letting Jet have one litter of pups, so we want to make sure we do it right. We are going to put her whelping box in the dining room and ill sleep in the living room next door which is divided by a glass door so i can keep an eye on her quite easily.

 

That looks just like a crate but with no base? Looks like ill get one of those once the puppies are born and i know they are all ok.

 

That's great news about her being indoors, that'll make everything safer and more comfy.

Not having health tests done isn't great as many owners on here living with dogs with hip and elbow dysplasia in labradors will tell you, and making sure both sire and dam are not carries for things like EIC is very important, but there isn't anything to be done about that now.

 

Hi Karen, tell me about it. Were really excited but also quite apprehensive. The kids are excited too but they know they have to keep quiet around Jet and the puppies. Another friend told me its good to have them in the house because they will get used to everyday noise and therefore shouldnt be nervous puppies when they are ready for their new homes. Ill keep you posted on everything, this forum has been a life saver so far and has put my mind at ease. I only stumbled across it via a link of facebook lol

 

Jet:



Scott



Jet's pedigree:



Scott's pedigree: