I’m an accidental breeder

[mitchell]

Well, in a way. Long story short. I took in a GSD pure breed to see if she would fit our family and she didn’t but previous owner didn’t want her back but told me to keep in touch and to let them know who she is going to next. I was in the process of have her adopted or taken by the local rescue shelter who I was taking her to tomorrow.

Oh surprise, she was so uncomfortable tonight in her kennel, she kept wanting to go out and dig around in hidden places around the back yard. Eventually she went quiet around 3 am. I woke up at 5:30 am to a lot of whining. I woke up paranoid thinking that in the 10 times I left her out of the house maybe I forgot her and she was whining to come inside since it is cold, so I ran downstairs and the whining was coming from her kennel and I thought maybe she was having a night made so I got a small flashlight and to my surprise there is a puppy and she was cleaning another.

I don’t know what to do but I have the feeling she was used for breeding as she knows exactly what to do. But do I get a bigger kennel? Do I just get an enclosure and put her there? Do I not want to touch her puppies so she doesn’t reject them? Is it too tight in a kennel for her to squish them by accident? Do I call an emergency vet?

I have had cat litters in the past and they are super easy to take care of and the mom does 90% of the work until they are ready to be given away but dogs? I read in one of the posts that you have to weight them three times a day to make sure they are eating?

One of the big questions is, does the previous owner do this knowing it was going to take them and will want me to give them the puppies so they can sell them? Is that a real trick or just an accident?

 

[dukedesu]

@mitchell If you are on Facebook there are a lot of whelping/reproduction groups for additional help. In best case scenario mom can do all the work with raising for a while too, but I would get her a kiddie pool or something a little larger because she can squish puppies yes. I do weigh & supplement, yes, but that’s because I want to make sure they’re doing well and I did a lot to bring them into the world. In your shoes I would get a suitable place for her to raise the babies. Get a lot of washable whelping pads, a couple of exercise pens for containment later, calcium supplements for mom (doc Roy’s healthy bones is what I’d use). Get some formula to have on hand just in case and a bottle or order a miracle nipple online. There’s lots to get, but that is to start. You should call the regular vet when they’re open. If something seems wrong, call the emergency vet, but if it seems smooth sailing you will be fine. Calling the shelter wouldn’t be a bad idea. They might have supplies, resources, and support that you need.

 

[mitchell]

@dukedesu Thanks! I’ll call the shelter later today as they are open 7 days a week and vets are closed until Monday in my area.

I read in an article that is best to take the puppies and mom in the first 48 hours. I don’t know how you transport a litter within the first 48 hours but maybe it is more normal than what I expect.

She is in the first floor of the house in a quiet area which I can enclose if needed while they are puppies.

I am a single dad with a full time job so I know for a fact that mom - Friday I won’t be able to check on them every 3 hours. Should I consider to hire someone to come by and check on them while I’m away?

 

[dukedesu]

@mitchell Some people take them in, I don’t unless I think there is a problem because I’d rather not expose them to disease. I work full time too and I hire people to watch them during the first couple of weeks. If someone can’t watch them full time I’d get some kind of area or make some area with pig rails so she is less likely to accidentally lay on one.

 

[mitchell]

@dukedesu I eventually found a foldable whelping pen for dogs in Amazon and won’t arrive until tomorrow. Where should I put her at with the puppies until then?

She is in a spare bedroom downstairs and she and the puppies can stay there unbothered until then. The room is empty and is hard wood floor so I am not sure if it is convenient to just lay a bunch of blankets on the floor in a corner until the pen arrives tomorrow

 

[dukedesu]

@mitchell With nothing else at your disposal some flat blankets and eyes on her puppies as much as possible (I really basically don’t sleep for a couple of days, and lay beside the box). Keep the room warm

 

[drsharles]

@mitchell You will also need some sort of heat source for the pups. Newborns aren't able to regulate their own body temperature and when their temp gets too low they aren't able to properly digest moms milk.

 

[mitchell]

@drsharles Oh yes! Heating pad is in the list for today! The room she is in is pretty warm but I’m sure it won’t hurt to get an additional heat source.

 

[april0485]

@mitchell maybe try hiring someone off rover to check on them?

 

[mitchell]

@april0485 Thank you! Yes I already posted online for people in the area who will be able to come by and check on them in the middle of the day when I have to go to the office. The days I do not I can keep an eye on them.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@mitchell Can't say if the previous owner knew. You CAN touch the puppies, just find a safe quiet space for them- a closet maybe. Some breeders use a kiddie pool. There is a lot of information online- you will need to keep their area clean, make sure Mom is feeding them every 2 hours or so. Keep her teats clean so she doesn't develop mastitis. There are recipes for puppy formula online - but store bought is probably better. I'm fond of goats milk with a little butter or heavy cream

 

[mitchell]

@imagebeastmarkbeast Right now she is having the puppies in her kennel so I am waiting for her to be done while I figure out a cleaner place. I just did a quick scan in Amazon and they don’t sell the hard shell pools, all are inflatable and FB market place doesn’t have one either. I will keep looking.

Once I find the pool (which is an amazing idea by the way) do I just get a bunch of blankets and transfer the puppies? I read also to make sure they are warm.

When is it a good time to give mom a bath? The temperature dropped so I can only call a mobile groomer or give her a bath in the master bedroom bath tub?

 

[paska]

@mitchell You could try searching for a folding dog pool.

The pool is good until the puppies start walking and can climb out (between 2-4weeks) after that you'll need a larger space. You want to use an absorbent but breathable material under the puppies that they ideally can't crawl under and get stuck. I used reusable/washable puppy/incontinence pads and that worked well.

If you have an electric heating pad you can put that in on low when the mother is outside.

Once they're all born or she has a break, take the mother outside to go to the bathroom but watch her in case she is still having puppies.

You should be able to handle the puppies without any rejection from the mother. A quick rinse in the master bath should be fine to get the birth fluids clean. You may consider not using soap right away because the puppies need to smell their mother to find her, they can't see or hear right away.

You should watch that all the puppies are nursing and that the mother is licking their butts to get them to poo and pee. The puppies bellies should look plump not sunken and they should not be lethargic.

 

[mitchell]

@paska I ordered a folding whelping pen from Amazon and won’t be here until tomorrow, until then how do I make more room for her and the puppies? Do I just put blankets in the corner of the room where she is now?

I also ordered a scale which has same day delivery and will be arriving later today so that I can weight all the puppies.

How do I mark them so that I keep track of their weight? Or is it just in general that they are good with their weight and I don’t have to keep track of their weight individually?

 

[paska]

@mitchell You can put a piece of different coloured yarn on each of their necks

 

[paska]

@mitchell Blankets in the corner is probably ok for one night

 

[sqs1]

@mitchell Try getting different colored sharpies and coloring their chests. You will have to reapply as it will fade but I’ve heard some horror stories about putting anything around their necks so that’s what I do.

 

[mitchell]

@sqs1 Oh that is a fantastic idea! Thank you for that! So far all puppies weight around the same so assume they are getting what they need.

 

[sqs1]

@mitchell You’re welcome! I’m so glad mom and puppies are doing okay! That’s a very scary situation to find yourself in. It is possible she’s a first time mom - I’ve heard of them having first litters alone and taking care of the newborns fine. My first litter as a breeder on the other hand, mom pushed the first baby out and immediately got up and ran away. lol.

Now, an important thing at this stage is that mom CAN accidentally crush the puppies, and the smaller the space they are in the more likely it is to happen. Most of the time they are pretty smart and will try to look around to make sure they don’t sit or lay on them. I breed small dogs so I use a kiddy pool and then a slightly bigger kiddy pool for mine…you might do well to get some doggy fencing and make them an area when they’re big enough to jump out of a pool.

And as for the previous owner wanting to sell the puppies, I don’t really think they can force you to let them do that now that you own the dog, unless there was some kind of contract to that effect. When she had them she was in your care. They’re your puppies unless you decide to give mom and puppies back to the previous owners so you don’t have to raise them.

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@mitchell You want to weigh all the pups asap, she won't reject them if you touch them, but she probably won't love you taking them. Weigh them morning and night every day, so you know they are gaining the appropriate weight. Get her a bigger area, as she can crush the pups if she doesn't have enough room. Make sure they're all warm, and watch that she's finished whelping and doesn't look like she's straining for too long without birthing another pup.