My first litter will be 6 weeks old on saturday and already I am dreading the day when they are going to leave (11/11/05.)
We have become so attached to them that my daughter has started to get upset when she looks at them all snuggled up together in bed.
We have spent so much time with them from day one that we know each one as an individual and there is something about each one that we are certainly going to miss.I have turned into a puppy bore (as my family and friends put it) and am wondering what I am going to do when they have gone.Mum has done and still is doing a fantastic job and I dont know how she will be when the dreaded day comes.She still spends lots of time playing with them,splitting up fights etc and still feeds them occasionally.Will she be ok?
I will definately make even more of a fuss of her and spend lots of time with her but I am worried that she (and us) will pine for them.
I know that they are all going to good homes and the new owners have promised that they will keep us updated,I am even enclosing envelopes with our address on and 2 books of stamps in my puppy packs so that they can do this.
Is this a bit much?
am I being too over protective?
After a lot of careful thinking we have decided that even though the whole pregnancy,whelping and rearing process has been so enjoyable (we have been very lucky) we are not going to breed again.
We are going to have her spayed after her next season.
In a way though I will be glad,just to have mum back to ourselves instead of having to divide attention.For now though we are just going to enjoy what time we do have left with them.
Sorry if I have bored you all with my tale of woe but I had to get it off my chest to someone who will understand and doesn't think I am a puppy bore!!!
Thanks for listening!!!!!!!
Waffy.

Well from what you've put you are doing a really good job already.  I worry every time and I've been breeding myself for quite some years and my parents used to also.  I still worry every time, especially this time with my dog Carina as she was very ill for a day on her second week, so I'm worried that is hasn't done any harm to the pups.  I've got just over 3 weeks to go.

Goodluck spanish waterdog and you too sarahl and anyone else expecting the patter of tiny feet!!!!!!!!!!!!

When your little ones do arrive,make the most of them because before you now it 6 weeks will have past and you will just be thinking how little time you have left. It is like having a full time job at home but well worth it.
I hope all goes well for everyone as it has for us.
Once again goodluck!!!!!!!!!!
Waffy

You will find over the next few weeks that the pups will become ever more demanding and needing of your individual attention, and splitting yourself between them and you bitch will become very tiring and harder work, so in some ways sad as you will be you will breathe a sigh of releif that the broken nights (multiplied by several pups) wil be the new owners and not yours.

Also they will becime rowdier and noisier and play more and sleep less, and this can make things very fraught worrying about the neigbours.

In the last two weeks I had three different pups on different nights decide as they had slept so much in the daytime (it was during that very hot period at the end of August) that they were not going to sleep and would scream for attention. 

Amazing how far this carries in the dead of night at 2am,. 4am 6am.  I would go back settle him/her and be woken again in 15 minutes.  I was a walking zombie, and avoided the neighbours as I was sure they were getting a lynch mob together :D

No by 7 to 9 weeks they need so much individual care that you are releived that the numbers are thinning out.

> No by 7 to 9 weeks they need so much individual care that you are relieved that the numbers are thinning out. <

I certainly agree with that! They are great - my favourite time is between 4 and 7 weeks when they're learning and growing so very quickly but are still tiny babies who need their mum and plenty of sleep.  By 7 weeks they are developing a certain amount of independance and can become unruly without enough individual attention - boy, is that exhausting with a big litter! With good homes waiting for them you have done your bit and when it's time for them to go to the "University of Life" you'll experience that bitter-sweet mixture of sorrow and relief. After my first litter I started to understand why some breeders are tempted to let the puppies go early!

Yes I find I sometimnes feel a little pang of guilt when I am down to say the last 3 in a bigger litter, as they get more freedom, and time once the others have left, as it is easier to split yourself among fewer. 

This is why I ahve really enjoyed my smaller litters much more, and luckily have hadd a few 3 or 4 pup litters, there is less stress on me, and you can really enjoy them without the hard work getting so much in the way.

Litters of 7 and 9 are a constant round of poo clearup, so I don't know how anyone copes in breeds where a litter of 10 is the norm!

Hi reading your post has brought back lots of emotions.Its sounds like you have a wonderful girl their and her puppies have stole your hearts, as they do.
Like you all i could do was hope that i had found them loving life long homes.my puppies like yours are a huge part of our lives. I get pictures and letters from the puppies telling me how wonderful their new owners are and how much they are spoilt,but best of all i love to see their pictures.although three of the pups out of my last litter went to live local so if i dont see them people tell me how they are doing.The hardest thing is letting them go, i always have tears rolling down i cant help it nor remain staid.that last kiss and cuddle is so hard..polly_45

oh gosh, I think I'm going to cry - find me a tissue.   Our first litter is due in @ 2-3 wks so I've got this all to go through.

Our girls are 7 weeks on Saturday and we are keeping them all!! Well there are only 3 and they are wee!!

i'm the same as you herbiedax, my 3 babies are 6 weeks old today and i'm keeping them all. i get a lot of comments from none doggy people about being crazy having 5 dogs but i dont care.  my 5 are all miniature dachshunds so i think that if they all stood on top of each other it would only be like having one golden retriever! thats how i persuaded my husband to let me keep them all anyway.  my only problem is i havent had a night in my bed since they were born and i am starting to look like a bag lady.

Bless, I know the feeling well.  But you know the best part is getting the e-mails and photo's of your little pups growing up into dogs, it is wonderful to see them.  The new owners will mostly stay in touch and let you know how they are, they always seem to understand the need for us breeders to know they are well and thriving.

As for your bitch, I have always had a pup or two go each day, and my bitches have 'seemed' perfectly fine with this, by the time they are ready to leave most mum's are ready for it! And don't have an awful lot to do with the pups anyway. I guess none of us really know how they feel, but I always make a big fuss of mine and they seem to forget very quickly. Especially once out enjoying those nice long walks again.

The first and the last one to go are always the worst.  But think of all the happiness the new owners will have.

my bitch was well fed up with them by 8 weeks! by then they need that individual 1 2 1 care and you just cant give it to all the pups! my bitch wined the first night they had all gone but after that she never looked back, they did go over a week so it wasnt all at once. the new owners are in touch and send pics so thats lovely. i still miss the last pup to go- a sweet little girl called judy but you have to be strong!