Breeding & Whelping Q&As

I have a female rottweiler that is 9 months old and a male rottweiler that is just a little over a year old. they ended up mating on her 1st heat. I wanted to wait until they were at least 2-3 years old before they had puppies just to make sure that they were full grown and mature. If she is pregnant is this going to stop her growth? What should I do? Any advise you can give will me out a lot! Thank you.

Hello, I have enjoyed reading your website, thank you for all the wonderful information. I do hope that you will be able to answer my queries regarding my 3.5 year old rottweiler bitch. She is of excellent pedigree and holds multiple champion titles, after very careful planning and consideration, she was mated in September to a proven stud dog. Her pregnancy seemed to go perfectly, textbook even. She felt great and was in superb condition and health apart from recurring diarrhea. ...

My Boxer just had her first litter of pups and had a whopping 10 of them. She is not eating very much and I was wondering do we need to help supplement the pups with formula to help her out. I know we would need to let her nurse still and keep her milk up but I am worried there are just too many for her to accomodate. Thank you.

Hi Cindy, You have provided some excellent training tips to me regarding my new GSD pup who is a year old by now. However, she just started exhibiting some behaviors, notably loud whining and whimpering that ends up being high-pitched barks at virtually anything that moves especially bikers, approaching dogs, and joggers. She just came into her first heat over the weekend (there is blood dripping every where) and I have absolutely no experience with a dog in heat. Is this radical behavi...

My Lhasa Apso just had 4 puppies on the 23rd. At the beginning everything was fine but lately it seems she has no interest in them what so ever. I know she's producing milk it's just she doesn't want to nurse them. I'm concerned the babies aren't getting properly nourished. Every time they start feeding, not even a minute later she either moves to the other side of the cage, turns around or leaves. She has never had a problem being in her cage but now she starts this heavy breathing as if sh...

Hi Ed/Cindy, I have a 10 month old female GSD. Nina was born 2/21/08 and she started her first heat cycle on 10/3/08 (first sign of blood). She just started bleeding again now on 12/12/08 (seeing blood). She's also pretty swollen. She had some discharge prior to this cycle just like back in October. I took her to the vet for the discharge as I didn't know she was going to start her heat a few days later. The vet took a swab and looked at the slide for infection which wasn't present but did...

Hi Cindy, My friend thought you might have some advice for me. I feed my dogs raw and I have a bitch that is 45 days along. Normally, she would eat 1.5 lbs. of meat per day. Right now she is eating 3 lbs. a day with moderate amounts of fish, Salmon oil, and eggs. She gets a vitamin supplement, also. She would happily eat more if it were available. Do I need to feed her more? She goes in for an x-ray and a puppy count this Friday. Will a time come when I want to feed her just as much as sh...

Hi, I have two miniature schnauzers that have both just whelped healthy litters. I do not wish to continue breeding and would like to know when the best time to have them spayed. Should I wait for their next heat cycle and proceed a month or two later, or can I have it done soon after the puppies are weaned? Also, my bitches go back and forth to each others whelping boxes and loiter around feeding whoever is hungry...... I have allowed it as they are both great moms to their own litters....

Hi, One of a litter of 4 GSD pups (born 10-15-08) has developed this hypomeylination issue. My vet doesn't know much about it. Can you tell me where this comes from? Do I fix both parents and limit or not register the rest of the litter? Do I euthanize the effected pup? He is doing well except for the back end shaking. Thanks, Chris

What is the best vitamin to give a pregnant GSD?

I would like to know how long after flagging to allow a dog to mate? How long do dogs stay fertile for? I purchased the video. I don't have a microscope, but will get one soon. After they allow a dog to breed them, how long do they stay fertile for? Is it just for that one day or for as long as the female lets them or when they stop bleeding or when the swelling goes down?

Hi Cindy, Have you ever artificially inseminated your dogs? Can you please answer a question for me. How long is 6-10 cm? I have collected a sperm sample and am ready to give it a try. How are you supposed to keep the sperm fresh? Freezer or refrigerator? Please answer asap. Thanks so much for your time. Sincerely, Brenda

Hi Cindy, I purchased the "How to Artificially Inseminate your Dogs" DVD this week and I was wondering where I can purchase the stains needed to do vaginal smears? Thank You - Paul

Hi, I own a 3 year old female Rotti that I bred to my 2 year old male Rotti. Everything went fine as far as them getting tied and she indeed got pregnant, but around day 40 she started to get this clear discharge coming from her vagina. I did some looking on the internet and I saw that a clear discharge is fine but then by day 45 it started to turn a dark grenish. I took her to her vet and he also said that it was normal but put her on anitbotics just incase. The next day she started havin...

I have noticed that it is getting harder to find naturally processed chicken. The leg quarters from Walmart now are "enhanced" Everything has been injected or is "enhanced" with some type of chicken broth/solution. Is this okay for the raw diet - How much sodium can dogs have? I have also read conflicting info on pregnancy - increase bone (eclampsia) or increase more muscle meat? One last question - do you continue heart worm medicine while pregnant? Thanx for your help. Chris

Hello Mr.Frawley, I'm new to breeding and I currently own a male and female rottweiler (both dogs are excellent on shows and have FCI certificate for Hd,Ed). I want to breed them and I want to ask you the following question: Can I let them (male and female) live together in the same place and let the female decide when is the right time for breeding? Or should I separate male from female and bring them together only for breeding and then separate them again? (I have heard from som...

Hello, I have enjoyed your e-mails in the past with questions about whelping and you were very quick to respond, straight up and very very helpful and thank you for that. My new question is this, I have breed my female Sandy vom Salztalblick twice with 2 different males, the first was Kim von der Ehrfelder-H?lzung and the second breeding was with OCJ of Shepherdglen. 9 pups in the first litter "6 males & 3 females" and 6 pups in the second litter "2 males & 4 females." I keep in co...

I just ordered your whelping video but needed an answer to my question before I would get it. The breeder of our dog told us to give our bitch, Pet-tab Calcium 1 week before whelping her. The Vet says no. Who is right?? This is suppose to ward off eclampsia. Our bitch is due in 2 weeks. Thanks, Paula

Cindy, Took my female Krassi to the vet. Said he did not feel she had a uterine infection by palpitating her. He said she was pregnant though as he could feel the little pups. We did a urine test and her PH was a little high so said she might have a bladder infection. Maybe. So just to be safe we put her on 500 mg of Amoxicilan twice a day. She sometime has a slight clear discharge, but my vet was not concerned a lot with that as it was not green or brown like a pus. Is that normal in ...

Dear Cindy, I need advice if you can help, I have a new litter of 8 boxer pups, 6 males and 2 females (now 12 days old). The mother has came down with mastitis a couple of days ago, her breast milk was very dark brown red in color in 4 of her teats. Took her in to see the local vet and he x-rayed her and found no unborn pup or left behind placenta. She is still having some vaginal discharge bleeding and was not running a fever (101.2) . Vet gave her these shots: Dexamethasone Injection,...