Hi what are your views on how much exercise and on keeping your pregnant bitch away from other dogs? My dog loves to run and play and Whilst I don't want her to get unhealthy or fat I don't want to expose her to any risks either. Generally she plays with a couple of dogs (same ones) each morning and evening - Should this be stopped - don't want her getting miserable either.

I'm very careful for the first 3 weeks until after implantation then after that I let them choose the pace..... As for playing I would not stop if it makes her happy until maybe around 6 weeks in case she then got knocked.

I know many gundog friends who work their bitches up until about 6  weeks with no problems.... After this time jumping can be dangerous . I personally don't work mine during pregnancy but this is more to avoid contact with other dogs than over exercise. I avoid all contact with other dogs when I have a pregnant bitch for the last three weeks of her pregnancy... Not just her but all of my dogs.  If she is exposed to the Canine Herpes virus in the last three weeks of pregnancy or the first 3 weeks after whelping you could lose the litter.... Worth isolating I feel.

Thanks, she is having the herpes jab so hopefully this will help protect her

Carry on with exercise, I would also be careful until implantation has occurred as well. I would probably choose a different location or time away from other dogs personally but still continue to exercise at what pace she chooses.

I know people who actually show their bitches until the pregnancy starts to be obvious, or affects how they move!!    Personally once mated, mine will have the same amount of exercise as before, up to the time when their increased girth means they are having trouble.   And even then it depends on the individual bitch, for me.    Some of mine would take it carefully almost from day one - others didn't slow down until again, their size prevented it.   I didn't have the same problem re mixing with 'other dogs' as we kept numbers and have their own at home playmates.

Obviously, just like humans, the longer a bitch can be taking exercise, sensibly (as in common sense), the better.   No pregnant bitch should be allowed to get fat and have their muscle tone drop.   This could risk having problems during whelping.

When does implantation occur?

Around day 17, so around this time make sure the bitch doesn't get any scares and is settled, a repro vet said to me that a birch could easily take but if anything scares them then implantation nay not happen, same for infections. In view of this and previous misses I made sure my girl was kept calm and away from other dogs because you just never know how another may behave around yours. Once I gad the scan to confirm pregnancy I was a little more lax about it but not a great deal as the litter meant a lot to mw x

Can I also add that between 3 and 5 weeks is a very fragile time for the pregnancy.... Any overheating of the bitch,infection,shock,ingesting toxic substances etc during this time can result in deformities or loss... It's a bit like the first trimester for a women.

Great, thanks.  So up to 17th day avoid things due to implantation, 3-5 weeks avoid things due to avoiding exposure to toxins and shock etc, and 6 wks plus they are too fat to do anything.

Haha.... Yes in a nutshell!! I try to avoid anything too strenuous for the first 3 weeks and then let her choose the pace afterwards. Mine usually want to slow down anyway once they start to resemble a black goat around 7/8 weeks.

Sounds about right Rabid - avoid for the whole nine weeks, been to the vet tonight for the herpes jab and he said normal play is ok with other dogs until they are too fat to be bothered. To be safe she will only be walked on her lead mainly road walking!

Sounds about right Rabid - avoid for the whole nine weeks, been to the vet tonight for the herpes jab and he said normal play is ok with other dogs until they are too fat to be bothered. To be safe she will only be walked on her lead mainly road walking!

My major worry is our lake. All the girls love swimming in it . it never looks especially clean although the fish look healthy enough.. I 'have been keeping the possibly in whelp girl away from it and she is miserable about this to say the least. What do you think?  Many years ago we had a puppy who developed ' Puppy Strangles '.  The mother was a keen swimmer and always in there doing water retrieves during pregnancy.

Sorry about typos . Am in Moldova visiting daughter and am struggling with keyboard

If it doesn't look clean I wouldn't risk it, last thing you want is to bring problems into the pregnancy. Can she be walked elsewhere away from the water?

No I wouldn't risk it. I have heard before of strangles being linked to river water.

We live right on the edge of a river and our pack love swimming in there every day during the summer but never while in season or when pregnant.

I've been told that swimming in the sea is ok/good, but swimming in still inland water is a no-no during pregnancy. 

Personally, I'll be avoiding any swimming the whole time.

My little girl only really mixes with my own dogs so all I watch out for is things getting a little rough.  I think they tend to set their own pace by and large but we just need to be watchful in case of tussles

I used to worry about it but stopped when I realised my breed just loves to run and it's almost impossible to stop them, if they don't have a 5 minute blast then they hoon around the furniture twisting and turning like crazy.  My big breed also swam in the river until late pregnancy and delivered healthy litters with minimum fuss, I do tend to keep them away from other dogs through and find that my hound breed takes being pregnant very seriously and soon turn into couch potatoes with finicky appetites and wanting their jim-jams on at night (won't even wear a coat in the hardest weather normally!)

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Maj Maj Evill says: I give all my dogs off lead walking for at least an hour every day. This does not change when one is pregnant as they expect to go out with the others. Occasionally if one really gets massive, then I just give them a short walk in the last week of their pregnancy but mainly I don't need to. They tend to slow down a bit nturally and my other dogs respect them. In the wild they would be out hunting until the end so my philosophy is to let them carry on as normal if they want.