Whepling signs - Page 1

Can anyone state any whepling signs from own experience?

I know that temperature is one but not necessarily a secure predictor.

Any other signs?

My 55 day pregnant bitch showed a little stiff this morning. She ate her normal ration of food however when she moves she takes it very easy and slowly. She did not show any signs of anxiety however she stays close to me when she is out of her kennel. Her tummy is the biggest I have seen in a bitch up-to-date (ultrasound 1 month ago detected 5 pups).

What signs should I look for in order to arrange to be close to her (as in morning I work till 16:00)?

Thanks a lot in advance.

What the hell are you thinking of mating a bitch when you are out at work most of the day!!!!!!

Will someone be at home when the time comes for her to have this litter ? Will she be in the house or outside in a kennel ?

And what when the puppies arrive, are you still going to be out at work all day ? Breeding a litter of puppies is a huge responsibility and should not be taken lightly

Sorry but if you know nothing about breeding then you should clearly not be doing it.I feel sorry for the poor bitch

Peggy,

relax, this is not a perfect world & it never will be. Some peopel have to work for a living, but I am sure Petros will arrange all what is nessecery. Havind a bitch whelping in an outside kennel is not wrong at all, agreed beeing around during whelping is something I would advise, interfering during whelping when there is nothing going wrong, I would not. For instance, opening the sack, cutting the cord ....... nope, she has to do it. She wants to eat all afterbirths, fine with me, nature should be messed with only, when there is no other way possible. One cannot stay with mum & Pups 24/7, and believe me, she will take care of her offspring good enough, even when you are not around.

Petros,

As you know a GSD will carry around 63 days, The whelping day can vary between 56 & 72 days. Temperature is one indicator, I relay more on the behavior of a female, that's because I know my female. Normally on whelping day they will refuse food. They start getting nervous, going in & out of the whelping box, trying to pee and loosing only a drop. Beeing cuddly and staying close as possible is also a sign that she detects a change. "Nest" digging may also be a favorit of hers, when the time comes nearer. Watch for contractions, first they will show once in a while, when the whelping is close they will be more frequent. Stool might loosen up a bit, totally normal. Her tummy might "move" towards the tail. Hm, I dont know if this makes it clearer, it seems like, the tummy is larger at the rear. This is a good indicator.

Petros, good luck to you & your bitch. Ultrasound is quite good to determen how many Pups, but not something I would entirely relay on. My last litter, whelped last Monday, was acording to ultrasound 6 Puppys, well at the end there were 8 ! So just be there, watch her and it should go well.

Regards Ulli  

Thank you very much Ulli for your help & support. I keep my fingers crossed.

I do not feel like commenting on Peggy's answer. Indeed some of us have to work for a living and do not expect to make a living breeding dogs! Her quality of answer shows her qualities overall. Yet again, she may be oversensitive to the matter however, this does not justify an impolite reaction like this. I would not call this neither polite nor helpful...

My wife will be there ans she will let me know as soon as she notices signs...

Thanks once more Ulli....

Drop in temperature (below 99F) has been an absolute indicator for me... however, you have to take it at least twice a day.. I take it 3 times a day.. very easy with a digital rectal thermometer.. unless you take it more than once the drop can be missed.. but it ahppens in normal labors... 

I start taking temp about 7 - 10 days from her due date

I had a bitch eat her breakfast like there was no tomorrow (her temp had dropped).. 2 hours later her water broke and less than an hour after that labor started....

Have had several who will eat the same day and some who really back off the food the week before.. 

There are many good reference materials.. 2 dvd's by Dr Robert van Hutchins (sp?) come to mind that I have yet to have time to sit down and watch becaue they are new to my library

Good luck with your litter.......

tearing bedding is a sure sign also there is a quiet time before the storm lol

i personally stay with the bitch 24/7 from day 50 onwards just in case lol.

then i spend the next 3 wks sleeping next to the whelping box, but im Nuts

we all do things differently but as long as there is someone around to keep an eye on her that's OK

I wish you the best of luck and try not to worry too much im sure she will be fine,

regards 

Tracie 

USUAL SIGN'S ARE:

LOADS OF PUP'S WILL APPEAR OUTA NO WHERE......................!

Yeah, some of us have this thing called a job.....where you work, make money.....ect ect... I always wonder when I see someone ask why are you breeding if you don't know anything about it.......I always wonder, did that person know anything when they had their first litter? How prepared, how knowledgeable was that person when they worked with a dog having their first litter? I see people ask this all the time, and my guess is a lot of them were in the same boat as the person who is now asking the question.

Petros,

I thought this forum was for information, I think if you dont have anything help full to say, or actually answer the question, then you should keep your mouth shut. I belive if you look for all the above, and trust her, she will let you know. The only extra thing is dogs love to have pups in the middle of the night, some do like to go and hide, so the last 3 days I would get up every 3 or 4 hours and check on her. There is someone on this forum most anytime as we come from all parts of the world, and everyone on here loves puppies being born, so if you get concerned log on someone will help you. Sorry if anyone hurt your feelings ,dont let it keep you away . best wishes

I also find my bitches really start quivering a few hours before whelping.. if you just lay your hand on them.. you can feel it..  I also watch for temp drop.. but don't always catch it..  also my girls will lay in a back corner of the box..with ears flat on their heads  a few hours before whelp..   anxious,  pooping like crazy, to empty out..    good luck!

jody