Hello everyone, I have been reading the message board now for some weeks and now I am registered so I can chat with you all too!!
I am hoping my Bitch is having pups in about 10 days time! I took her for a scan at 4 wks gestation and my vet who does not do many pregnancy scans told me he could not see anything.
I was still sure she was pregnant as we had four days of tie matings in total 52 minutes with a proven male!
Cut a very long story short she has been examined by two breeders of this breed and they are convinced she is carrying.
Her nipples are a deep red colour she has put on a bit of weight and seems different in her charactor. 
If you have any info regards my situation it would be great to hear from you!
This would be her first litter and she is of the large breed.

Scans are not always interpreted properly - people do make mistakes.  I know of at least one bitch that had a decent size litter after being scanned and the owners told there was nothing there, so you may be lucky.  On the other hand, some phantoms are very convincing.  Fingers crossed!

Hi, Thank you for your quick response.
I am very new to breeding, esp the large breed.  I have every book you can think of regards how to breed including the dummies guide to breeding!
I have read that false pregnancy disappear once the bitch as reached 7 weeks??  I am keeping everything crossed that she may be hiding some babies in there!!
The vet that scanned her was a bit hesatent on his examination, after putting the scanner away on the first view he then shaved my bitch a bit more and had another look!  GOD I HOPE HE GOT IT WRONG!
If anyone out there breeds the larger dog breeds could you please let me know where abouts they carry their young? on my diagrams I have in my books it looks like it is just behind the rib cage??
Thank you

False pregnancy symptoms can be strong enough to fool even experienced breeders right up to the expected due date - even sometimes fooling the bitch enough for her to nest! At this stage of a true pregnancy I'd expect to be able to feel the whelps moving, when the bitch is lying relaxed, and by the start of the last week I'd expect to be able to see the movements as well.

Hi and welcome

In my experience with just 10 days to go you can usually both see and feel the puppies move about a lot at this stage. But I've never had a litter smaller than 6, so am not sure what one carrying just one or two pups would look like.

I recently saw a medium sized bitch who was in whelp, she had 3 puppies, it wasn't so easy to see as her previous litter of 9 was :) , but we could see that there was something there.

Hi Gemini
The pups start more under the rib cage and then sort of spread further back as pregnancy progresses.  They then visibly drop soon before whelping.

One of my bitches once had a singleton pup and we thought there were several in there as you could feel plenty of movement but definately only one (sadly we found that out after the vet did a ceasarian to get out the rest that weren't there!!)

Oh thanks everyone for your message!
I am keeping a close eye on her and will keep you all informed on the outcome.
If she is carrying then fantastic! but if she is not then thats just they way it has to be, and there is always next season.
I have been thinking of changing my vets anyway as they do not remove dew claws and this breed need them removed after birth, I have found a new vet a bit further away from me but they are happy to do this.
Oh these 10 days are going so slow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ha ha ha

Hi GEMINI
i too am new to posting on this site and am also waiting on my girl, she is due in twelve days. They couldnt go any slower!!!!
when i first took her to the vet to get scanned she was 5 1/2 weeks, he told me then that there was "something" there. and pointed to what looked like a dark clear patch. i on the other hand could see another one just like the one that he had pointed out, but him nor i said anything.
He told me to leave it and bring her back in another two and a half weekS. so i was clinging to the hope that there was hopefully two there.. this being her first litter and her being a small breed i was really pleased . 
i have read about lots of peoples experiences on here with scanning. and most seem to say that the vet will under estimate rather than over. the vet said he would charge me half the cost now and the other half when she was brought back even though i didn't think much of the first scan thinking i had seen all there was too see but i decided for the experience i would take her back. and in the event that she may have any problems whelping i might get a clearer idea of what to expect how many was to come if any.
well i took her back last week and was TOTALLY AMAZED at the difference two and a half weeks made i could see there little spine's.
i looked at the monitor and asked very shyly is that four i see, and the vet said no that is five a possible 6 i wouldn't like to give a defiant figure but there is at least five there ,,, well you could have knocked me over with a feather ...how true is don't count your chickens until they have hatched. you just never know whats in there and even now am keeping an open mind about how many to expect ..but ill know not to go and make a cup of tea after number two thinking my work is done as i could have done if i only had been going from what i seen in that first early scan  ,...... good luck with your girl ....i really hope it works out OK .. keeping fingers crossed for you  .. please let us know how you get on ... Lisa

If you get a stethoscope you would be able to hear heart beats. They can be picked up on line cheaply.

Agree with Goldmali, even with a very small litter you can see the pups and feel them moving. Had a small litter of 3 a while ago and could def see pups and movement. I hope that your bitch isn't having a phantom, keep watching her closely to ensure she doesn't whelp alone. Sometimes scanners can't see all pups and are you sure you have your dates correct ? Sorry to sound condescending but before 28 days some less experienced scanner will not be able to pick up the embryo in the uterine horns.

Good luck and fingers crossed for you.

Hi my dates are from her first mating which was 27/12/06 every day after that for four days she had a tied mating.
Every time I look at her I keep going' yes she is' no she not' l,,,,,,, its driving me mad!!
As I say she has only got around 10 days to go if there is anything in there and her teats are deep dark red (normally pale colour) and she has put on wieght around her ribcage and hind.
She is quieter then normal and a couple nights now she seems to leap up out of her sleep and come over to me, as though something has spooked her?
Another thing I have noticed is that her body twitches when you first touch her back to stroke her whether that is relevant or I am just trying to clutch on to every little thing in hope!!!!!
Anyway the count down begins so I will keep you all posted!
Thank you

Hi dont know if this will help you but last year one of my bitchs was mated a large breed dog scans never showed anything no puppy moved meant didnt think she was pregant until a day before she was due if she was pregant she had a huge litter of 10 big puppies
a couple of years ago i have a litter again from a large breed same thing infact she lost weight rather than put it on as she was always on the go nothing calmed her down she went on to have 5 puppies again no scan showed anything they can hide things very well ive found this out

Hi Cossieaurora
Thanks for your message, it is a bit is nice to know that scans can be wrong! And that large breeds can hide the pregnancy very well!
I will be house bound for the next few days waiting to see if she gives birth!  I don't want to leave her on her own as I would hate for her to have them while I was out.
Thanks again and I will keep you updated!!

hi gemini05

I had a small bitch she was scanned 3 times as they suppected pymetria. each time I was told there was no puppies. on the last scan(no4) that was when they found 2 puppies. I almost fell off my chair. I had taken her with the view I was going to tell the vet to spay her as was now very worried. However she gave birth 1 week later to 7 healthy pups. now how did that happen. But I still have faith in my vets to the point that I have a DDB that could be pregnant so am taking her to be scanned tommorrow. She is five and half weeks gone if she is pregnant. So its watch this space. Breeders are very good at telling when bitches are pregnant if they have been breeding for a long time. Have faith. Good luck.

Hi Jayne,
Thanks for your email!  Let me know how your bitch gets on with her scan today. It would be interesting to know!
Gemini05 xx

Hi Everyone,
Nothing happening yet but we believe we felt movement last night!
This morning she has eaten her food but doesn't seem her jolly self.  She is whimpering a bit laying next to me now her due date is tomorrow.
I am watching her like a hawk!!
Are these good signs?