Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 7:42 pm Post subject: Keeping a bitch in whelp fit...
Thought this could be a nice, little topic to discuss I'm sure there are many 'takes' on this which I'd love to hear about - mine is very simple really: I keep mine going as long as possible.
The above picture was taken today on Chilli's 54th day of being with puppies - 'ground clearance' is not the best but it's only just now that she's started to slow down a bit (on dummies, that is). She gets her usual walk around the big wood in the morning and evening but she also has a bit of training pretty much every day which could be a bit of retrieving but it could also be steadiness or a swim in the river. She does enjoys longer sleeps and she sleeps on the floor next to my bed at night just in case she should decide on going into labour (us working folk are rather soft at heart ). So to sum it up: nothing really changes apart from I prevent her from jumping fences and maybe shorten training sessions.
Natasha
____________
WLF All the Way!!!!
"Handle every stressful situation like a dog. If you can´t eat it or hump it. **** on it and walk away..."
Natasha, couldn't agree more. Walking till the day they drop puppies. And then, my girls are back out, usually day 2 or 3 after whelping on the normal walk. I am just careful not to feed them before it so they aren't trudging around for 3/4 hour with swinging boobs full of milk
I know so so many who don't let their feeding bitches out on 'normal' walks. Its such a shame and huge contributor to saggy boobs afterwards i do feel. i'm happy for them to swim, jump anything they like. And by about 8 weeks, happy for them to be back at training classes and in normal work mode (as long as boobs allow and I tend to wait longer before putting them over wire).
But i'm not very cotton wool. Some would be horrified at the 'germ potantial' of walking a feeding bitch on normal multiple well used dog ground (we don't have ur own ground). But till I have a problem, so it remains
I reckon they can do with the break to feel a girl again as opposed to a mum especially in the first two weeks after whelping...
Di
____________
The boys!
Read: Wylanbriar Dog Blog on the website: Updated! 1st February 12´!
Di, it is such a relief to hear you say that your girls are out by day 2 on their normal walks and that these are on 'normal multiple well used dog ground', since we also don't have our own ground & I was a bit unsure about walks and when to resume them. Especially since our other dog will need walking.
Do you do anything like wipe the dogs down with a parvocide or a spray, or has it been fine without you doing anything like that when you get back from a walk?
And, when you say they are out again by day 2, how long exactly is mum away from pups for? (1 hr? 2 hrs?)
I just had a look at your website and see you have a Weimy and one of those hairy things .
I had Weimaraners before changing to labradors and see that my first Weimy dog (long gone now sadly) was closely related to yours. I still have quite a few friends from my Weimy days and try to keep up with what is happening with the breed.
In answer to your question I find that initially (day 2) my bitches are probably only happy to leave the pups for 20 to 30 mins but each day they are happy to extend the time they are away from the pups.
I used to show and compete in Working Trials as well as working them on the shoot.
Last edited by Ettinsmoor on Sat Jun 04, 2011 3:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
Hi there - Yes, we do compete in trials and tests with them and they also work on a shoot in the season. Thanks for the help re bitches being away from pups. I guess I can only try it and see what she is happy with.
Yes I think you will find they can all be a little different.
I have a maiden bitch here at the moment 7 weeks in pup. First time is always a bit of an experience for a bitch and you have to play it by ear a little bit, which I am sure you will do.
I used to have Flimmoric Footnote and Clasola Summer Girl at Ettinsmoor and used to live in Bucks, so travelled down your way quite a lot. Interesting to see some of the names mentioned on your site.
Yes I think you will find they can all be a little different.
I have a maiden bitch here at the moment 7 weeks in pup. First time is always a bit of an experience for a bitch and you have to play it by ear a little bit, which I am sure you will do.
I don't work my girls, but like the others they keep going as 'normal' as long as they are willing to - and if they are shown - I keep showing them until they start resembling blobs
Weirdly, from the minute we mated Hally on her first litter - she completely withdrew from any rough play or 'action' - and after whelping it was a good three weeks before we could reasonably extract her from her babies to get her outside
Even Hopey - who initially freaked out when she had her babies wouldn't go far away until they were about 4 weeks - although by that time (when they had teeth) - she had had enough and was more than happy to get back to her beach runs - if the pups made any noise from four weeks onwards - it was her mother and half sister who went to them
Having said all that - even after she stopped feeding them - if we gave her food - she took it into the whelping box for the puppies which was very sweet (or underhand to stop them trying to feed off her )
Out of Hope and Hally - there is no doubt which preferred motherhood - on her second litter - because of being Christmas - we had pups here until 11 weeks and Hally was still wanting to feed them and clear up after them
Mind you - it took Hope about 12 weeks to get her figure back to her pre-pregnancy shape and the message from her is "we won't be doing that again!"
It goes to show how different a mother and daughter can be
I must admit I don't wipe mum over, but will hose her off if she has been in standing or still water (such as a dew pond etc etc).
I'm not a bit fusser, but hey, some have had whole litters die of things they are convinced they caught outside the home so I would never say to NOT err on the side of cation. I wouldn't fancy my pups putting boobs in their mouth with dettol them them, however weak the solution myself, and have never had a problem, but maybe we have just for 18 or so years been 'lucky'.
I take them usually about half hour from day 2 or whenever she fancies...never had a girl want day ONE, but have had some wait till day 3 or 4 before they want to come.
Thanks. Yes, our Weim has Flimmoric in her (but then most of them have Flimmoric Fanclub in them!) She was not bought to work - both her parents are ShChs - but we got into the working side of things with her.
When we wanted another dog, we wanted to get one specifically to trial and work, and that was when we got a hairy beastie. Which are great, when they have a chance to work. (But can be a nightmare when in inappropriate homes.) Luckily, about half the homes on our waiting list for a pup are working homes and the others are active pet homes who haven't been put off by my best efforts.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
I'm sure there are many 'takes' on this which I'd love to hear about - mine is very simple really: I keep mine going as long as possible.
but it's only just now that she's started to slow down a bit (on dummies, that is). She gets her usual walk around the big wood in the morning and evening but she also has a bit of training pretty much every day which could be a bit of retrieving but it could also be steadiness or a swim in the river. She does enjoys longer sleeps and she sleeps on the floor next to my bed at night just in case she should decide on going into labour (us working folk are rather soft at heart 
). So to sum it up: nothing really changes apart from I prevent her from jumping fences and maybe shorten training sessions.
