Puppies coming....Oh my!

[BigDogs]

This little girl was pregnant when I picked her up at the shelter, and I don't have a clue as to when she is due. I just check her every day to see if her milk has come in, which it hasn't yet.

All my GSD pups have been born outside, either in the milkhouse or the barn, and this will be the first litter born inside the house. I have some extra rooms, one is the summer kitchen with the cement floor---but it needs a major cleaning since I haven't been able to keep the cats out of it during the winter. It's nice and warm because of the wall heater. There is also the front room (which is really sort of a three season room), which is nice for dogs, but it is not heated unless you keep the door open to the house. It might be the best place, I could just put up the baby gate to keep the other dogs out and the heat in. There is also my bedroom.....but I am not especially keen on further damaging the hardwood floor. And of course, there is the main house and cages, etc where she would be in the mainstream of family life.

What do you all think would be the best place?

 

[vanillasugar]

Are you setting up a whelping pen for her? With that I would think your hardwood floors would not be damaged, but having never whelped puppies I could be wrong...

 

[RetrieverCrazy17]

I have seen on tv alot that dogs have puppies in a kiddie pool. You know like the $20 plasic ones at WalMart.

 

[vanillasugar]

I have seen on tv alot that dogs have puppies in a kiddie pool. You know like the $20 plasic ones at WalMart.

I may not be a breeder, but I've learned a thing or two from the wonderful experienced breeders here on Chaz, and I know that is NOT a safe option.

 

[BigDogs]

I am considering not only the whelping pen itself, but the continuing developments of raising the puppies. They grow quickly and will be wandering around before you can say 'boo'. It would be good to keep them in a secured area.

I am sort of preferring the front room option, it is a sunny room with indoor/outdoor carpet and tile under that. The room is on the list for renovations, anyway, and would be fairly easy to keep clean.

 

[HoundedByHounds]

Actually I have used a kiddie pool and it worked fine. The sides are graduated but I would use it for a smaller breed...not a large one. Pups will be out of them in no time but they're nice the first couple of weeks.

I used the bottom of a crate or dog house...always works a charm here...I start out small because my dams like to feel contained and snug...as the pups move about I change to a larger size...of course if she has 12 then you start with the bigger size lol. But my litters are typically on the smaller end 2-5.

ETA: I use an ex pen with a door in it...crate bottom/den goes at one end. First couple of weeks the ex pen is folded on itself to allow no space for mom to leave because SOME bitches will lay outside and not even go back to feed...until you know your bitch and that she is comfortable and settled best to confine her with the pups.

Later I reconfig and leave a small space outside for the dam to lie. Later still I arrange it like a mini run in a long rectange...den at the back...puppy pads up front by the door...they start leaving the box to pee on the pads at about 3 weeks. Start on potty training. I then move to taking them outside to pee/poop and my pads now are typically dry most of the day.

 

[Fran101]

Ive heard vanilla ice cream will keep her hydrated and give her some energy when shes whelping..

 

[AllieMackie]

A good playpen set up with inexpensive playpen gates (bought at any pet store) should be sufficient to keep the puppies in when they're getting too active for the whelping box.

When I picked up Finn at 7 weeks, my breeder had half of the pen set up with a carpet piece, and the other half with newspaper, some toys, and the food/water bowls. The pen itself was approximately 3 feet wide by 10 feet long, and lots of room for seven puppies to run, play, and sleep, with room for mom to hop in with them.

Setting up something similar shouldn't be too difficult or wallet-breaking. Of course, if you're worried about wallet-breaking, you wouldn't have taken in a pregnant dog.

 

[BigDogs]

I think I might have some things around here with which to build a pen. Thanx