[KingstonTodd]

We are just a few short weeks away from our first labradoodle breeding. We have a few last minute questions that we thought the more experienced breeders here could help us out with.

What does having puppies do to the mom's personality?
Does she change while she is nursing?
Does she go back to normal once the puppies are gone?
Is she heartbroken to have the puppies taken away?
How does she react to other dogs in the house while she has the puppies (we have a pet LD as well)?

We spent so much time researching genetics and getting her tested, finding a tested stud with the right temperment, etc... that we havent really thought about how it will emotionally affect her to be bred.

FYI, we plan to breed her, F1 chocolate bbEe to a chocolate poodle bbEe known parti carier. This was a last minute stud find that we are thrilled with.

Wish us luck , thanks for any help on the above questions, and thanks to those who helped us think things out via PM in the last few months.

[cissy k]

I have no idea....just wanted to say GOOD LUCK!!
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Cissy and Semi

[MaxandMe]

from what i've seen at my breeders and seen w/other breeders in past are:

1. the MOM doesn't change personality but can be protective over the puppies with your LD AND I WOULD NOT LET ANY OTHER Dogs in the house etc and/or in area of puppies at all.
Disease is 1 issue, Stress on the MOM is the other major issue.
Some mom dogs are fine with dogs presently in house when pregnant,
but once puppies are born being protective in good way is instinctual.
ALSO your LD may LOVE teh puppies OR may not want to be bothered or understand them as they get older.
PUPPIES can try to nurse off a male dog hahhaaaaaaaaaa
You never really know how your Dog will be as a mother till it happens.
HOWEVER the week before birth, the MOM may need more attention, get whiny or clingy, get active one minute and then just lay down alot. Depending on size of litter she's carrying, she may also may not want to be very interactive with your LD as well.
the MOM also may get a elevated temp and/or diarrhea just a day or two before birth.......for some this is normal.

some MOM's give signs their going to have a litter, others surprise you either very early in morning or in afternoon. I've seen MOMs give faster births if YOU are there delivering 10 pups in 2.5hours, other times taking a break after delivering 5 pups, wait 4 to 5hours then go at it again delivering another 3 to 5. I've seen two sets of twins born just recently! that's very rare but can happen.

rarely does a mom have trouble delivering but if a pup is having a hard time getting out, you may need to assist to assure safe delivery of pup with no injuries.

2. Her coat will go thru changes as well as color can change a bit too
there will be a point where the coat isn't as nice as before but it does grow back beautifully. AS human mom goes thru bodily changes so does a dog.

3. I haven't seen them be heartbroken if puppies are taken away past 8 weeks old.

4. the breeder's breeding females do trust me enough at every whelping to help keep changing pups for nursing, cleaning and stimulation to eliminate thus the puppies then can keep nursing/digesting
IE: 13 pups but 8 nipples, want to make sure every puppy gets a fair shake. survival of the fittest does have it's place when there is a large litter.

5. The MOM usually is worn out the 1st few days, 1st 48hrs is crucial for pups not to get cold. the mom may not want to leave the puppies, may only cat nap when all pups have full bellies for a very short while, and may not eat like usual the 1st few days or want to leave their pups for any reason. NOURISHMENT is important for mom as well as puppies.

6. Some dogs are great moms from the 1st time onwards, others may need some help with 1st litter/puppies. LIKE humans some are naturals first time others get better with each child...animals are similar.

7. some mom dogs are good chastising their pups what's acceptable vs not, others are more easy giong THUS when pups are 5 weeks -7 weeks but most moms that are too easy going get stricter with each litter they have.

8. IF a MOM keeps putting a puppy off to the side, away from the litter
they KNOW more than we do: there's a reason. Flip side, a pup dies and the mother doesn't want to let it go, misses it.
a) sometimes this happens totally unavoidable
b) hopefullly nothing is wrong with other puppies and it just wasn't meant to be, IT IS SAD when it happens
c) sometimes in a litter of 12-14pups losing 1 or 2 can happen though no one likes it to


9. I am SURE the MUCH MORE EXPERIENCED BREEDERS on this forum WILL PROVIDE MUCH MORE VALUABLE INFO than i can as there's more , my experience is limited to only 12 litters past 2 years and I also get to go home. otherwise it's been years since i helped deliver cats and dogs and help out on a farm.

I am not trying to be negative .......i am trying to answer your questions and keep your eyes wide open. No guarantees, many times it's a success but one has to be prepared for surprises and/or a mom that doesn't want other dogs near their puppies. So you might have to separate your LD for a while (weeks).

Lastly, mom's personality doesn't change except that they mature a bit more?
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Annmarie, Max,& Peanut
Forum BLOG ARTICLE LINK http://blog.labradoodle-dogs.net/

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France

[Jac]

Hi Todd, I responded on Doodle Kisses regarding some of the changes you can expect, but I didn't respond to all of your questions.
Ann Marie did a fine job...she has seen a lot of litters born and has cared for them afterwards, she knows her stuff.
Since each dog is different you will have to use your instincts for the most part...

What does having puppies do to the mom's personality? This is mainly what I responded to on Doodle Kisses, but I mentioned how they change during whelp and nursing...but I have found that once the pups are weaned the girls are pretty much as usual, except that they are still protective of their young if another female tries to discipline them!

Does she change while she is nursing? Her changes will last throughout her nursing time. Mainly she will just want to be near the puppies and will spend time digging a lot! (Many carpets are destroyed during this time.) Be sure that she gets plenty of vitamin D AFTER the pups are born...but not before. Her appetite will increase tremendously. You will need to feed her a lot and often. Let her have canned food, cottage cheese, treats, etc. as much as she wants.

Does she go back to normal once the puppies are gone? Yes, she will. Maybe a little more snappy at other dogs though.

Is she heartbroken to have the puppies taken away? I think so. They don't mourn, but I SWEAR that the count their babies. When our pups go, the mama knows...so do the others. After a while, the remaining pups even catch on...you can tell. But, it isn't like they stop eating or cry...but they know. (You will be so busy crying that you may not notice!)

How does she react to other dogs in the house while she has the puppies (we have a pet LD as well)? I mentioned this in my Doodle Kisses response too...be very careful. We usually introduce the puppies to the others when mama is outside for potty time...but we do not let the dogs in the same room together, not until the pups are much older. This is for two reasons...one is fear of parasites, parvo and such and the other is protection/aggression on the part of one or both dogs. My two girls (siblings) growl at the other when they have puppies...the sister, who was very close all the time, is now not able to come to the open doorway.
DO NOT LET PEOPLE IN TO SEE THE BABIES! Don't let children bring friends or visitors come to see...it is very upsetting to the mother. If you help her protect her babies, she will not have a need to go after a potential intruder.

The first litter is frightening for the mother. I am sure you know these things, but in case you don't...generally the mother's temp will drop 24 hours before she delivers so take her temp often (it can go back up and you may not notice). She will pant a lot during the last few days but it increases a great deal when labor starts.
She may try to find another place to deliver...I slept with my females in the whelping room for the week before they delivered so that they were comfortable...still, they tried to dig under the back porch!
Even if you have had an x-ray, you may not know when she is finished...we let Bayley out when we thought she was finished, we had Nitos born and dropped into a mud puddle....never let her outside without someone nearby...we take a flash light out and shine on her bottom as she potties!
I, literally, climbed into the whelping box with my girls until the first pup was starting to whelp...my first time girls are always afraid and shocked at the pain of the first and may not have their instincts kick in right away. Lexie tried to sit on her half-born first pup...I had to keep her standing...then she tried to run away and had the second pup by the closed bedroom door. She would not settle down until I scolded her and held her in place! Then she got it, and was great after the third pup.
Bayley was also frightened...and during her last pregnancy I could not get her to come out from under the bed!
Rosie stood up and let the pups fall onto the ground but she did great with them.
Two of my girls adopted a stuffed animal to keep in the whelping box...they cuddled it and cleaned it just like their babies.
You may need to help remove the sac from the baby's face...but that is usually all you need to do. Give the mother a chance first. Sometimes she gets so busy cleaning herself that she forgets the pup, so I begin to wipe it with a clean wash cloth and she takes over.
Have your supplies ready! You won't have time to find them when it starts.
Be prepared for fading puppies and know how to revive them.
Pups can be delivered together, as twins, or 5 minutes apart and then go to hours inbetween. The biggest worry is if your girl is in HARD labor (you will know, she will be pushing a lot) and nothing happens in 20 minutes of hard labor...then go to the vet.

Okay...much more than you asked for...but not nearly everything you will need!

Wish us luck ---BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL!!! Enjoy this time...it passes so qucikly. Please feel free to contact me if you would like.
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jacque.bayley.lexie.chase.rosie.nitos.amelia.dupree.madison.sherwood.gerry www.backporchlabradoodles-jacque.blogspot.com www.backporchlabradoodles.com

[Tink]

What does having puppies do to the mom's personality? Some dogs have mood swings during pregnancy due to the hormone changes. A dog that's normally calm and loving can get more nervous and defensive, (or the other way around!) so follow her cues. My Hickory, who used to be very tense, has mellowed out considerably and is due in a couple weeks; so it's not always a bad thing.

Does she change while she is nursing? It's normal for a dam to be protective of her pups, so keep interruptions to a minimum. Keep other animals and people who aren't there for a very good reason away from the litter for at least the first few weeks. When you need to remove the pups, such as for dew claw removal at 3 days, do so when mom is outside relieving herself and have someone spend time with her and give her some special attention to help distract her so she's not frantic about them being gone.

Does she go back to normal once the puppies are gone? Most go back to their normal selves once the pups are gone.

Is she heartbroken to have the puppies taken away? By 8 weeks most of my dogs seem ready to have the pups leave and get back to getting the attention for themselves. She knows they're gone, but usually doesn't seem upset over it.

How does she react to other dogs in the house while she has the puppies (we have a pet LD as well)? I don't allow other animals near the pups until they're about 6 weeks old... then I bring in Chip who is super laid back and adores the pups and our cat Sebastian who is also very gentle. It's good for the pups to get used to other animals, but you don't want to risk illness or fighting by doing it too soon.
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www.tinkerdoodle.net
Hickory, Ava, Hana, Misty, and Chip (happy master of his Harem)