this is her first litter and mine lol she has to be forced to leave them to go to the toilet , eat etc is this normal
she's a fantastic mummy just a bit concerned that we hardley see her lol as shes up with them.

Absolutely normal LOL

Sounds like she's a very good mum :)

Personally, I would never force a bitch to leave her pups to eat - I take her food to her and hold the bowl if necessary, and as she is fussy at that time she is offered a bowl of milk as well as one of water, the water is left within her reach at all times but usually she will only drink it if I hold the bowl - just in case she's thirsty :)   I also soak her puppy kibble as the bitches mouth can get very sore from licking the pups ;)

I use the time the bitch is going to the toilet to change the bedding and record the weight of the pups, then everything is fresh and sweet for her when she gets back :)

Her job is to look after the pups in the early days, yours is to look after her ;)

thanks for your reply, :O).
i change the bedding when she goes out to toilet .
thanks for the speedy answer.  And yes shes a great mum , we just miss her as shes usually on the couch with us of a evening bless her

Just so Dill, it is a big job and I wait hand foot and finger and do not encourage my girls to do anything but be Mums at this time,a s they must get quite torn between their maternal instincts and their attachment to us.  I often spend quite a lot of time just reading quietly in the whelping room so they don't feel so torn, as well as keeping a discreet eye for lost pups..

Just to also add to everyone else, perfectly normal behaviour, I would much rather have a bitch this way than one that is fed up after a few days of playing mum, with a bitch that is very maternal and does not wish to leave her pups I actually wouldn't do what you are doing re: the cover changes when she is going to the toilet, it may well enforce the worry in her that once she leaves her pups you are going to touch and move them.

My girl has a cover over her 'den' and when I lift it up and say bed change she immediately comes out knowing what is coming, what I do  is pop a fleece, blanket, towel on the floor next to the whelping area then gently lift out each pup, (your bitch should follow after the first pup is moved) then mum and pups sit on the fleece whilst I change the bedding, the pups are then one by one popped back in with mum to follow, they all settle down, mum knows you mean no harm other than a nice change of bedding.

That way when you call her to toilet or if she gets out on her own, she knows her pups won't be moved or touched whilst she is away.

When my girl had her first litter, I would slip her collar on and lead her up and move her from the whelping area to toilet, now she just comes out on her own when ready to go, she totally trusts that her pups will not be touched.

I also as Brainless does spend my time in the whelping area, pampering to her every need, food is served in the whelping crate, my girl does not need to move until the pups are over 2 weeks, I move my office in there and work from that area as much as I can, to make my bitch feel as though she is not missing out on family life. :-)

As long as your girl is happy, allow her to do whatever she pleases, at this point, what I want comes second. :-)

I agree with staying with Mum and feeding in the crate sometimes even hand feeding if she hasnt the energy .

I sleep for the whole time on a mattress in the whelping room I have a tv,  dvd and books to keep me occupied , I dont leave the room unless my hubby or son take over ..especially  during the first 2 weeks, in fact I have a litter due the end of this week and have already 'moved in' with Mum as she doesnt want to be on her own ,I have a slip lead which I throw around mums neck when I think she may need the toilet ,she always makes sure we shut the door and she runs out and back in, in a flash.

I have a double whelp box second side has rungs so they can see out when they are older, I move mum and pups in to that side when its time to clean saves time and less disruption.

I agree, she will move to toilet when she has too, i make sure she has food and water next to her bed at all times, also with my breed you cant leave them even for a minute for the first 3 weeks, so its 24/7 vigilance and swap overes with partner, even then for me its only when i have to leave as its not that i dont trust anyone else but i knoe for sure what is happening if im there.

>I actually wouldn't do what you are doing re: the cover changes when she is going to the toilet, it may well enforce the worry in her that once >she leaves her pups you are going to touch and move them.

We tried it the other way first and mum became very distressed trying to put pups back as fast as I could take them out :( this way she doesn't seem to worry - after the first day she comes out to go to the toilet on her own ;)  

The way I do things the pups don't actually leave the nest box except briefly while being weighed ;)  The newspapers and vet bed are changed and the bottom wiped while the pups are on the other half of it, then they are placed on the new vet bed and the other side done - takes 3 mins at most ;)   

Our set up is pups under the stairs (until they are ready to explore)   but in our living room - a lovely den-like area but in the hub of things too :)  and there is always a fleece cover on the whelping box to make it warm and dark.  This means that I am always near but not on top of mum.  Like Brainless I tend to do quite a bit of reading while the pups are young and activity in the house in general is kept very calm and relaxed.