Pregnant GSD 1st litter! - Page 2

Depends on when you started counting from is 57 is early. 57 from first breeding or last? And how many days apart were they? 

Mine had pups on day 57 once...from first breeding. 

No  Marking puppies...take pics with camera if you cannot remember which one born first etc.

no  chemicals or any kinds of strings....no collar on bitch...no water bucket in whelping box either.

I saw a bitch accidentally drop a live pup in a water bucket by mistake...and also some bitches growl at newborns if any kind of food eaten in birthing box...Feed her outside

not a good idea.

do not worry about eating,,if she doesn't eat the first day  she will...after she eats all that after birth she doesn't need much else..yuk

I let mine eat most of it but if huge litter I catch it and dispose....Let her do her thing but keep scissors dipped in peroxide before using if she starts tearing or not cutting chord.

Most high food drive females will not eat immediately...I do like Jenn ...give some tiny bit of vanilla ice cream or   cottage cheese...along about after the 5th or 6th one...Do not leave a water bucket near the birthing area.....can also be knocked over on pups.....put water outside...when she needs to potty she can get a drink...Called  preventative measures.......

A      lot of females will tear the collars off , especially Tiekerhook bitches..they are very tenacious and very dominant and the pups are theirs....so also the second day besure to start messaging new pups stomach, using rubber gloves on your hands(surgical ones do fine) and handling all pups daily .If you have to put mom outside to potty while you do this   do it...Pups have to associate the new world of humans immediately and it is proven that using this method helps the socialization of especially high working lines...just message feet , tummies, down back, and around the head and put back in warm place...do this daily..and you will be surprised how quickly the pups bond...to you and of course the licking of mom bonds them to her...



YR

Still no puppies.... I am counting from the first breeding, I know its early. My vet said she could have them safely anytime after day 55. She refused to eat this morning and tonight. She has stopped allowing me to take temps on my own so I wasn't able to take her temps until my sister came over later this afternoon her temp and it was 101.4. My sister will be staying and helping me with everything. I started leash walking her on day 53 so that I could keep track of her urination and defecation. Also because she has still been wanting to run around and act crazy. Today she is much more mellow, has developed more milk.   I will remove the bucket of water out of her kennel tonight! Should I try to get her to eat something? She hasn't ate a full meal since yesterday morning. She ate maybe a handful of food last night. I've been feeding her just outside the whelping box and thinking about that I will also remove her Kong and ball! I will stay away from using the marker, I didn't think that was a very good idea but had to ask! At what point would you start marking them? Its crazy that with all the research I've done and working at an Animal Emergency facility for 6 years I'm still very nervous and have a lots of questions! :-o Thank You everyone for being so kind!

I'm familar with showlines so will have to defer to the workingline folks about not putting anything on the pups as far as yarn etc. My bitch was pretty high drive and didn't have any issues with it but the other folks are more familar with your lines. She didn't eat the morning she started labor all 3 litters but otherwise didn't miss a meal. It's more important that she eats and drinks after they are born to produce enough milk, especially with a large litter.  It's amazing how much is needed from about 2 weeks until they start on food. I was feeding 3 meals a day with a bedtime snack when I would put some freeze dried food in her water pail so she would drink the whole thing. I feed raw so I don't know the equivalent in kibble. I always fed her out of the box. I was always very hands on with the  pups, she wasn't possessive about them with me, but anyone else who came into the room (the sire's owner) was another story. I know some of you are very hands off but I have to say I loved sitting in the box with lots of little puppies while she napped with her head on my leg, I would hold and cuddle some while others nursed. My breeding days are over but it makes me smile just to think about those days!

I'm with Jenni on that, don't interfere unless needed.  My girl has never needed my help, and she does everything perfectly. I just stick by and watch to make sure all goes accordingly.   

My girl was very needy when it came to whelping (i.e., she wanted me there... she is also a tattle tale and comes to me when the other dogs do something wrong.. lol)... the TELL TALE SIGN with her EVERY TIME was when she started rearranging her blankets and digging.  I could use that better than the temp taking!

Good luck!  I hope you have a wonderful litter!!

DO NOT WORRY  about her eating..
She has plenty of time to eat..
The afterbirth is full of minerals etc.

No dog is the same
but I owned Tiekerhook females and they are very much dominant and do make good mothers or at least all of mine were. NOT every high prey drive bitch is a good mom/

The difference is how we use the words and how well you know what nervy  and high drive means.
I do have a nervy bitch I knew would not make a good mom..

YOu do not breed those kind..BUT experience teaches you that.

It is important to evaluate a female before breeding
In your case, it is done.. So just hang in ..keep her happy and watch her...SHe is normal..SHe will start to dig and want to go hide under the house or somewhere you DO NOT want her.

I always have locked huge birthing boxes and I do sit in mine and at the end I am watching and being right there..  Hands on pups immediately and then to make sure she is not in any trouble..Some pups may be born with feet first , then you have to help...If that happens  you can ask us...

You may want to call your vet before and ask him how to help the pup out if feet first happens..you must be within seeing distance when she starts pushing and licking fast and furious...squatting and nothing happening.  just have a clean white cloth handy and make sure your fingers are sterilized with peroxide to reach two fingers inside and help gently pull down and out...making sure you have the pup in hand...she may be hurting so be calm...Call your vet and ask him to explain...so that you get full explanation.

My black bitch who is 3rd generation Tiekerhook and the best mamma besides my first foundation, had two feet first pups , or breech births we call them..I did help get them out...

Every dog is different and you just have to wait it out and keep calm,..play some music in the garage or room...not rap...lol
YR

Good luck but it's 63 days from ovulation, the breeding date has nothing to do with when she'll go in labor. The issue is "rises above 5 ng" is a GUIDELINE. Some bitches may need to be 7 or 10 before they ovulate, but it is still a better indicator than breeding date.

If you didn't do progesterone testing then you are looking for her temp to drop usually below 99 to like 98.7. 

here is a good link:  http://welshcorgi.com/lists/archive16.html

Breeding date is a whole lot easier to count from than ovulation. How often do you know the exact date of ovulation? 


As far as indicators, unfortunately, every bitch is different and you may get a ton, or you may not have any. My Capri is awful; she nested about an hour before the first litter, otherwise gave no indications, never stops eating...ever, lol, and the subsequent litters she didn't give any indication until she was actually ready to deliver. One litter, it was really funny. My bf and I were on the couch watching TV wondering when she was going to have them. She was at my feet. All of a sudden my feet were warm and wet. She looked surprised and ran off to the whelping box. Her water had broken. She never acted funny. She has had several pups outside...she's just that type. I like it but it's difficult to pland and know when to worry because she never really tells you what's going on. Miss Nonchalant. And I don't know when she's done either, because she will want to go out and play tug while she's still in labor. This past litter, she had a puppy while stealing a piece of pizza off the counter. I saw him coming out and grabbed him before he landed. 

As nonchalant as she is about whelping, she is an excellent, excellent, mother so I deal with the gray hairs she gives me. When I say I don't interfere, I mean just that. I don't mean I take a weekend trip and leave her with enough food and water and hope she does ok. lol

The link was given to give the owner some info and to clarify that it is not from breeding date.

I refuse to start again going back and forth with anything that I post

By the way, an excellent mother is not one that is in whelp and drops a pup on the deck and picks up a toy from another dog and runs with it leaving the pup!!