Hi.

If I was to breed a litter, I work two days per week and they would have to be alone from 9am to 4pm, would this be possible to do? or would I require someone to check on them a couple of times?

How long can you leave a litter alone?

I don't leave mine until Mum is not feeding them. Then I would only leave them for a couple of hours at a time.

Someone shoudl be in the house all the time for at least 6 weeks then leaving them a couple of hours might beok ofter 6 weeks, but not 9-4

For the first week or two depending on how the mum is with them someone will need to be in the whelping room 24/7.

I'm currently at home with 3 week old pups and although I'm not in the room all the time, when I'm not in the room I have the portable infrared monitor with me to see pups and also hear them so slightist squeek and I know.

Also you will have to have the days off work in first few weeks should anythign happen to the mother you will need to feed pups every two hours.

Can you not take the time of work?  Me and my parents work full time but for first 6 weeks we have all taken time off work and following two weeks my brother won't be at college and will be at home 24/7 for them.

From about 3 weeks onwards, you need to feed the pups 6 times a day, and the cleaning up after them never ends -it is a full time job to have a litter (more, in fact) and the relief is immense when they are gone as then you get some much deserved rest. :) Before 3 weeks the pups need to be checked on day and night.

I agree with above poster i wouldnt leave them alone and def not for 7 hours ,
in my experiance if i'd have left my Bully alone she would have killed her pup as although she is a very loving caring dog who allows the cat to cuddle up to her she was a bad mum her hormones were i think all over the place after an emergancy c-section and she had no intersted in the pup what so ever only in bitting his little head off,
becasuse of this i had her spade as i wouldnt want her to go thu it again ,

but i do think 7 hours is way to long,

Hi James

along with the other posters I wouldn't leave a litter unattended at all - anything could happen, so even just 'checking' on them periodically isn't an option.

I had a baby monitor with me for when I went for a shower and at the slightest squeak was back with them in case mum had trod on one.

As from your post this is something planned for the future I'd recommend that you arrange holiday leave and, if you have a partner, get them to take their's following on from you to ensure that every day is covered.

It's immensely hard work and time consuming to raise a litter correctly but worth every second.

HTH, Teri

>and the cleaning up after them never ends

Oh how could I forget as soon as I put new paper down I'm picking it up again!  Small changes being done every 30 mins and big changed every couple of hours, poor washing machine on the go constantly....

Now pups are older I can go to the shower quickly as I shower when Mum wants a break and isn't with pups to accidently squash.

Definitely NOT ok.

Thank you for all the replies.

You need to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. The worst happened to us Daisy had to have a C Section and then refused to look after her remaining pup, So we are now his Mum and Dad two hourly feeding and doing his toileting for him. I have had to go back to work so he comes with me and the same happens there thank goodness for an understanding boss. And the fact that we only have one pup has made life so much easier. Please think long and hard about breeding as my heart has been torn in two this last week.

i dont leave mine unattended at all until they are 4 weeks, i sleep on the sofa and someone sits with them when i need the loo and a bath!

Mum can lay on and injure a puppy in a matter of seconds!

It is full time and once they are on their feet as it has already been said, cleaning up never stops

leaving them for 2 days a week is just not possible or safe

breeding is so much hard work you need a team of folk if you want to sleep at all. the litter i helped with made such an impression on me that while i want to show one day and have a line i am terrified of breeding- its heartbreaking at times, and those times are far from rare, and exhausting always.

James, your question concerns me.   It was only last week you were talking about how does one start breeding - and now you are talking as if you are about to have a litter - or planning to have a litter in the very near future when you say you are working two days a week.  Am I correct?  

Please take on board EVERYTHING that you have been told here - BREEDING A LITTER OF PUPPIES IS NOT FOR THE FAINTHEARTED - and neither will you be able to make an ethical career/profits from breeding.

I don't think you'll find anyone that agrees you can leave a litter alone. I saved up my holidays for a year and a half and took 8 weeks off when I had a litter, in reality though I could have done with an extra week as my bitch didn't whelp till day 65 and I was off from 55 just in case. Apart from being there to extricate pups that have become stuck down the back of Mum, the sheer amount of cleaning up when they're 4 weeks onwards makes them a 24 hour job. Mine was a text book litter, with a very good Mum but you also have to plan for emergencies.

You cannot leave a litter of puppies at all. Looking after them and mum is a full time job itself, and that's if everything goes to plan with the birth. Anything could happen. Mum might have to have a C section, she might not take to the pups, her milk might dry up or not come in at all and you could land up having to hand rear the litter yourself. Normal life is put on hold when looking after a pregnant bitch and rearing a litter.

Hello Lokis Mum!

No need to worrie, I'm just asking a lot of questions, as I would love to breed a litter one day.

I have 4 dogs currently they're all spayed, I'm not planning on getting another dog for at least two years, so at the very earliest I could have a litter is four years away.

My question was more in regards to if I was to breed a litter would I beable to do the job as well. I was really tempted with my last dog but got her spayed because of the two days I'm at work, I was just curious to if that was the right call.

Thanks
James.

You can still work but, most of us have to have jobs to be able to afford to breed but everyone uses annual holiday if they do work.  In our house 3 (well 4 but one isn't included to look after pups, only in emergencies does he help out in eveings) work full time one one is in full time (only in 3 days a week!) Education but bewteen us we are covering first 5 weeks with holiday, two weeks as college finished and then my work contract finishes to bring up the pup we keep until september when I move back away to uni.  (Have been very fortuante with timings) but this is a 4 person hands on job :-D and with my brother here 2 days a week anyway it's made alot easier!

If you have a partner or family member living with you who can help out thats great as not all boss' will allow you to have so much time off.

Hey James,

I think you are being very wise doing your homework as it is extremely time consuming and can be heartbreaking!

Now what I am about to say is controversial on here but it is my opinion and experience of breeding with my bitch (in otherwords I dont want people replying harassing messages).....I do think it is ok to leave the pups for a few hours at a time (not a full day though probably a maximum of about 5 hours) but only once the litter is at least 3 weeks old and are strong and healthy.

I personally do not leave my litter for the first 2 weeks I am there 24/7 (or someone is there) and I sleep downstairs with them too.

Obviously, this is best laid plans but this can be thrown into utter turmoil if there was a problem at birth i.e C-Section or mum not taking to the pups and in a case like that you would have to be with the pups for at least the first 4 weeks permanently and then could start to leave them for a few hours at a time.

I believe it is healthy to leave mum alone with the pups for a few hours once they are old enough as they are much less likely to be squeeshed by mum (in theory...obv diff if a large breed dog) or for any other issues to occur. Dogs have been raising litters for hundreds of years with no human interferance and are actually very good at it and to be perfectly honest many hundreds of litters are raised every month from "mistakes" where people still go to work. This is not ideal and I certainly do not condone this but in reality it happens. Just bear in mind that a pups health can deterioate very quickly so leaving them is always going to have a small amount of risk attached to it....but personally I feel that this could happen in 5 minutes that you go to the toilet or nap and don't wake up to the pups squeaks etc and I find it hard to believe that anyone can watch their pups absolutely 100% of the time 24/7...but again my opinion.

There are many breeders on the board that have way more experience than I do so make sure you consider everyones opinions :)

>(not a full day though probably a maximum of about 5 hours) but only once the litter is at least 3 weeks old and are strong and healthy.

Just to clarify...Leaving pups alone for 5 hours without anyone there to pick up soiled newspaper or start the weaning process of feeding them every few hours? 

Or have I read what you wrote compleatly wrong? 

My 3 week pup's can't be left half hour without someone going toilet on the paper and bedding is changed every 3 hours and mum is going in and out every now and then and needs someone to let her in at out as we also have other dogs the gate must be closed at all times....

Fully with ice queen here. 5 hours is unthinkable for the exact reasons she states.

If I could also just ask, how long does it usally take for the bitch to be 100% back to herself? I know it varys but a rough guess would help a lot.

(if everything goes well)

Many hundreds of litters are born each year to people who do not do the job properly. Many hundreds of pups survive and go on to live happy healthy lives. HOWEVER many pups die because of this and we never get to hear about them! It takes just a couple of seconds for a pup to get itself into real trouble, a second for a clumsey (Or for that a carefull Mum) to step on a pup, an older pup could get itself stuck in many ways...most people contain thier pups somehow (It is just not feasable to have a litter of pups running all over the house) using fences, dog gates etc.. an adventurous pup could get trapped and die, it could get a paw stuck, a head !! pups from about 3-4 weeks start to be really messy one pup can poo 4 or 5 times a day if not more and they piddle for England! Then the have lovely play fights and roll around in it all..get the drift? Yes it can and is done to have a litter and leave them for hours on end..but would you really want to be part of that group? Dirty pups, possible inj or death, not fed on time, Most of those on this board who breed like to spend 99% of thier time looking after the pups and Mum. We do it for the love of them and the real desire to breed the best pups possible. I for one work some 20 hrs a week but even with out a litter have dog sitters who either stay here or come in at least every two hours (I work 2-10 5-10 or 10pm-8am, spread over three days) OH is home by 5.30pm latest so on the worst days I leave them from 1.30pm to 5.30pm and if they are not left with the door open and my neigbour watching over them then she will come in at 3pm for at least 1/2 hour to let them out and frequently stays till OH is home. If I have a litter then she covers my shift for the full time and I pay her.... a pittance.... for the pleasure of puppy cuddling!!! I think you must decide what you wish to be recognised as...a good breeder...or just a dog breeder... Good breeders do as you and ask all the questions then make arrangements for the happy event. Dog breeders do the same then ignore the advice!!!
Aileen and the Girlies.

If I could also just ask, how long does it usally take for the bitch to be 100% back to herself?

Usually at the very least 3 months, sometimes up to 5. Depends on so many factors.

>If I could also just ask, how long does it usally take for the bitch to be 100% back to herself?

Depends on what you mean back to herself?  Within a week our bitch was wanting to go for walks, drinking without putting water under her nose and taken 3 weeks to be cuddly with us and for the first time since whelping was on the bed this morning for a cuddle, but each bitch is different.

To be back physically takes alot longer and depends on how much exercise you give her, how much mentle stimulation, when she stops feeding pups what the bitches condition was like prior to whelping.

In my experience a coated breed bitch would not be in top show condition until 6 months after whelping when she will be back in coat.

Some bitches may just be showable at about 4 1/2 months after a litter.

I have found my girls milk has dried up at around 12 weeks after the birth, but then they are at their worst for lost coat and scrawny looking.

Loki looked good after her litter (of 7) until they were 6 weeks old ....when Crufts entries were due in ......so we sent her entry in ....and she promptly took off her coat :-) ........didn't even keep her frilly britches on!

Hi,
I would not leave a litter alone, or the bitch, if all goes well, she will feed them and toilet them all herself, she will need to go out to the toilet as her fluid and food has to be increased greatly. When she gets out of the box and then returns she could stand or lie on a puppy. This is very common. If you do leave them, I would be very suprised if you return to find all the pups alive. We sleep down stairs with our bitch for two weeks after whelping. Until the pups eyes open. We then have a baby alarm that we have with us all the while. Incase she lays on a puppy. People that breed are very shocked at the hard work and how time consuming it is until the pups are feeding there selves, even then it is like leaving a baby alone, they can get up to anythink.Weaning them is also very time consuming. I had a friend that I also told this too. He left his litter for four hours. Two had been trodden on and had to be put to sleep out of his 5 pups he ended up with two.
A bitch can lose all its coat after feeding. Some go nearly bold. I would say it takes a min. of 6months possible 12 to look like new. Feed your bitch well, fish pilchards, sardines, tuna, chicken as well as complete. The puppies take a lot out of her.

Denese   

i have a bitch she had a litter of 14 12 were very healthy and survived (1 still born 1 born at vets died at 7 days)  (small bitch) this was her 1st litter she was in whelp 14 hours i slept in our lounge with her 1st nite and then left her to it and she was fantastic despite wht evry 1 told me i was told she would not feed them all she did imho it all depends on ur bitch u know her so u will know whats best i would say spend 1st night with them and go with ur instincts after tht

I work full time and my litter is now 4 weeks old - there is no way that I would leave them alone - I pay a friend £25 per day to come in at 8 a.m and leave at 4p.m - I teach so most times  I can get home by 4 p.m and we do the 'change over' - it's not perfect and I wish I could stay at home and look after them myself but the arrangement works and I know I am lucky to have such a good pupppy sitter and at what I consider to be such a good price  !-

I guess what i'm saying is that it IS possible to work and breed but care of the pups and mother should NEVER be compromised by leaving them unattended for any part of teh day.

Yvonne

imho it all depends on ur bitch u know her so u will know whats best

You were extremely lucky and the rest of us don't like to depend on luck. Nobody can know what their bitch is like with a litter until they've been THROUGH it.