New Subj Line: CL puppy having puppies - help needed from experienced pup raisers

[JakodaCD OA]

hang in there, not an easy decision, but you did a "good" thing and continue to do so, so don't beat yourself up ...

[selzer]

It is a sucky choice to have to make. No one should judge you on what you decide to do. It is just one of those things. Neither course is particularly easy.

Yes, I think it really is best to keep her until the puppies are 8 weeks old. She is such a puppy herself yet. I remember Arwen's first litter. She had seven puppies. When the first one went to its new home at eight weeks old, my sister and the new owner and I had been talking and such for about an hour or so, and then we finally decided to do this, and I put Arwen inside my bedroom in a crate and helped the new owner out to her car with her pup and the food and stuff. I came back in and went to let Arwen out. She made a bee-line to the box looked in there and then she started to cry. Then my sister started to cry. The next day when the second pup went home, Arwen wasn't too fussed about it.

I haven't quite figured that out. But I think that your pup has been through an awful lot, and the runt will need all the help he can. I think that separating her from her litter completely before they are eight weeks old is just one more thing in the poor dog's life.

Take this time to find just the right home for her if you want to go that route.

It is funny. Bitches are all different. Jenna will tolerate people coming in and looking at the puppies prior to 8 weeks old, but if I try to keep her totally away while they are looking at them, she gets a bit frantic. She will sail over 4' x-pens and scale fences to be there. As the puppies get older -- closer to 8 weeks, her intensity about the situation reduces considerably. This is why I generally don't let anyone come over until they are a minimum of three weeks old, and then I just put her on lead and keep her with me. Often we go and meet the people at their car together. The puppies will be in their play area, and Jenna will be present.

I would just give this pup the full eight weeks with her pups and then you can separate and even re-home her it will be less traumatic for her. Harder on your family, as I know you get attached.

[pinklady]

We will most definitely keep Heidi until 8 weeks then, we had anticipated that but I just wanted to make sure. Yes, sometimes I will put Heidi in her crate for visitors but she seems okay as long as she can see them. As of last night, there are only two puppies left, both female. They are all going to to good homes and friends, two are brothers in fact so I will see them grow up which will be nice. I will be sad to see them go, but after the mess that I had to clean up his morning (and from Heidi last night), I think I'm ready for no more puppies in the house. I ran into someone at Petsmart last night and told her about the situation and she remarked how calm I was, that if it were her, she'd be freaking. And I said, trust me, at first I really did freak, but now what else can we do, it is what it is.

Just got a message from the rescue I sent a message to last night so will call them when I get to work since I'm on train. Hope they can help.

[pinklady]

BTW, do they look like pugs to you? My friend is telling me they look like pugs....

[msvette2u]

New pics?

[pinklady]

Some pix taken within past couple days. I don't see pug. And I'm hoping they will be bigger dogs too.

[msvette2u]

Ah if they were here, I'd call them "Shepherd mixes". Maybe Shep x Lab? Sometimes it's very difficult to tell until they are 8 + weeks of age.

[Stevenzachsmom]

Definitely stick with shepherd mixes. I don't see any pug.

[pinklady]

Just got off the phone with the rescue in Michigan and they will be taking Heidi once she is ready. She said she is not surprised the female/female combination did not work. She says they screen the candidates, have sterilization records (for pups) and thoroughly make sure they go to good homes. The last dog they had received over 20 applications so they can be choosy. So I feel sooo much better about this. She said they can also take the two puppies if I cannot find homes for them as well. It will be a drive to take her there, about 2.5 hours, but I feel much better doing that rather than dropping her off at a local shelter, even if it is a no-kill.

[msvette2u]

Frankly, unless you can keep tabs and make sure the people getting the pups alter them, it would be best to send them to the rescue.
TBH, it's difficult enough to follow up on puppies let go intact (that they get altered at 6mos, no later) when you're a rescue, let alone a private citizen.
We have built in clauses in our adoption contracts that let us enforce or take the puppy back if things went south.
We chip as well so no dog is "lost in the system", that is, turned into a shelter and nobody informed us. They scan and call us.