Ms.Dibernar, was your bitch the product of artificial insemination?

No she wasn't the product of artificial insemination. Although I was thinking about trying it next time to inseminate her. I was just worried I would spend the time and money and it wouldn't work. I lean towards doing things as naturally as possible, but when natural doesn't work....

Are small litters common with A.I.?

Problems such as the one you have are not uncommon in that breed; moreover mother’s evidencing aggression towards their pups are also not uncommon. These anomalies are known to breeders of Bull Terriers (Mildenhall, J., 1993). From the book “SOS Dog” The Purebred Dog Hobby Re-Examined, written by Johan and Edith Gallant, “That the mother usually has to be muzzled to at least restrained when mated, when giving birth, and while her pups are put next to her to suckle has become an accepted standard of normality. Such abnormal behavior results from the fact that abnormal reproductive and care-giving behavior, in association with the need for imprinting on and socialization with peers, have been totally ignored. To the contrary the need for such normal behavior was bred out because those who conceived the breed aimed at breeding fighting dogs. When the pit was banned and the breed converted into a show dog, the old pugnacity streak was not bred out”. And this, “because of (human intervention), humans have to step in continuously to control the mother to the point that she must be muzzled or restrained when the pups are put onto her teats. This human attention and dependency upon humans from day one through the neonatal period and periods of imprinting and socialization -- or at least until the pups are weaned—will cause the pups to become very attached and seek care from humans rather than from their mother or peers. We can conclude that, in this example, the needs and rights for care giving and a care seeking behavior have been set aside”. In short it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.

She snapped at the male the first day, and since then they are best friends, no agression. She stands just fine, he humps away, they're just not tying! Frustrating.

On her first litter she showed no agression towards her puppies. When they cried she would get very concerned and roll them around the box. Like she wanted to help them but didn't know what to do. With this breed accidental killing of the pups is common, from laying on them and suffocating them on accident or carrying them around and dropping them. She carried her pups and would try to move them. But she never hurt any of them and we always kept a close eye. They are just "rough" dogs.

I would not breed a bitch a second time if she killed her pups.

I get what you mean though. People artificially breed animals that wouldn't naturally breed so you get unnatural animals.

 Quote: Vanessa Dibernar

She snapped at the male the first day, and since then they are best friends, no agression. She stands just fine, he humps away, they're just not tying! Frustrating.

Dogs don't necessarily have to tie in order for them to produce puppies. Sometimes the male is not experienced or the bitch is a little reticent or it is not the right time. Or there might be a medical issue.

 Quote: Vanessa Dibernar

On her first litter she showed no agression towards her puppies. When they cried she would get very concerned and roll them around the box. Like she wanted to help them but didn't know what to do. With this breed accidental killing of the pups is common, from laying on them and suffocating them on accident or carrying them around and dropping them.

This not knowing what to do and rolling them around in confusion and laying on them is part and parcel of what I was referring to and why, in my above reply. It may be, given the circumstances that artificial insemination may, with this breed, be your only route to a litter. Good luck. Norman

I sure would like to know how this went. I had four slip matings, no ties. Both the bitch and the stud were inexperienced. I will now if she's pregnant in a week or so. She does not live with me, but the owner is going to have x rays done next Friday.

The mother of my bulldogs first litter had been bred on 3 heats before with no ties and litter of 4 on the first (the owner suspected bad timing as the cause of the unsuccessful breedings). With my male they tied and had a litter of 5. Both litters bred naturally, whelped naturally.