Hi all,

My girl (small breed) is 5 weeks pregnant and I am making preparation for the upcoming litter.  I am wondering whether to get a electric heating pad for the pups and mum or a heat lamp would be better.   I have read mixed recommendations, any suggestion is appreciated. 

Kind Regards

D

http://www.petnap.co.uk/acatalog/pet_heat_pads.html#a30

The petnap heatpad is the best I've ever used.  I wasted money on vinyls at the start, but the metal ones with flexiguard are indestructable.  I always worried about pups chewing the wiring in the vinyl ones.

I spent a fortune on an overhead heatlamp which proved to be a waste of money!   The metal ones can be put one side of your whelping box, and mum doesn't need to lie on it if she doesn't want the heat.  When mum gets out of the box, pups will gravitate towards the heat.

I have the central heating on 24/7 when I have litters, but they still need a heat pad.

Hi Jean SW, thanks for your advice.  Yes, several have recommended the same, so i guess heat pad it is then ! thanks again

I have the same heat pad, and it proved so invaluble. The pups move off if too warm, and move on if too cold. It's also able to be plugged in to the car, so you can take them to the vets, etc., without worrying.

With a small smooth coated breed outside at this time of year I'm not sure how you would keep pups sufficiently warm :-(

The heat pad suggested is for help indoors, it wouldn't provide enough background heat in a shed.

Could you perhaps bring the poor girl inside?

I would have thought as well the OP must also consider the 24 care they will all need from them to monitor and make sure mum and pups are ok. I wonder if that will sway the decision to bring the bitch inside as wonder if they are prepared to live in a shed for a few weeks :-)

have I missed something? Where does it say that the litter is outside?

It was on the other thread.

has anyone noticed the weather tonight how on earth can the bitch be outside ? Plese tell me this is not true albeit in a kennel/outhouse
Also although not have bred myself is it not usual to stay with mum and pups mpore or less 24/7 is op planning on moving out to the outhouse too or what ?
If I have got this all wrong I appologise in advance

Half of mine won't even go out for a pee in it.  I wasn't too keen either :) 

I Would be worried about using any form of electric in an outside shed, you don'y know how damp it could be, i darn't think about the draughts.  Lets hope this isn't where the dog will be,  I wonder if they'll survive, the poor girl. xx

Please bring your litter in.

I have the same breed and wouldn't dream of letting any of my pups go to an outdoor home , they are companion dogs they crave human company . My litter are in the front room okay we are going to be upside down for xmas but who cares as long as the pups and mum are being cared for as they should ( stuff what anyone thinks about the state of my house ) . I stay with them for the first 3 weeks and have rescued mine from being crushed a few times , I can't see the op sleeping in his shed over xmas can you ?
I feel for this poor little girl , I really do :(

you wouldnt let your kids sleep in a tent in this weather,weve had pups over xmas before and have been large breed pups and a big litter too all in my living in a puppy pen but before my kids got up id have to feed/clean/play with them so that i could spend time with the kids before it was time to sort pups out again ,it was down to us she had pups so it was down to us we made sure they were safe clean warm and very well looked after, all this cant be done from a shed??? imo your very crul to your girl and shouldnt be breeding AT ALL if you think this is ok to do to your girl!!
you have got the your girl/pups interest at heart at all :( makes me feel like crying!!

Firstly I think that you absolutely must get your bitch indoors. Choose a room that is warm and suitable (i.e. no draughts not too much human traffic, has daylight etc etc etc and power points for electric ) set up her whelping box and start to get her used to being in there with some vet bed from week 7 / 8.  Feed her there and treat her there so she feels happy and content in that environment. .  . also buy a heat pad and or a heat lamp as the puppies won't do well with just radiators at room temprature if we have a cold spell (which we have). Next get yourself a 'mentor' - someone in your breed who has bred many litters and knows the idiosynchrasies of that breed and their whelping issues and of their newborns. This person should be happy to advise you all through the remainder of the pregnancy, the birth and the first few weeks of the puppies lives and hopefully more.  Next get yourself several books on dog breeding and looking after newborn puppies (including the 'Book of the Bitch' ) from these books you will gather all the equipment you may need to help Mum and  the puppies in their new lives for the first few weeks. You say you have a vet now? Keep the vet updated with changes that may indicate the puppies are near time. But please please please do not leave the Mum to be outside any longer in this harsh weather.

Good Luck.

> Next get yourself a 'mentor' - someone in your breed who has bred many litters and knows the idiosynchrasies of that breed and their whelping issues and of their newborns. This person should be happy to advise you all through the remainder of the pregnancy, the birth and the first few weeks of the puppies lives and hopefully more. 

This is the sad part, someone bred that bitch, but they say she was bought in from the last person who bred from her under age. :(

Are they even in touch with her breeder?, does the breeder know where she is.

If they were a reputable breeder they would be most upset to think she has been passed on.

The stud dog owner also should have been happy with the situation the litter were to be bred in, and offered support.

Your mentors are usually your bitches breeder and often the stud dog owner if they breed too.  They should all be excited to see how the litter progress, as it is a continuation of their work with their bloodlines.

I am sitting here getting all excited and following the progress of a litter from a bitch sired by a dog I bred, so a granddaughter of one of mine, (none of which I own), and another granddaughter of my Tula (who died 5 years ago) is due in season soon and is going to be bred from again after having produced this years top winning bitch in my breed in her first litter 2 1/2 years ago.

In the first case I will be passing on any puppy enquiries I get, and ditto the second, but in that case we will be in the car to go down and help with whelping as we did last time, because we can and want to.

Both these breeders are novices to breeding this breed, the first is very experienced with another breed, the second is very experienced with 5 generations of the breed, but will only be her second litter, so she has all the background knowledge of being in the breed 18 years, but less practical whelping experience.

The mentors job is to fill in any gaps.

guys, I placed a post just before winter about heating the my shed ( its not one of those cheap shed) for the dogs.

My pregnant bitch is indoor.  she sleeps in a 30 " whelping box and I have now bought a alum heating pad as suggested.  The pad is great, it doesnt get too warm as i was worried it may be too hot for the bitch and the pup. 

My bitch is 3.5 years old.  She had a litter 15/16 months ago by her previous owner.

My bitch loves to be outside during winter time.  They get free access to conservatory, but I put a 2 x 250 w heat lamps in the shed for them anyway. 

And what if the electricity fails through bad weather?   They will chill very quickly - in minutes.   You really have NO idea what you are risking here, even opening the door of the shed will cause draughts and pups are very vulnerable to chills and draughts.  

In addition, you should be staying with the bitch 24/7 for the first few weeks at least, there's a huge risk of the bitch overlying them when she's tired.  Even the best mum is at risk of this and if YOU aren't there when it happens you lose the pup. 

I know someone who breeds in this way and she regularly loses pups/litters and seems to think it's normal.   Some people are incapable of taking advice and their dogs/litters pay the price.

We have a brick built, double glazed and fully insulated shed with radiator heating - it's OH's workshop.  We would NEVER dream of having the dogs sleep there in winter, despite the heating it still gets cold and when the electricity goes off it's a freezer within minutes - it's a result of being a small stand-alone structure.  NO WAY would I dream of whelping a bitch there even in summer.

I think he has said the pregnant bitch is indoors. :)

To be fair, the OP has said his bitch is indoors in her whelping area.