Luckylady and bjh,
Thank you so much for your info...like I said I had GSDs and I also showed cardigans, but only had one litter and it was a c-section singleton, so totally different.
My whelping box consisted of a large rubbermade bin, which I cut out a large window of one side and then used cute little duck tape (Hello Kitty) to line the cut area. I then purchased a
popup playpen at Amazon. I have a very large master bath, so I put the popup pen down on a blanket, then lined it with the flooring it came with plus a blankets and the washable pee pads, then the whelping box inside of the pen. I also put her fuzzy day bed in there so she could watch her pups if she wanted. This way Harley could come and go as she wanted, it there was no draft because of the rubbermaid sides and the playpen. I didn't use a heating pad, instead I purchased the microwavable Snugglesafe heating pads. I felt I could control the temperature better that way. I heated it up for less time than recommended and used a infrared thermometer to check it often. I purchased two so I could easily switch them out when needed. I use a space heater to keep the room warm (which I have turned down so we are keeping a constant 76 degrees now!)
The last day or so I have been watching the little rascals crawling out of the whelping box... I had a 4 inch wall, which I thought would be enough..but no way!! So today I am going to expand their living area. Momma is being a bit of a stinker...we have a webcam up on them and I watch whenever I can't be home. When we are gone, she is the best momma...she will stay with them the entire time. If my I am home..she wants to be with me and will check on them, but will cry and cry to come out of the bathroom, she will run to the bed, crawl under the covers and then back out... just gotta check that all is well in her world! Her place is still there!! At first I was worried they were not being fed enough, but they are growing consistently with the charts and are totally linear with the weights listed...so obviously they are doing well!
Thank you both for your info on the timing of weaning...I started thinking..my last litter of puppies was 12 years ago!! I can't believe that my singleton is 12! I still have her and her parents. Baha and Donner are now 14.5yrs and Sammie is 12...unbelievable how time goes! That's why I don't show, I couldn't place my show prospects that didn't develop or place my retired CH. My daughter loves my yorkies and their personalities and wanted one of theirs. I told her I would only breed them if she found 2 other approved homes(so I had enough homes to pick from depending on how many in the litter)... and she did! I know the future yorkie parents and they will be an excellent home. My daughter will get first pick, my husband and I will keep one and then one will go to the home we have picked for him/her. However my husband commented last night if they stayed just like they are right now forever he would keep all 3 of them!! OH MY!!!
Thank you again!
Karen