LOL. I'm smiling, but you're probably not far off what will actually happen if that does occur!

One of my girls didn't show any signs of digging or panting, she emptied herself a few times during the day,her waters broke and then the puppy sac appeared halfway out and then she had a couple of strong contractions and puppy number one was here.
I didn't see any contractions before the big ones to expel the puppy and I sat with her the whole time.

That gives me hope Charlie Brown, I hope I catch her at it is all! Just taken her out, more discharge, stringy. She's now cleaning herself (she can barely reach!). Her pups have really dropped now and she looks so funny!

my desktop is getting fixed so I haven't replied much on this thread, but I keep sneaking in on my ipod to see if there's any news.

You sound absolutely like I did in the weekend before Drama finally started. 

Have I missed have you been taking her temperature?  Has she had a drop that went down and stayed down for a while before creeping back up.  It may be the last couple of days have actually been that final push getting themselves lined up.

I do hope they come soon for you - this time feels longer than any other time of the process.

It feels achingly long, doesn't it?

I have been, it fluctuates from 34-37 so far, but today she really screamed at me when I put it in so I didn't take it; normally she's fine!

Just taken her out, did a poo (solid), and a wee (discharge!) and then spent ages looking for a spot in the garden to dig. The puppies have dropped so much now that when she walks her movement is much wider than it was, like she's going for a poo but she isn't!

Sigh, apart from her being obviously uncomfortable, there isn't much happening here. She settles...then she stands up and resettles. Then she scratches her ear. Then she licks herself. Then she settles...then she stands up; you get the idea.

Oh my goodness, I wonder where we are at now?
Good Luck if it is a rest time and even better luck if she is underway :)

Karen

been watching yours and Drovers posts with interest, don't suppose there is any chance of you changing the title though is there?! every time I have to look for your thread I feel a bit ill, sounds like a dodgy rap song or porn title! maybe I'm a bit victorian but I think "my girl is getting ready to welcome new arrivals" is much more palatable!

I have to admit I prefer proper terms being used and it puts me off when people put female or even worse "b**ch" rather than bitch. Sure we all say "girl" or similar at times I'm sure, but it makes me think of irresponsible breeders -similar to the other thread where we've discussed people who breed despite not even knowing their breed's correct name.

I used to hate the word bitch and would never say it but since having more bitches and being involved in breeding its 2nd nature to use the relevant terminology even if it is gross :-)

the word bitch doesn't bother me, its the whole phrase "my bitch is clearing out" a bit graphic!

> a bit graphic!

could be worse, she could have put a picture up ;-)

aaaaaargh

Sorry Dilemma, I now look at the thread title and I too think 'You could have thought of a better title, Beth...' but I'm afraid it's there now, if I changed it I might lose the crowd. ;)

My OH finds it greatly amusing that I say bitch all the time, whether about Maisy or someone else's. If I'm having a moan about someone and say something along the lines of 'He doesn't take care of his bitches.' he will crack up immediately!

So far, nowt. She did a sloppy poo outside (it's really sad how excited I get by that!) but is now asleep. Last night she was nesting and quite restless, she wouldn't settle and just moaned at me a bit. Today she seems really uncomfortable, but her lady bits have grown vastly, and her pups have really become restless. Today I napped with her spooned under my arm, and one puppy kept shoving its head out really far! It looked grotesque!

Will keep you all updated; I'm jealous as all hell of Drover, who's bitch is due two days after mine but is progressing far better and faster!

My OH finds it greatly amusing that I say bitch all the time, whether about Maisy or someone else's.

I turn it around with people that don't use it for the right reason, i.e. female dogs. If somebody calls me a bitch, I call them a dog. :)

I'm just really jealous that you have so much movement in there - both times with Ellie she was hiding them somewhere very sneaky, and I could hardly ever see movement or hear heartbeats, you'd hardly have known she was pregnant until they popped out! :-D

The heartbeats are really hard for me; I find one, and then keep thinking 'Oh there's one, oh, oh there's one' but it's just the same one! So I've given up on that, lol.

i don't think you could have put a better title lol.  Its say what's ahppening and we know what you mean and the stage.

Good luck both of you with it all.

thankyou! and good luck x

Well, three of us are now on countdown!

My bitch has been restless all day.  She is now panting, and wants to be close to me.  Don't you realise how much responsibility you have when they trust you so much?

She is up and down, on the sofa next to me, off the sofa, on the sofa.  I've checked who the out of hours vet is already.  Although I don't expect any problems, I like to be prepared.

Everything is ready and I even plugged the heat pad in ages ago!  Living alone I need to stay where I am, although my dog sitter popped in earlier to see if I wanted anything.  So, hopefully, a special chow mein is on its way!  :-)

If anyone needs support during the night, I'm not going anywhere! 

Oh excellent, Jean! We can keep eachother company tonight then, eh!

I'm so excited for you; is she a week early? I definately know what you mean about that responsibility. My bitch won't leave my side and really cries when I leave the room and shut the gate. She's also taken to coming up to me in the garden when she's meant to be peeing and putting her little paws up as if to say 'Hug now please, dear!'.

So excited, so excited!

>is she a week early?

yes, but that is perfectly normal in this house!

Little sod is now stretched out next to me, making herself as long as possible, with her paws stuck in me!  I never know if they get backache like us, but I am massaging the muscles either side of her spine, which she is enjoying.  Pups are moving, but definitely slowed down.

I have never found temperature taking in the least reliable, and don't ever bother now.

Doesn't matter how many times you've watched a bitch whelp, it is soooo magical.

Oh good another one, looking forward to hearing your news JeanSW.

How am I going to get any sleep tonight with three lots on the way, its cheared my day up :).  if I'm up tonight i'll keep checking so i want to know every detail lol. 

We should change the bet to a three way, The new litter could pip everyone at the post.

This is so exciting! im waiting for pups to arrive in 3 weeks( not my girl though) the next 3 weeks are going to drag! i wonder which pups will arrive first? x

Oh how exciting Jean.

I wouldnt put bets on my girl...I think she is just making me suffer and will produce on her due date. I said all along that she would go on saturday night...i'd rather it be tonight to be honest!

Ditto Drover, I want them here already!

Jean, that's why I asked, you always say how normal that is for your girls, you lucky minx getting to meet them eariler than the rest of us! Sounds like she's in the same position as Maisy, fast asleep with her little head on my ankle where I'm curled up in the seat beside her. She hasn't done anything but sleep past few days!

I love the vicarious living - no chance of any litters here in the near future, but I love reading everyone else's stories! Come now, let's get some puppies actually arriving!

My girl hasn't eaten a thing today.  She was a little sick this morning, just bile.  She wouldn't eat her fish poached in milk.  (Panacur in it.)

I have given her two bowls of puppy food, one dry, one wet.  Not a single lick.  Her favourite drink has just been sniffed.  Diluted evaporated milk.

She is busy trying to scratch out the heatpad from under the vetbed.

 

Wow, 3 on the go :)  exciting times.  Mine are 4 weeks and eating us out of house and home :)  Loving every minute but feeling quite tired !

Would like to wish all those who may or may not be hearing the patter of tiny feet tonight all the best. I hope whoever is first (and second and third lol), has a trouble free whelping. Look forward to hearing how it's all gone.

Exciting times!!

Tanya

Fingers crossed for Waggamama, Drover & Jean for smooth deliveries, then it's our turn next week (around bonfire night).

Thanks everyone! It's so exciting. How do I know if she's peeing though or if her water is breaking?

Oooh exciting Wolfie!

I think I shall just tag onto this thread...its easier all in one place! and that way I dont miss any info!

What do contractions look/feel like? Are they fairly obvious in the early stages? I know they were on my cat...but slightly different animal lol!

>I think I shall just tag onto this thread...

Sorry drover, I didn't mean to jump in!  But yes, if we all stick together, we can support each other. 

Contractions are not obvious if you haven't seen it happen lots of times.  With some, they just look as if they shivered ( a light tremor), and you can easily miss it.  After all these years I pay far more attention to a bitches eyes. 

With second stage, they are much stronger, but often quite a way apart.  But they get strong, the bitch looks as if she is going to have a big poo.  No different to humans I suppose. 

Yet it is no good me saying that you will always get such and such.  My last bitch, in June 2010 was carrying 5 - a HUGE litter for the breed, and her pups were all delivered with contractions no stronger than mild flatulence.  I was amazed!  This was a maiden bitch, and she was quite small.  I had had a vet check 3 times to confirm that the pelvis was fine for whelping, prior to me having her mated.    (I have been working on a self whelping line in one particular breed for YEARS!) 

There would be no fun in all bitches being predictable.  Hell they have to punish us somehow.  For anyone reading, the above mentioned bitch is my usual breed.  My present pregnant bitch is not a Chi, so I am definitely not advertising pups.  :-)

Thanks for that Jean, my bitch is now panting heavier than she has done yet, its so hard to tell with her she is a very 'hard' bitch and it takes alot for her to show any discomfort or pain (even last year when she had a stick pierce almost all the way through her neck she showed no obvious signs of pain!)

Is your other breed pastoral (think we may have the same breed?)

I had no idea they were that subtle! Glad I know what to look out for now.

We've just had our very first bout of indoor digging, she usually only does that outside in her hole, but she's just spent a few minute diggingi n her vetbed! Very odd. Now she's, obviously, fast asleep!

I have 3 pastorals, but it isn't them.  I agree that they are pretty stoical when it comes to pain.

If your bitch is in pain, it will show in her eyes.  My girls eyes look worn out at the moment.  Different to that glazed "I'm in pain" look.

Slight interruption there.  She just asked to go up the garden.  A slight runny poo, nothing much.  She raced back in to the living room, past all the others in the kitchen.  Looked at the whelping box and growled in case any of the dogs had followed her!  :-)

My bitch has again made it very clear that the other dogs arent welcome in the lounge/whelping area this evening. Heavy panting still and wont lay down at all.

>and wont lay down at all.

It would be far too easy for her to satisfy you now.  She will wait at least until 3am   :-)  :-)  :-)

My bitches won't accept another dog in the same room now until pups are mobile.  I wouldn't consider a bitch very maternal if she didn't show that she would defend her pups.

Oh of course, when she tells them to leave i take it as a positive sign...one more step closer to puppies! :)

Mine doesn't mind my other dog at all, he's fast asleep on my OH's lap and never approaches her in the whelping area. Tonight I'll put him in his crate though, to be safe!

Sounds like things are going along for both of you; I'm jealous!

> Mine doesn't mind my other dog at all, he's fast asleep on my OH's lap and never approaches her in the whelping area. Tonight I'll put him in his crate though, to be safe!
>
>

I would ensure he is not in the same room from now on.

>Heavy panting still

My girl is heavy panting with no breaks at all.  I bet she will be like this until 6am and then get to sleep!  :-)

I think this is going to be a very long night.

I'll do that then, thanks lovely.

Huge glob of stringy plug just lost when she peed! I wish we had panting though.

>Huge glob of stringy plug just lost

My girl lost a long stringy bit about 4 hours ago, so guess you are not that far behind!

It was much larger than before, as she peed, dropped some, and then more came. It's gross how excited I was taking it off her laalaa!

Hope you all get some rest and pups in the night.

Well I'm in two minds at the moment.

If I go up to bed, I would be more comfortable sat up reading.  Even if I can't go to sleep, it would be better than sat here with rubbish on the telly.

I can put plenty of bath towels on the bed, and, as long as my girl has me close, she is happy. 

My bitch has again made it very clear that the other dogs arent welcome in the lounge/whelping area this evening.

Make sure she knows they are out of the way and cannot comes close as unless she feels secure, she may actually delay giving birth.

I have one bitch the exact opposite. For her first litter all other dogs were kept well away from her, and there was no way on earth she was going to give birth then. As soon as the others were in the same room again (pregnant bitch with puppy pen around whelping box, I must add) she felt happy, more relaxed and started. For her second litter I didn't bother removing the others and just had the pen as a barrier.

Well my bitch has slept with me for the past few hours; don't I love having a small breed that can nap on my chest.

Now she woke me up for a pee, and then did two tiny, tiny poos! Now? She's crying and digging! Her tail curled which is just something I've never seen before.

Hmmmm.