Hi my bitch is doing ok 5 pupies all seem happy and content sleep loads cry  sleep etc what l dont know is if they are all getting milk is  there a way to tell this is proberly a silly question but l thought l would ask anyway  also what is the right thing to do as far a handling the puppies and letting the children touch them etc thaks

As long as all pups are putting on weight ( I weigh mine from birth, then once a day then once a week until they leave for their new homes) then I am sure they are all getting their fill from the milk bar :) supervising feed times is a great time waster but also you will see that everyone has latched onto the teats, gulping down their milk (what a lovely sound that is).
Regards children handling, depending on their age and relationship with the bitch, but I never let my 10 year old or 7 year old in the whelping room unless superivised by me, and they only really start to handle the pups when pups are around 3 - 4 weeks old, and again this is supervised by me as I would hate for any accidents to happen such as a puppy being accientially dropped or my bitch to be nervous of the childrens presents and to snap and get stressed.

You have to lift the pups to change bedding,and would soon notice if one did not have a full tummy.Mum usually resents her babies being touched for the first couple of weeks,but once they have their eyes open we do start to handle them more.It is good for pups to socialise with children,but obviously close supervision is needed ,I let new owners come and look at the pups at 3-4 age,and if they have children ,I make them sit down and hold the pup very carefully on their lap for just a few minutes.I also show them how to hold and support their puppy at six weeks old,

> what is the right thing to do as far a handling the puppies and letting the children touch them etc thaks

We all feel differently on this one. I don't let children touch mine until 5 weeks old.

When I see adverts for pups that say "handled from birth by children" I cringe.  My bitches would be so distressed at kids taking pups out from birth.  I find them upset enough when I have them out for daily weighing.  Watching me like a hawk while I am handling their precious babes.

I like to keep things as stress free as possible for my girls.

im with u there jean ,we have a large breed and pups dont get picked up by my children till their running around ,mum is happy to let the kids in and mum gets all the fuss while my kids are looking at the pups ,i like my girls to feel as little stress as possible. i do weigh 2times aday for the 1st week and then once aday for 2nd week then every other day till 4weeks old then i weigh at 6weeks.

Re: children/strangers handling the pups, I think you should take your lead from your bitch. Some bitches are proud of their pups and want everyone to see them. Others get stressed by it.

I let my kids handle pups from 2 weeks of age, not sooner. And that's even though my oldest is 18. (Youngest is 10. When he was younger, I would not let him pick up a puppy at all, EVER. Not until he was about 8.)

Probably not everyones cup of tea, but mine are there at birth etc if they want to be (generally my daughter as she helps) but my son pops in and touches pups etc my bitch is incredably laid back for her breed and doesn't object at all. Not even having strangers there when the dew claws were being removed (not in front of her of course) she was and is always laid back. It was only my children I let in and then about 2-3 weeks I started letting their friends in too so puppies are always well handled and she doesn't mind you touching them from the moment they are born as I feel she has a very strong bond with us and trusts us. I don't have a problem getting her out for a wee either as long as it is only me in the area of the pups at the time. But everyones views are different and i'm sure most would probably curl there toes at the thought of me letting the children handle them so young, but I honestly wouldn't allow it if I thought for one minute she was stressed at all.

When we had a litter last year our son (aged 8), wasn't present but came back soon after she finished and was picking them up quite soon whilst helping change bedding etc, mum was happy with this, but he has had dogs around all his life, which IMO makes a big difference, and he was never unsupervised.

When children (or anyone else for that matter) can handle puppies depends on the children and the bitch. If the bitch is relaxed and confident and the children are sensible then they can handle them from birth. If the bitch is stressed or the children are clumsy then it's best to wait a bit.

My boys were over 10 years of age when I had my own personal litter, they too have grown up with dogs all their life and helped to train my girl when she came along, they are very animal savy, but still they never touched any pups until they were at least 4 weeks old, for me it is just respect for the bitch, whether she is ok with it or not, they could look as much as they wanted but no handling.  For the remaining 3-4 weeks my boys were best buds with the pups and regular playmates, but never during the first 4 weeks.

yeah I agree JG my children are grown up for their age and know how to behave around animals not just our dogs, they know that they have to repect them etc and are very careful. They aren't permanantly in there and I do ask them to give her privacy. But she is just a big part of the family and loves to be around everyone. I don't like her to feel she has to make choices between seeing us or the pups as I think that would stress her out, we just go to her quite alot day and night and she is happy for this. I know this is probably rare in alot of bitches though. The children are always sat in with my bitch so the pups aren't out of reach for her.

When I had my litter, I didnt allow people to come and see pups until they were about 5 wks old. Even then I picked the pup up and pup them in the adults arm and usually had to say to them to support the bottoms. I was like a hawk ready to 'catch' the pup if it wriggled out of the arms.  Only once I had a friend with children come to see the pups and they sat on the ground while the pup was placed on their lap. Plenty of time for kids when they are a couple of weeks older.  It is important that the kids do know (and some adults) how to handle pups. I had a friend who had a grown up drop one of her bitches pups.  the pup was left with damaged hip. a moment lack of concentration left that pup crippled for life.

"When children (or anyone else for that matter) can handle puppies depends on the children and the bitch. If the bitch is relaxed and confident and the children are sensible then they can handle them from birth. If the bitch is stressed or the children are clumsy then it's best to wait a bit"

Absolutely agree with you.

I don't actually agree that it depends on what the children and the bitch are like. If children go out to school, go to friends' houses etc, I worry about germs more than anything else. That's my reason for not letting my pups be handled by my kids until the pups are older and stronger. I know where *I* have been, I don't always know where they have been.

> then about 2-3 weeks I started letting their friends in too

Aren't you worried about what is being brought in by other children handling them at this immature stage?

"I know where *I* have been, I don't always know where they have been."

Maybe not but you can ensure that they wash their hands before (and after of course) they handle the pups with a suitable antibacterial wash. I am a former nurse so would never take chances re infections etc.
Other peoples children are another matter and don't get to even see the pups until they are 4 weeks +.
Very young pups don't like being handled anyway so it is not as if I would invite my children to keep picking them up as I only handle them myself when necessary really. Our pups are 3 days old and only one of my children has held a pup and it was very briefly !

>Aren't you worried about what is being brought in by other children handling them at this immature stage?

They have the immunity from their mum; it's as safe for them to be touched as for her to be touched.

I know what you're saying Jeangenie - but I would just still be worried about parvo being brought in.

> Aren't you worried about what is being brought in by other children handling them at this immature stage?

I would expect they are well covered by maternal immunity at this stage, it is in fact as they get older (6 weeks plus) as the immunity gradually wanes where they are more at risk from infection.

>I would just still be worried about parvo being brought in

There's no more risk than when the bitch (whose vaccinations would be up to date) goes in and out, or the other family dogs, or even the rest of the human family. However the socialisation aspects are so critically important it would (for me) override the miniscule risk - as Brainless says, it's when they're a bit older and not feeding fulltime from mum that their immunity starts to wane and they're at greater risk. My bitches are first and foremost family pets, so to isolate them against their will from their normal family life would cause them great stress.

Here here JG!

I think some people worry more about their pups with regard to germs than they would a newborn baby. :-)

They do all wash hands, and i do use a quality disinfectant, but to be honest they were in the back garden too, which is fenced in, but you can't predict what comes in there when your not around so just as likely to pick up germs there. We have a big cat population here so they could be carrying anything!

Socialisation is a very big must in our breed, especially in our line as it is a very strong working european line. I expose them to alot of things  and this has so far made for good healthy robust and well socialised pups. When I brought my adults home as pups, they had there first puppy jab and then I had them out and about on the lead etc as I feel the 20 week window is very short and the more you teach them the better as i have seen that I have now got a very well adjusted bitch and dog who are completely laid back which is outstanding considering their line of breeding ;-)

I have always been told not to have bitches booster vaccinated  during pregnancy ,but recently had an unplanned pregnancy just  a few weeks before the jab was due, and my vet looked it up to be sure,and provided she had been previously boostered it was ok to do it,.so the pups would benefit from the extra immunity.My worry is always how soon to take a nursing mum for a walk,I usually let her decide when she sees the others going out,if the pups are 4 weeks  and she is happy to leave then for a while,but I always give her teats a quick wipe on return.