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Originally Posted by bjh  This does not work for me. I have found that over the years changing their routine that close to the due date really upsets them. I have found that once the pups are born the new momma will adjust just fine in the whelping pen with her babies. It is important to make sure the momma has a warm quiet place away from other dogs during the whelping process and after the pups are born.
The most important thing is to not put the expectant momma in a situation where she is in a pen jumping up and down trying to get out. |
When I first started doing this, I learned that not all bitches are "textbook"....I had one that never went off food, never had a temperature drop, never did the nesting behavior....she ran around at my feet, and then just disappeared and had a puppy.....then she came back to my feet, ran around awhile, and went to another area and had another puppy....when I heard the first one whimpering, I was frantic, trying to find that baby! So I decided then, I was not doing it THIS way ever again! Fortunately, all the ladies I now breed, are very even tempered and they are used to whelping in this manner. They are crated within view of me and so they dont feel abandoned or left unattended....they seem to appreciate the quiet and not dealing with the activity and drama that goes on with a houseful of dogs! Oh....then there was the little lady, a maiden, that kept trying to move her babies to the den, to her bed where she usually spent her day......she was NOT adjusting at all to this new area, she wanted to go to her familiar bed in the den, and it took several days before she stopped carrying her babies around in the whelping box, trying to get to the den!!!...that was why I decided I would let them get used to the whelping crate so they were comfortable pre-whelp in that crate, and would not be trying to adjust to a new area they were unfamiliar with after having the litter. It works best for all of us....ladies are comfortable with it, and I know where everyone is, at every minute, and I can watch/monitor momma constantly without having to locate her, worry about babies being delivered in multiple places, etc. My lady Rosie taught me not all these ladies are textbook cases, and you could very easily miss something you need to be aware of, waiting and watching for "textbook signs" to occur!