Can anyone tell me when they have had a litter how long do you stay in watching them etc? at what stage can youresume a 'normal' life around the new litter?

Thanks in advance for all sensible and helpful replies

To be honest not until they go to their new homes can any real normallity return as they get progressively more work as they get older.

Thanks for that I understand that there will be no such normality till that point but my OH believes that you cannot leave the house for 8 weeks!! This is ver early tentative enquiry towards possibly having a litter with our Girl we are novice and it may never happen but everyone starts somewhere and advice is the best way to start.

A lot will depend on breed, certainly I would not want to leave a litter before the eyes are open for longer than a half hour to nip kids to school etc, but the first few days when there is risk of crushing for mine would be the first four or five days, but some clumsy breeds can't be left alone with pups until their on their feet.

After that it is pretty constant feeding and cleaning after them, and once they are a month old etc increasingly they need individual attention and socialisation opportunities.

I would only leave a litter long enough to pop to the shops.  So often puppy sitters are needed.

Think of it like having a newborn baby in the house.

i think like you said it does depend on the breed and on the individual bitch aswell. my spaniel didnt like anyone being around in the first couple of weeks and while in labour she would wait until id gone to have a pup, id go out half an hour later and there would be a pup she did this on everyone she delivered she had 6 all by herself, certainly english bull terriers i would never leave alone not even for 1 minute as some of them do eat their own puppies.

I would never ever leave a whelping bitch longer than to go pee next door and then only after eh had just whelped a pup hoping next one would be a few minutes.

I build a relationship of trust with my bitches and they rely on me and trust me at this most delicate time.

Only takes a few minutes for a puppy to die if the bitch doesn't attend to it right away through tiredness or being preoccupied with an earlier whelp.

These are a natural breed quite capable of delivering alone, but why take the chance.

I sleep with mine for the whole time on a spare bed (Hubby and son did take turns but it was mainly me as they both worked) my puppies are born inside the home I dont have outside kennels , I prefer to do this and keep the whelp box and area they play in clean, in the early days its to keep a watchful eye on the puppies and to make sure Mum doesnt lie on them which she did numerous times then as they grew it was to keep clean otherwise the house ponged a bit, that apart from the feeds once they are weaned.
We tended to take it in turns to actually go out and made sure someone was at home at all times , its very hard work especially if you have other dogs which need grooming and walking etc :

Yes, a rota system for staying in is definitely needed. Feeding and then cleaning up after a litter is fulltime job in itself.

If I have a litter from Jessie I'll be on my own for the first time with puppies so will rely on friends to do shopping, puppy sitting etc I certainly won't be leaving them & Mum alone for very long. However I'm not a novice & have several friends who are experienced as well so will have plenty of help

when pups are little mum cleans up after them. and a few people on here told me that when they start weaning they build up to 4 meals a day so how many hours between each feed is that 4 maybe more? i build mine up to 5 meals a day so thats 3 hours between feeds like my partner said if it was that  difficult to breed and rear pups like you all say on here then there wouldnt be that many litters out there for sale and as we all know there are thousands

My bitch has continued to clean up after my pups until about 7 weeks old. She will still clean up their wee's now. It is still a full-time job looking after them though.

I wouldn't say it is difficult to rear them properly, just time consuming and it does require a fair amount of knowledge to do it properly. There are thousands of litters out there being born, but I wonder how many are actually reared properly? A small percentage, I would imagine.

Yes and many of them are living in their one filth which goes on to cause problems with houetraining.  Not to mention if pups are reared indoors and you are not there the house will become very ripe in a very short time, if they have outdoor facilities they will make a row outside.

They get too little socialisation with people and household goings on, so find it harder to fit into domestic life.  They are prematurely separated from Mum who wouldn't want to be penned up with them after weaning, and so are deprived of her teaching, making it harder teaching bite inhibition and dog manners later on. etc etc.

We are pointing out the best care and socialisation for a litter.  Yes litters do survive to selling age with minimum care, shut in a dirty pen with dirty water, and food thrown in once a day or so, and with luck they might get mucked out or have straw thrown in on top.

What we have to remember and I wish the authorities that allow commercial breeding of puppies and kittens would understand and act upon is that we are breeding companion animals not livestock.  It matters how and where they are raised if they are to be able to be that and fit into homes at all.  the kind of life they will lead are nothing like what nature has equipped an animal to deal with.

Would we expect to be able to bring a goat kid or piglet into our home, expect it to house train, not chew our possessions, not show animal behaviour or bite or knock our children over, and do as they are told??????

Even the best rearing methods for those creatures would not suit them into living as companion animals.

Thanks for that its best in my oppinion to get as much information as possible before we make any decission to consider breeding, I have a toy breed and she lives indoors, she is a rare breed and of very good standard. She got a tird at crufts in her class. We adore her verymuch and would like to keep one of her pupppies. I am doing as much research as possible before we decide to even consider going ahead with the whole idea. I am doing research on potential sires and on how it will impact our lives and need to cover all possible outcomes even the possibility of cesarean and potentially no live puppies! I belive its a huge commitment and we wish to take it seriously.

Well done for doing all your research first.   I would also advise you to get a copy of "The Book of the Bitch" - it is very much bedtime reading for all breeders and should be on the essential list for every would-be breeder.

Thanks I have the book, though it covers the information it doesn't realy cover the  emotional day to day stuff that 'people who care' can pass on their experience. I understand that there is a preety much 24/7 attendance required but to what point can you pop out to tesco's for an hour and at what point can you go out for I suppose 4 hours at the max or would that be far too long to leave say 6 week puppies? perhaps I am asking things that can't be quantified. I have tried to do as much research as possible and so obviously talking to people who know what they are doing and have experience of various problems is very helpfull.

There's no way a litter could be left totally unattended during the day for as much as 4 hours. There just isn't time between feeds to leave them that long. They're far too active - it's a constant round of feeding and cleaning up after them, taking them into the garden for fresh air and exercise, introducing to all the household noises, carrying them out and about etc so that when they leave for their new homes their socialisation is well started.

Thanks that's the sort of information I need real life actual been there, done it etc stuff. Like I said the book gives the basic stuff bu not the real nitty gritty so to speak. Thanks

usually by the time you have finished feeding cleaning playing they sleep for a little while giving you time to probably go to the toilet and make a drink wash a few dishes then it all starts over again !!

I have just had my first litter.

For the first two weeks I didn't leave them at all, even for the school run. Then I left them for that, but nothing else. They are 7 1/2 weeks now, and the first goes tomorrow. It is only in the last week or so that I have felt confident to leave them while I pop to Tesco aftert he school run, as I know they have a long sleep after they have had breakfast and a play, and don't need feeding until midday. I am never gone for more than a couple of hours though, the mess would be unbearable when I got back otherwise, despite them mostly sleeping.

My pups are in my conservatory (something I wouldn't be able to do in summer). I slept in with them until about 3 week, when we had to move the sofa out to give them more room, then moved to the lounge sofa, which is next door, but virtually the same room. I have been sleeping upstairs since about 5 1/2 weeks old.

It is a full-time job. It's a bit like having a baby in that everyone tells you how hard it is and how much work it is, but until you actually do it, you just can't realise. The mess is unbelievable. I am mopping up all day and you really have to be on hand to clean up any poos/wees immediately.

Good luck!

Hi,
I slept down with mine for 2 weeks, to make sure mom didn't lay on any.
By then there crys are a little louder. Then I put a baby alarm on the side of the welphing box.
My breed  somtimes lay on them, even with a crush bar round. I wouldn't leave them long untill they are all weaned.
Even then they can get into grieve like children,
Regards
Denese

Mine are nearly 2 weeks old now. I kept a very close eye on them for the first few days, until I was sure mum knew how to act round them. Now I'm happy to pop to the shops. I know it's going to get harder once they are weaned, which will be fun! I've arranged it at work to go in early so I can nip home to clean and feed during the morning, so they'll be left for 2 lots of 2 hours, then 1 lot of 3 hours. That's once they are 6 weeks old, not now of course, I've taken some leave for now! We also have a puppycam set up so I and my OH (and lots of our friends!) are watching constantly. I'll be able to check in regularly at work and I only live 2 minutes away so if they are getting really messy or look very hungry I will be able to go and sort them out. Oh yes, and there's only 2 of them, I can already tell it would be MUCH harder work with more. :-)

I slept in the same room as mine until the last one left at 10 weeks   thing is, at first it's mum who needs the care (she may decide she needs the loo at 3 in the morning etc.) and the babies just need watching (if you're lucky)  and as they get more active and start eating for themselves they need to be cleaned up and poos and wees cleaned immediately (even at 4am :) ) otherwise they learn to walk through it.  None of mine had the chance to do that and they still won't as adults ;)  We had a rota so that the pups were never left alone if I had to go out, they were supervised at all times except for when they were asleep, when we made a mad dash to do housework and go to the loo :D

As others have said, as the pups get older they need to start getting used to household goings on and being socialised with outside noises and sights, so they have to be outside in the garden and yard and taken outside (carried) and allowed to experience the great outdoors from the safety of your arms - I used a tick sheet for this to make sure they regularly experienced important things like washing machines, hoovers, drills, noisy traffic, bicycles etc.

when the pups left home their new owners couldn't believe how confident they were - and how easy to toilet train, but then they were already well on the way to it :)

Those who claim it isn't hard work aren't doing it right IMHO 

i dont think anyone would say it isnt hard work. but its not exactly brain science, and if you dont mind the work or enjoy rearing puppies it makes the hard work easier

There is a lot of science involved nutrition, socialisation involves understanding puppy mental and physical development etc.  Then a good grasp of sociology is useful wtih dealing with people

well seeing as the topic i started has been locked due to most of the topic being covered on here ill ask on here i started the topic really to find out what people feel is a good diet, when to start feeding and how much, worming, flea treating, vet checks, how they find suitable homes etc etc etc

Well the worming and flea treatments have recommended dosing regimes so that bit is easy.

Feeding is a hole another can of worms and there are as many thoughts on feeding pups as on adults, Raw, Wet commercial, dry commercial, Milk, no milk.

Weaning can start any time after the eyes are open often when pups start to show an interest in their mothers food (many people feed the Mum in the whelping box so she doesn't have to leave the pups), the rate the pups are gaining weight and Mums condition will also play a part.  If weight gain is slowing then I start weaning, but like to start their first tastes by 18 days so by the time I worm them they have solid food in their stomach.

Once pups eyes are open they need more handling than the weighing and bed changing of the first two weeks.

At this stage pups will move to the centre of things where they can see and hear everything around the home.

By three weeks they will need more space than the whelping box, and with my breed by a month old they will need to go outside to run and play, so some form of shelter will be needed (kennel), as they may not be happy to be confined for long to a pen in the house when they are wide awake, and you won't be able to supervise a whole litter loose the way you do with a new puppy coming into your home.

So you spend most of your time bringing pups in and out of the house, cleaning their outside and inside quarters, giving them at least four meals a day, letting Mum in and out of their quarters.

You will spend increasing time socialising pups according to their needs at the given age.

<What we have to remember and I wish the authorities that allow commercial breeding of puppies and kittens would understand and act upon is that we are breeding companion animals not livestock.  It matters how and where they are raised if they are to be able to be that and fit into homes at all.  the kind of life they will lead are nothing like what nature has equipped an animal to deal with.>
Brainless - I couldn't agree more!

Lets face it, there's a world of difference between breeding pups and breeding really healthy, well-socialised, confident pups who will make super companions and there is no way you can cut corners on food, attention or time.  Just keeping them clean and in clean surroundings can be a full time job with a good sized litter.

completely agree with u on that one to, be honest if u have the comon sence then it aint that hard, smelly tiring and exusting but not rocket science :o)

I don't have much more to add baxter apart from the fact that when and if you do have your first litter, your going to do a grand job, you are going about everything in the right way, learning all you can beforehand and you sound to have a really good bitch there. :-)

You know I read for England when I began thinking of breeding, but the very best thing I did was to contact others in my breed, get chatting to others whilst showing or possibly via your girls breeder ask if you can visit a bitch in whelp or even better be invited to quietly watch a bitch whelping, it is the best way to ever learn, and of course they are also there to be mentors for you. Take the best qualities from each breeder to make an even better one yourself. ;-)

As already said the most social, happy litters with top quality temperaments are not just like that from the parents but from the way they are raised, the more you put in the more you get out. Clean, happy pups come from a lot of care and love, anyone can pop out a litter as already said, but the pups new owners will stay in touch with a breeder who they feel has raised a litter in a clean, loving home with lots of time spent, those who feel they have 'rescued' a pup from a smelly, dirty, home, kennel or shed, will not stay in touch.

Feeding, clean bedding and poop and pee watch are a constant job in a litter you can soon tell when you visit a litter who has been doing their 'breeding' job right and who has done just the basics. ;-)

We do all that and then some idiot says "you must be raking it in with all those puppies to sell". I had a litter last year and I wrote down every penny that I spent on stud fee, extra food for bitch, vet checks, rearing puppies etc. Then I worked out how many hours I had spent looking after them, (24/7 for 4 weeks and 18/7 for the next four weeks), It seems I earned about 42p per hour.

I know, 8 weeks of hard work for basically nothing! (Material that is :-) ) People just don't believe it until they do it.

but i dont think you can count an hourly rate- you have to be doing it for love! saying that i do however have to take into account 8 weeks off work!

I do do it for love, I only kept the records so that I could use it as ammunition when people accuse me of breeding dogs for the money. I also breed the occasional horse, (even more expensive, you have to send the mare to stud for about three weeks and pay for board and lodgings on top of the stud fee, most of the Newmarket studs charge more than the Ritz). There is a saying among horse breeders - Fools breed horses for wise men to buy.

Know what you mean about the accusing bit.  I had a pup about one month ago who I was having trouble placing so I advertised.  One person in particular came along to say to me that they could offer the pup a loving home for life, but that it is not ethical for me to make money from the sale of the pup.  Knew what she was coming at - basically she wanted to adopt - for free or pay near to nothing.  I kindly made a list of all of the expenses which I had since my bitch became pregnant until the day of writing to him(pup was then 3 months so basically 5 months of expense).  Then I quite pleasantly asked her if she thought that I was being ethical about the money which I was asking for the pup - being about EUR200 less than I had spent.  Never heard from her again !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wukee's breeder had someone contact her re the last puppy in the litter, the guy is a ticket obedience handler & asked how much was she knocking off the original price to get rid of the pup !! I can't put on here what her reply was, but I guess most people can imagine, especially as she had already decided that she was keeping him ! She turned away a lot of unsuitable obedience homes for the puppies & the 4 that have left home have definitely got forever homes.

I sometimes get people ringing me on the rare occasions when I have a litter asking me if I will let the last one in the litter go cheaply. My reply is that I always keep the best puppy back until last in case I can't sell it, so in that case it will be more expensive than the others. That soon gets rid of them!!!

I always keep the best pup until last too, if I haven't already go firm bookings for a show potential pup.

I have video cameras installed so that I can watch and I have baby monitors so I can hear - especially listening out for that first squeak herralding the onslaught of a dozen saint bernard puppies and the end of clean underwear and forget about a shower for at least the next week!!! AND SEX???  FORGET ABOUT THAT!!!!!

I also keep the best till last - and man does that make it harder to part with it!!!!

If people could see you with your panda eyes because you havent had more than 2 hours sleep strung together (and even then one ear on the monitor), smell you after 4 days without a wash, feel your discomfort in knickers you cant remember changing in eons, see the mountains of towels you go through, pay for the endless coffees you drink,  the three am feeds that are never ending, the burial of the ones who didnt make it, midnight dashes to the vet becuase someone has gone blue, grapple with a dozen puppies through a bath they are not fussed on having and the hair dryer they are not fussed on seeing, not forgetting the river of tears you cry when they go, see the coat blow off your bitch, see the twenty tons of puppy food your little darlings devour, AND pay the vets bills - they would never say 'it's alright for you - your raking it in'  - not without receiving a very loud, sleep/caffeine/food deprived tongue lashing anyway!!!!!!!!!!!!