Whelping Advice For Beginners

[Chicken_man 1,651]

 

 

i have to be honest i dont have the stomach for culling. hence the reason ive not bred a litter in over a decade. when i did breed a few litters a high percentage of the pups ended up in homes that ended up unworthy of a decent dog. culling would have been a kindness on hindsight. this is despite trying to get good working homes. anyone who doubts the quality of working homes. check out . the working dog sites on FB. or go look through any classifieds sites/pages. then check out the rescue sites. there are some good folk in the working dog world. but for every good owner there will be a cunnt.

And some pet homes turn out to be just as dreadful. There are idiots in all walks of life, and that's one of the reasons I hesitate to breed again. People lie all the time when they go to see pups. You'd have to have a lie detector test and strap them into a chair and interrogate them harshly if you want to be 100% sure that the pup will go to a good home, working or not. I used to think I was a good judge of character, but a couple of mistakes cost the welfare of pups. I don't like to think that I was responsible for dogs having a crap life.

A very long time ago I worked in a dog rescue, and the lengths that some people go to in order to get a dog defies belief. There was an occasion when a family came to ask about a GSD. They were told it wasn't suitable for a home with young children. Ten minutes later a different woman approached, on her own, saying she was interested in the dog. Trouble was, when it came to giving her address for a home/fencing check, she gave the same address as the first family! When questioned further, she admitted she was trying to get the dog for her daughter, who lived with her, along with a couple of small children.

 

Years later, I sold a lurcher pup to a very nice older couple, who had their grandson with them, on holiday, they said. Horrible spoiled brat. Two days after taking the pup home, she phoned to tell me to come and get the pup (400 miles away) or she was taking it down the local rescue as the child, who, it turned out, did live with its grandparents full time, hated the pup.

 

I could go on, and on.

First and only litter I bred, I took a pup back of the folk who got him a year later after seeing it being mistreated.

Still have him 8 yrs later and a good animal in my eyes.

It's a huge gamble breeding and homing pups, the rest of the litter I see most days apart from one and all good.

This is a very interesting thread, I'm enjoying all the differing methods and opinions and learned a lot.

Regards

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Personally I think the onus is on the pup owner to find out as much about the perspective owner as possible which becomes a chore and nie on impossible when a litter is advertised.There are many ,many lads I know that only breed when enough homes are guaranteed BEFORE the bitch ever sees a dog not the other way around .

I have a feeling I am banging my head against a wall but no harm in making people think before breeding .IMO its the coin or rather lack of it that sorts out a litters destiny .

[jeemes 4,484]

A home is never guaranteed Im afraid. Things and circumstances change. When I breed a litter Im only thinking of what I want to produce and keep. I wouldnt want to put more thought and effort into the pups I dont want to keep.

[Plucky1 1,119]

 

 

 

 

I remember reading in one of Harcombe's books that he thinks a Winter litter could be better than a Summer litter due to the weather being cooler meaning less chance of infection and less parasites etc. so in turn less chance of harm to the mother and pups.

Would anyone agree with that?

I have bred terriers every month of the year and you can't beat summer pups, they can go out in a run and the sun on their backs really brings them on,also the bitch will be ready for work come autumn,win/win all round, WM

Every month? There's a name for that.....? Peddler haha

what a helmet you are,probably never bred a decent litter,without the likes of me there would be no decent pups to buy, you're probably one of those dicks that keep them in a remote sh*thole away from their house in 2" of sh*t,don't knock lads that take time to breed quality, WM

Someone touchy! Wrong on all accounts my kennels are are 30 yards from my house door across the yard, at the main work place for my estate, when the boss spents £6000 on kennel and there in the public eye I'm pretty sure I'd be sacked on the spot if they were not immaculate! Oh and my pupping kennel are build out of stone with iron rails on the side of the house old fashioned keepers kennels!

 

 

Just because you breed a litter every month of the year doesn't mean you breeding quality, any dog can bush rabbits! Just because you write on here doesn't mean ur an expert! Oh and I have a litter due early Aug not terrier tho fox red Labradors!

 

 

 

When you come on the Internet saying u have bred every month do you not expect to be called a peddler???

 

If it wasn't for you there would be no decent pups to buy?? Hahahaha the peddling God

 

I would ask you then are you a peddler since you're breeding your fox red labrador ???

 

 

Chesney, you were spot on about breeding every month at some point in the last 35yrs, it does not mean I breed every month of every year, I breed 1 maybe 2 litters a year and the pups go very quickly, I do try to make sure where they will be kept and find out as much as I can about the people who are buying them but like most have said you will make mistakes from time to time.

Breeding something that you believe in is not peddling in my book, I have endeavoured to breed healthy pups from decent working terriers, anyone with any knowledge of Plummers will already be aware of the dior shortage of healthy working stock and so for many years now I have produced something different than is already commercially available from any of the known Plummer clubs, my lines are unique because of the outcross on both sides,carry no known faults and work exactly as their parents do, this is exactly what I set out to do and something that others have been trying to do for years.

I have been in proper pedlars yards men with 65 terriers for sale kept in squalid dark conditions, small that boxes bitches cannot hardly turn around in,parvo heaven, yet most black terriers sourced in this country will have come from his yard, some men especially older men of pensionable age lose sight of their original reasons and breed just for money, that is when lines go wrong and anything is sold to provide an income, I will never be that man, these 2 litters on the ground will be my last pups I breed, I have achieved exactly what I set out to do and that was put some decent working Plummers of the right size and type out there on the ground that could not be sourced from the clubs, it has also made many of them (sharpen) their ways and put some effort in, so job done for me, money was never a driving force as I simply do not need it, I am financially secure and hunt when I like so there you have it in a nutshell and answered as honestly as I can, WM

[jeemes 4,484]

Anyway back to whelping...how does everyone deal with mastitis? Does anyone give a bitch penicillin anyway before she even shows signs? Does anyone not use penicillin and prefer natural methods?

Its a horrible thing to see and the suffering it brings.

[Plucky1 1,119]

Anyway back to whelping...how does everyone deal with mastitis? Does anyone give a bitch penicillin anyway before she even shows signs? Does anyone not use penicillin and prefer natural methods?

Its a horrible thing to see and the suffering it brings.

I have never seen it in 35 years of breeding, WM

[taz2010 1,297]

i have seen it several times usually noticeable before the bitch whelps a course of antibiotics usually clears it but it is usually caused with bitches lying in kennels and not getting exercised regular and the milk turns in the milk glands and hardens

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Never seen it myself either tbh

[jeemes 4,484]

i have seen it several times usually noticeable before the bitch whelps a course of antibiotics usually clears it but it is usually caused with bitches lying in kennels and not getting exercised regular and the milk turns in the milk glands and hardens

yes Ive seen it and usually with bitches that get milk early and as they become less active due to weight/hot weather perhaps but other times after the whelps are born. Some bitches want to spend as little time as possible in the paddock and get back to pups.

[jiggy 3,209]

Maybe if people are culling unwanted pups then the bitch can get mastitus from a build up of too much milk if shes only rearing 1 or 2 and all teats arent been used.

[jeemes 4,484]

Maybe if people are culling unwanted pups then the bitch can get mastitus from a build up of too much milk if shes only rearing 1 or 2 and all teats arent been used.

that could be true but a litter of four say can clear a lot and i think milk is produced a lot by stimulation of the teats,so less pups less production,less strain on resources so production can go on for longer.

So less pups means plenty for all for longer..

[jiggy 3,209]

 

 

Maybe if people are culling unwanted pups then the bitch can get mastitus from a build up of too much milk if shes only rearing 1 or 2 and all teats arent been used.

that could be true but a litter of four say can clear a lot and i think milk is produced a lot by stimulation of the teats,so less pups less production,less strain on resources so production can go on for longer.

So less pups means plenty for all for longer..

ive only ever seen it in the bitchs that lost full litters to puppy fading syndrome they were bagged up with milk and no pups to drain it. The guy who owned them got some sort of tablets off the vet and they cleared up within a week.

[Daniel cain 45,457]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember reading in one of Harcombe's books that he thinks a Winter litter could be better than a Summer litter due to the weather being cooler meaning less chance of infection and less parasites etc. so in turn less chance of harm to the mother and pups.

Would anyone agree with that?

 

I have bred terriers every month of the year and you can't beat summer pups, they can go out in a run and the sun on their backs really brings them on,also the bitch will be ready for work come autumn,win/win all round, WM

Every month? There's a name for that.....? Peddler haha

what a helmet you are,probably never bred a decent litter,without the likes of me there would be no decent pups to buy, you're probably one of those dicks that keep them in a remote sh*thole away from their house in 2" of sh*t,don't knock lads that take time to breed quality, WM

lol,"without the likes of yourself there would be no quality pups"- with statements like that you really do come across as a right plum-all my best dogs and bitches all came from litters no bigger than 4 pups-personally I think that's a good enough number that they get the best from the bitch.never seen more than 7 pups in a litter of terriers before, and from that litter only the two made the grade.last litter of 4 I bred they all went on to graft no complaints so far.I've bred 5 litters in 20 yrs and have never took more than 2 litters from a bitch,in fact I've never bred from a bitch that was younger than 5yr old-had lads knock and ask if I would put a 12 yr old dog over a 14 m old bitch-they got told to f**k off!..I've never been motivated by money when it comes to my terriers if I need a few quid then I get out there and do some work atb dc

[jiggy 3,209]

Whats peoples opinions on a penicillan injection a couple of hours after bitch has pupped, a greyhound man i know lost a bitch or 2 over the years to womb infections and he claimed it can be too late at times to give antibiotics because it was hard to spot infection. Get the penicillan in early was his attitude and it would also clear up other underlying conditions that might weaken the bitch. People would differ on opinions on this matter im sure for treating an infection that might not exist but he reckoned it had no affect on pups or bitch and prevention is better than cure, i would be interested to hear other peoples views on this. Id imagine it would be difficult for a beginner to spot infection and to know whether a bitch is in danger when passing blod spots or gunk 3 weeks after pupping when this is quite common.

[jiggy 3,209]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I remember reading in one of Harcombe's books that he thinks a Winter litter could be better than a Summer litter due to the weather being cooler meaning less chance of infection and less parasites etc. so in turn less chance of harm to the mother and pups.

Would anyone agree with that?

 

I have bred terriers every month of the year and you can't beat summer pups, they can go out in a run and the sun on their backs really brings them on,also the bitch will be ready for work come autumn,win/win all round, WM

Every month? There's a name for that.....? Peddler haha

what a helmet you are,probably never bred a decent litter,without the likes of me there would be no decent pups to buy, you're probably one of those dicks that keep them in a remote sh*thole away from their house in 2" of sh*t,don't knock lads that take time to breed quality, WM

lol,"without the likes of yourself there would be no quality pups"- with statements like that you really do come across as a right plum-all my best dogs and bitches all came from litters no bigger than 4 pups-personally I think that's a good enough number that they get the best from the bitch.never seen more than 7 pups in a litter of terriers before, and from that litter only the two made the grade.last litter of 4 I bred they all went on to graft no complaints so far.I've bred 5 litters in 20 yrs and have never took more than 2 litters from a bitch,in fact I've never bred from a bitch that was younger than 5yr old-had lads knock and ask if I would put a 12 yr old dog over a 14 m old bitch-they got told to f**k off!..I've never been motivated by money when it comes to my terriers if I need a few quid then I get out there and do some work atb dc Photo0100_001.jpg

well all you have to do is look at those pups and how clean everything is to know your doing something right daniel cain hats off to you.