How exciting Betty. She looks absolutely adorable with the beach ball belly.

Are you planning on an x-ray? We could help you play count Cori's clutch. If I remember correctly it was the vet tech that got it right last time. Maybe have her read them instead of the vet.

Congrats!!!

How funny, I was planning on saying something along those lines......LOL

Will be doing an xray around the first of the month. I suspect you will hear me scream all the way up there.

Not that I have any control over it but I really dislike large litters. More fun with smaller ones!

LOL, that is scary funny. Me thinks we think too much alike. As I’ve mentioned before, I really admire your dogs and the work you do. I guess paying attention to those silly little details comes along with that.

I'll be waiting for that scream, once the "tech" has confirmed the necessity of course. Is it possible that she could have a bit of a fluid build up?

I know absolutely nothing about breeding so that question could be totally off the mark.

I'm not sure about fluid build up, if the vet finds two pups we will definitely be discussing things like that.

I was expecting a larger litter from her because of her mom's and a litter mates litter size, but was hoping I would get lucky. One of the reasons I didn't breed her last year was how her heat cycles fell into place with the other girls and I wanted to make sure all decks were clear when I did breed her.

My favorite litter was two. Of course they were both males and I had people waiting for girls but that litter was a lot of fun. If I could order litter size without the risk of a C section that one or two litter pups have I would choose two or three.

Much more fun! The moms seem to enjoy the pups more also.

How interesting. The way you put it, the smaller litters do sound funner, for all involved, except perhaps expectant potential owners.

Is the risk of C-section because they would be bigger or are there other delivery complications that come along with the smaller litters?

And just tell me to go sit in the corner if I'm asking too many questions, I really do find this interesting and you're such knowledgable wealth of information.

Yep, the smaller the litter the bigger the pups generally. I know several breeders that will schedule a c-section automatically with a one or two pup litter.

My smaller litters the pups seemed much more active from the beginning too. Guess they are more use to stretching their legs if it's not so crowded in there....LOL

My smallest litter was two and Raya was making a very strange distress noise. Sounded like a cow in distress..... Can you tell I have a lot of cattle around me? LOL I had poor Will on the phone when she made the noise and all he could say was "Oh my God"

Can't say that reassured me.

Call the vet and I'm really kicking myself for not scheduling a c-section even though my vet said let's try natural. With the weird cow moan coming from her, I'm sure the pup is tearing her apart.

Literally.

So hubby starts driving and I'm in the back with Raya. Did I mention this is about midnight and was during the middle of a near hurricane strength tropical storm? Trees are down, power lines are down, traffic lights aren't working.


Did I mention my vet is 50 miles away?

About 1/2 way there Raya starts delivering and I'm pretty much yelling at my husband for smooth stops, (think the old 1950 era movies where the expectant dad is driving to the hospital and that was my hubby) and I have Will on the phone walking me thru emergency delivery procedures during a near hurricane.

In a vehicle.

And I'm not liking the color of her discharge so I don't want to pull over.

Somehow we get there and the vet and a tech have everything open and ready to do a c section. Checks the delivered pup and checks everything else and says she looks fine, can probably deliver naturally on the second one.

But you can tell she really would like to do a c section, she came out and called in staff in a near hurricane. LOL AND doesn't want to lock up only to return again.

Anyways we bring her home and just about the time I'm getting ready to do a repeat and meet the vets as they open out pops the second one.

Just a couple of observations. Do you notice how when I am in trouble it's poor Will that I have on the phone? No wonder the guy moved cross country. <grin> God Bless him, he still takes the middle of the night emergency calls from me.

And the pup born in the vehicle is the only one I've had so far with confirmed HD. I wonder if it was from the trauma of the birth. There have been studies that suggest that some HD, especially unilateral is from birth or shortly afterwards and while this is only one pup it certainly seems to support the theory.

I now have exercise-anti fatigue mats under the bedding in the whelping box and I'm always looking for something that will mimic the give that a den would have in nature but still be easy to clean.

Love the questions CJ! Just stop me if I ramble on too much.....
I enjoy talking about my dogs. Non dog friends have this permanent glaze to their eyes....

A side not but I have also had one pup that had surgery for OCD in the shoulder. Very active pup so it could of been injury related.

BUT he was also a huge pup that took so long being born her was born in the back of my SUV while I was on my way to the vets.

Just things I kind of file away mentally and look for a pattern. The bones are still so soft then I do wonder how many of our problems with joints may stem from the whelping box. Whelping boxes are firm and unyielding if you don't try and soften them up some how.

Okay, now that was both scary and exciting. Just way too interesting.

Was Raya "moo'ing" with the second one too? Wow, that sure says something in dog talk. All that pelvis pressure on his big soft bones. It sure makes sense.

All that additional running space in the nice roomy womb too. We really shouldn't be allowing that kind of exercise until they're at least 2 years old. But isn't that interesting about them being more active. Sure makes sense there too.

And I love your ramblings, so much information in there.

Know that glazed look too. Mainly from co-workers that initially seem quite interested in how holidays have gone. By the time I'm finished, they can't get away fast enough and preface the next inquiry with an "Aside from dog stuff, how were your days off?"

I think that's why I love this site so much. Not just the best information going but has the best dog people that really get those small details that seem so fascinating to me when it comes to dogs.

Is that really why Will moved? He sounds like such a saint and is there anything "dog" he doesn't know about? Sounds like you've pretty much got the best support system there.

Just the first one. My girls, even the maiden ones are pretty stoic during whelping and that was the only time I've heard anything like that. Very seldom do you get a whimper.

Scared the you know what out of me. She was also a small girl and there was no doubt in my mind that a pup was tearing her apart from the inside out. Boy was I happy to be wrong about that one.

Will is one of the best friends I have ever had and has been one hell of a mentor. I can't think of much that I don't run by him.

My husband has gotten pretty good at giving me a good pinch under the table when we are out with non dog people and my conversations start running into areas best not discussed. Now why someone would take exception to discussing the pro's and con's of collecting a male over appetizers I don't know but go figure...

 Quote: Betty Waldron

Love the questions CJ! Just stop me if I ramble on too much.....
I enjoy talking about my dogs. Non dog friends have this permanent glaze to their eyes....

Since this topic is completely fascinating and you explain everything so clearly that anyone could follow along....I must ask; "Could said friends be stoned?" The only logical explanation to the glazed eye thing.