I have been embarrassed to tell you...Nina's having puppy's.

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I know I am a bad doggy owner. I didnt get her spayed. We dont have one of those free or low cost places in our area and I had that really horrible experience with the only vet associated with the Humane Society. They are the people who were supposed to charge my neighbor for shooting my dogs and instead took me to court and filed a judgement against me so I cant deal with them.

We kept her locked up in a pen and she never got out but evidently a big dog jumped her fence and got in with her. I think she is going to have them either tonight or very soon. She came in tonight and ran into my bathroom and started going in circles like she was trying to make a nest. I got a really old blanket and made nest for her in my linen closet so it is kind of dark but left the light on in the bathroom. I have shut the bathroom door. I am keeping a bowl of water close by.

I dont have experience with dogs having puppies in the house. Only time its happened was when my Rottie had one under my bed but she only had one puppy and we werent even sure she was pregnant! She hardly showed...lol.

Im not sure what to expect. How long it will take. It seemed like she sure was in a hurry to get in the room to make her nest. If I go in the bathroom to potty it seems to interrupt her so I dont want to do that too often so I am using the other bathroom. I may check on her once or twice during the night. Is that a good idea? Will I hear her a whole lot? Should I go sit with her all night or should I just wait until morning if I am not hearing anything.
 

buddy

New Member
How is it going? Which dog is this? The pit? I had a cat who had kittens (I didn't realize she was old enough, had the appointment for the next month! I let her have them though and found homes for all the kitties) and she came in and jumped on my lap when she went into labor. First kitty was born right as she landed on me, she was so scared.... isn't that weird? The vet said to do what you did. Let her be in the dark and reassure her if needed. If it is her first littler she might bite the cord too close to the belly button so watch for that. Other wise let her eat the placenta it gives her energy and nutrients for nursing. I hope it is a small litter. It wasn't nearly as messy as I thought it would be but cats are smaller than a pit.

Let us know that she is ok! post some pictures ok?? You will find homes for them because you are such a caring dog owner. I am sure you will be a picky social worker for their adoptions. I gave mine away but never told anyone that (except those who I personally knew like family or friends) so no one showed up who liked to sell for animal research or anything.

So your past litters of animals have been born outside??? this should be quite an experience then! Hope she does well.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Yes its the Pit. Last time she was in heat she absolutely refused to let anyone near her but then again her suitors were 2 pound chihuahuas. LOL. He liked her but she thought he was an annoying little rat who barked too much. However that little guy chased off any other dog that dared come near her pen...lmao.

She has finished I hope. I believe there are between 6 to 8. I havent gotten close enough to actually count. I pray they didnt inherit her Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Due to their coloring we believe we know the father and it is probably another bull dog that we kept catching up at her pen. He was a brindled bull dog and all of these look that color except for one that looks just like her. I have no idea of sexes yet because I havent handled them yet. Tony says he will go in and look later today. I think she is going to be a good mama because when she started having them she was facing outwards toward the bathroom but now she has turned toward the wall so the babies cant wander away from her and get lost.

We are going to move them outside though. Tony is going to fix up a place under a camper top in a baby wading pool with cedar chips in it. It has gotten very warm here and Nina simply isnt an inside dog. She isnt house trained at all. I failed at that miserably. Next month I am going to buy a bigger pen for her and the puppies. The one she has simply isnt good enough anymore. I am going to keep at least one of them...maybe two. Tony said I can. I already picked out names. Jethro Gibbs. LOL. If I keep two one will be Jethro and the other Gibbs.


ETA...omg...there are 9!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyone want a really cute puppy in about 10 weeks?
 
Last edited:

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
No pups for me please. But I'd like to see pics when you can.

As for how she got preggers............I've seen dogs quite literally do it through a fence.

It happens. It's not the end of the world. Just be the responsible dog owner you are and find them loving good homes when they're ready. I had Lady give us the 7 "dwarfs" remember, and Precious gave us 9 or 11 or13, I can't recall but omg was it a ton of puppies. All of my pups leave my home house trained and I'm picky about whom they go to. The house trained part is because I don't want them going on newspaper in the house. Even puppy pads make me gag. So once their eyes open.......several times a day, we loaded them up into a huge box and carried them out to potty in the yard. You'd be surprised at how fast it takes hold and sticks at that age. (which is why I prefer to adopt a pup at 6 wks)

Don't feel bad...........I think both Midnight and Minnie have kittens somewhere. Midnight might have lost hers, dunno........But I'm seriously hoping Minnie didn't have hers under the porch. Every time I see her she's coming out from under there. And I'm pretty sure she was preggers and was ready cuz for 48 hrs she was trying everything in her power to get into the family room and she doesn't do that. IF I can find them, I'll work hard at finding them all good homes. Otherwise they'll be on the street as no one around here will take cats. (hence the cat problem in the area)
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Not sure you should move them so soon, Janet. At least until their little eyes open and they can stumble around.

Pictures as soon as you can, please!
 

buddy

New Member
I live in one of those stupid buildings that thinks all pits are killers. Bummer.
Is it dangerous for the puppies to be outside with owls and wildlife. ?
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Oh my word...we are up to 12! I dont know how she will be able to feed all those puppies. What do they have, 8 teets? Tony said he is going to stop going in there to count them because every time he does the count gets higher...lol.

Im not moving them today but we will tomorrow or the next day. We have to get the nursery set up. They will be fine. We are setting it up next door to my front steps so I can keep a very good eye on them. We have an old camper shell from a big pick up truck that has the plastic fold down window in the front. I guess you know what I am talking about. Well we are going to open the window flap up in open position so she gets breeze since it is getting warm here and we are going to put it up on cinder blocks in the front so it is tilted sort of like a crawl space. Putting the pool in it means the puppies cannot get out until they are well old enough to start exploring on their own. The lip is too high for them to crawl over it. The camper shell is fiberglass with 4 windows I believe.
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Well, you won't hear any condemnation from me! Sh*t happens! At least you're taking care of her and the puppies ... a lot of people just dump their pregnant dogs at the shelter! My first Boston, Rudy, got pregnant by my son's huge yellow mutt and had one enormous puppy! I assumed it was physically impossible because she was so little and he was so big. It was not her first heat and nothing had ever happened before. Apparently it WAS possible! My dogs I have now are all spayed and neutered but I'm the one who has at least two pregnant cats the size of bowling balls lounging on my front porch! And we have a grant here to have spays and neuters done for around $20. But these are strictly outside cats. And while I was trying to figure out the logistics of how to get them there and what to do with them after surgery (can't bring them in the house with the dogs) two of them became pregnant! So in a few weeks my cat population will probably double! Oh goody! Just what I needed! Sigh!
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Janet, she'll feed them fine. Just feed her several times a day or keep her dog dish filled. She'll have an appetite to match her brood. They'll take turns at the teats, but watch for a runt or any other one getting pushed away and not enough to eat. I'd stock a little puppy formula just in case it's an issue.

Pins get a bad rap. An uncle and an aunt had mini pins from the same litter. Two sweetest dogs one could ever hope to know. I hope you don't have issues finding them homes.
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
Leave them be until she moves them, Janet. Set up a box or pen that will be ready for her that's very near where she is already at, and when she goes out to go potty, put them all in there and direct her to them. You will have these pups for at least 8 weeks, but mom will know how to take care of them. You can go to a feed store and get them their first vaccinations, they're not difficult to give. It's the responsible thing to do to keep them protected from the common diseases that go around.
 

flutterby

Fly away!
Make sure mama is on puppy food for the duration of nursing - especially with that many puppies. They'll take everything from her.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Janet, DON"T be ashamed!! Animals have a very strong biological drive to procreate, at least as strong as humans feel. and what lengths do humans go to in order to have children? So yes, spaying her would have been good, but given the vet situation in your area, it is understandable that she hasn't been. You didn't turn her loose or dump her somewhere when she got pregnant and you didn't take her to a vet to have them aborted. My big problem with animal abortion is that the animal has no choice and it is so terribly terribly dangerous for animals. It is far safer for humans and humans have choices. MANY animals die if they are spayed while pregnant or are given an abortion because the owner doesn't want the hassle of babies and didn't or wouldn't get them spayed/neutered. Vets don't talk about this much but it is reality. We have a vet school here and I know a lot of the instructors and the students and have for years. They all get so furious when a pet owner insists on an abortion or on spaying a pregnant female because it is so much more dangerous for the animal.

You are being a good pet owner and I am sure whatever you feel is right will work out fine. At least you won't go yelling at the poor dog for bleeding when she is in heat or at the puppies if they get pee/poop in the house. My brother did that with the many litters his dog has had and they were ALL traumatized by the time he moved them outside. He also have a VERY bad name among people who love dogs here because he claims that they are ALL pure border collies because he has a male and a female both un-altered. But he keeps the female in the backyard and the male not only goes most places with him but also is the least dominant dog I ahve ever met. The puppy my mom got from him is maybe going to be 30 punds soaking wet if she gets fat and is in NO WAY a pure border collie. She doesn't look much like a border at all except for the hyperness. I have been told other things about it, and there are several people who got puppies from him who now leave notes on any signs he puts up advertising his puppies. It takes a LOT for people to care enough to do that, and I took some pics of the signs at one point and there are at least 3 different people because the handwriting is very different.

So you have NOTHING to be ashamed of. I do think you need to do the vaccines, and witz is right. Go to the feed store and you can get them far cheaper than if you went to a vet. If you want help figuring out the dose for a puppy, I can help find the info online. My neighbors all do this for their pets and it is super easy. For several years I did my cats, my parents cats and brother's dog (before I cut ties with him) and we did 7 animals for less than what the vet charged for one animal. Including buying the syringes and gloves. I insist on gloves so I don't carry things from one dog to the next, but a lot of people don't.

Enjoy the puppies!! Feed Nina puppy food and get that at the feed store too. I don't go for science diet, instead go for a puppy food or a food with meat in it. Around here the feed store has a brand that is really good and we also get Taste of the Wild that has real meat and a very high rating on that dog food site taht Donna posted a while back. I haven't had an animal that didn't love TOTW and it helps keep them in top health because it has food they can really digest and use instead of a lot of filler and low quality food. Just keep Nina's dish full and make sure she has a LOT of fresh water. You might want to consider one of those water dishes that has a reservoir so that you don't have to fill it as often but it stays fresh. Some of the inexpensive ones let you attach a 2liter soda bottle to them as the reservoir.

Enjoy the puppies and send us pictures!
 

donna723

Well-Known Member
Uhhh, puppy food is for puppies! It's formulated to meet the nutritional needs of puppies from the time they are weaned until they're about a year old. It's not meant to be used for nursing mother dogs! Since she's already on a good, high quality food, I would just keep giving her that, as much as she wants, and plenty of fresh water.

If she needs it you could probably find dietary supplements at a co-op or other farm supply store. But "puppy food" is meant for the puppies, not their mamas.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Witz is right, giving their shots isn't the least bit hard. Oh, and I think it's about at 4 wks you worm the pups.........the good wormer, liquid type that comes from the vet. Dunno about where you are but it's really cheap here. Would not be a bad idea to give mom a dose along with her babies either, just to make sure she doesn't have them.

I'm picking up the liquid good wormer for the dogs this week, don't care that they haven't had pups......it's way cheaper than other wormers and much much more effective than any others I've found. And oddly my dogs don't mind the taste of the stuff. Also going for some frontline.........with this wacky warm weather the fleas have already started up pretty bad. blech
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
1.) Do NOT be embarrassed.

2.) DO NOT TOUCH, or MOVE ANY of those puppies - no matter how badly you want to - DONT.

3.) The food you are giving her? Is fine - she'll just need extra portions and (sad to say) to make SURE she has delivered all the afterbirths/placentas? A trip to the vets in a few days - Updates on shots etc.

4.) LOTS and LOTS of fresh water daily - Make sure her POT is washed out EVERY day....mosquito larvae etc.

5.) Just cover her pen with tarp - or blankets - and LEAVE her be.

6.) GET YOUR marketing skills up now - and START making posters for those pets - THIS IS WHY it's a GREAT idea #2 to take her into a vet - THEY CAN sometimes place puppie poster in their office and update them.

CONGRAMMALATIONS.........AND sometimes at a pound - when you turn in a litter of puppies? THEY WILL spay the mother for free or low cost.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Donna most breeders either put Mom on puppyfood or mix it with the normal food because it has far more calories ect than normal dog food, even the good kind. I've in fact not found a breeder yet who didn't. With Lady and Precious.......I did the mix because they weren't too fond of the puppy food. Both dogs were still well nourished when their pups were weaned. Soon as pups started weaning.....moms went back to their normal food & food portions.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
We always do our own shots. Always have. And our own wormers so that isnt something we are unfamiliar with. Raising all those chickens we practically had a pharmacy here.

Star...you know we have already touched the puppies! We have picked them up, counted them, figured out what sex they are..lol. I am trying to decide which one I want! Do I want the one that looks just like mama? Do I want one that is brindled? Or do I want the little brown and white fellow?
 

Star*

call 911........call 911
Ohhhhhhh you want the little fellow - you know - and he's neutured right?

I think the one that is brindled. lol.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
We kept 2 of Precious' pups. Cleo, who not only had Molly's personality to the nth degree but also looked like Molly with chopped off legs (now figure that out, dad is lab/mom basset yet Cleo looked german shepard) and Betsy who looks like a black lab with no legs and who adored Molly from the moment she laid eyes on her. Cleo was my number one choice because I wanted another dog like Molly. (who wouldn't?) But easy child begged and Darrin begged and so she was given to easy child with the agreement that she would return if easy child couldn't for whatever reason care for her. A year later......easy child couldn't, wanted to return her........but by then she and Betsy would NOT get along.......and so Cleo got rehomed and I was furious. Nichole had begged me to kept Betsy so she could take her with her when she left home. Obviously Betsy is still here. Nichole's husband can't stand Betsy for some unknown reason.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Betsy girl, PITA that she can be concerning Molly.......but yeah. Somehow Mom got strung up on that whole deal. lol
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Jamie gave me some great advice. He told me to contact a bull dog rescue when the time comes to give them up. That way I can make sure they get to good homes and I dont have to do all the background searches on people myself. They do it. I dont just want to post Bull dog puppies free to good home on craigslist because some creepy people might want them. Even if I sold them, they would want them. I would have to go out and look at their yards, ask about their vets, etc. Rescues do all that anyway and they go out 6 months later to make sure they are still being taken care of. Or at least that is the way they work up near Jamie.
 
Top