Breeding dogs and caring for the puppies

Breeding dogs

Unless you keep your dog specifically for breeding, you shouldn’t le it become pregnant. Not only you will have the worry and cost of raising puppies but you will have to find each of them a caring home, which may be very difficult.

Pregnancy

A female dog (bitch) and a male dog (dog) are first able to mate at the age of 6 to 12 months old. The bitch is said to be “in heat” at certain times and this means that she is ready to mate. The pregnancy will last for around 63 days. A vet can usually detect signs of pregnancy at around 22-30 days.

Preparing for the birth

A pregnant bitch requires extra food, vitamins, and minerals. From the sixth week of pregnancy she should be fed more often than usual. About two weeks before the puppies are due to born, you should make a warm comfortable bed for her to give birth in. A large cardboard box will do. The bed should be lined with lots of newspaper and placed in a quiet, private corner.

The birth

When the mother is ready to give birth, she will become restless and start to pant. This first stage of labor can last for several hours. The second stage is when the mother pushes out a puppy. A puppy is born about every 30 minutes. After each puppy is born it is followed by a placenta. This is what the puppy feeds from when it is in its mother’s womb.

When to call the vet

Most bitches can give birth without human help, but tell your vet as soon as labor begins so that you can get help quickly if the mother needs it. The birthing stage should not normally last for more than six hours, although large litters may take puppy, contact your vet.

The litter

There are usually between four and eight puppies in a litter. Shortly after the puppies have been born the mother licks them. This is to clean the puppies and keep them warm. The puppies soon begin to drink their mother’s milk which gives them all the nutrition they need at this stage.

The first days of life

Puppies are born blind an deaf and rely on their mother to keep them warm, especially during this period.

Weaning the puppies

The mother will require a highly nutritious diet while she is feeding her puppies. She will also need extra vitamins and minerals. When they are very young, puppies tend to sleep a great deal. As they grow older they become increasingly active and need more food. Gradually the puppies can be weaned off their mother’s milk onto solid food. This can begin from three to five weeks of age. When the puppies are eight weeks old they should be fully weaned.