Is it alright for my 1 year old Boston Terrior to have her puppies out in her kennel or should I bring her in?

Question

My 1 year old Bosten Terrior is having her first litter thanks to my neighbors 6 year old Pitbull x Lab. Lolly is an outdoor dog except for when we aren't home, we bring her inside the laundry and put her in her crate. She has a very big, wooden, warm kennel which I would like her to have her pups in because I don't want blood/newborn pups in my clean home. Also, is there anything I should do prior to labour and what are the signs of labour? I will be outside with her to make sure she is alright and I will be able to give her food if she wants it. What do I feed the pups? Can I start to give them away or sell them when they are 6 weeks old or younger? I don't want them for too long. Lolly is now 65 days pregnant so when should they be coming? I got tests done on her and she is due to have 7 puppies!

Also, are shock collars appropriate for puppies or nursing moms? I have been using a shock collar on Lolly for around 5 months but took it off her once she was 40 days pregnant. I am trying to train her by using it and since I took it off, she has barked, whined and yelped for days and days. I just feel as though with months of training, she hasn't learned that she can't do that anymore. I have had complaints from a neighbour threatening to call animal control if she doesn't stop. I was wondering, if the pups are like that too, would I be able to buy one for small dogs? They will be living outside anyway so I won't be able to hear too much but it's still very annoying and destracting.

Oh well I don't know, maybe because I can't afford it? This wasn't a planned litter so I'm only asking here. My vet won't answer any question over the phone, I NEED to go in for a $70 "consult" for her to answer my questions.

Also, what medical care will the pups need? I haven't had Lolly vaccined, just wormed. I can't really afford too much so I won't be paying for micro chips, vaccines, worming or anything unless it's all under $20. Also, will most vets charge the normal $140 for a health check up even if I bring all pups together or will it be $140 per puppy?

Answer 1

Ok this isn't going to get a best answer from you because it isn't something you will like to hear. But you shouldn't be a dog owner. Here are some tips:

You dont want a messy house dont get a pet.
You dont want puppies get the dog spayed.
You dont want a barking dog take them so trainning classes instead of using something like a shock collar.
You dont want a dead dog get it vaccinated.
You cant afford the vet dont have a dog.

If I were you I would give your dog up to a no kill animal shelter at least that way your dog and its puppy will get someone who appreciates them, because from your question you obviously dont have a clue.

Answer 2

Well these questions should have all been asked by you to your vet.
She should be having the pups any day now if your correct in the days. She should not have them out side at all. She should be inside where it is warm and the pups can stay warm also. The first signs of labor are the slowing down of food intake by the dam and then the need to nest, she will dig ing the box and then start to pant heavily. You already have a box inside the home so I'd keep her there until she has the pups. Allowing her to have the pup outside may mean the death of many pups because they will get to cold.
The pups should remain with the mom until they are 8 weeks old. Look you may not be thrilled with the whole thing but it is your responsibility to do what ever you can to make sure all are kept in a healthy and safe environment.
NOTE: No shock collars of any kind cant be use on mom or the pups. I sure hope your really kidding because I dont think anyone is that stupid or that uncaring!

Answer 3

I certainly hope this is a joke but after reading a number of questions here I know it is not always the case

Lolly is a breed that was meant to be an indoor dog only.

Is she on heartworm meds?? my guess the answer is no

If she is heartworm positive it is a risk that the organism will be passed onto her pups, hopefully not as the treatment for is nasty and can be really hard on pups

It is really too late to scold you for what you should have done, but only to offer advice on what you have to be prepared to do as things could become very grim and you may have have one heck of a batttle ahead keeping mom and any pups alive though this, I pray it is not too bad, but from everything you have said so far, you may be in for a very rough ride



She should be indoors now as she will deleiver anytime with you closely supervising the father was a much larger dog and that put a much greater risk that the pups may be too large for her to deliver naturally so good chance she will have complications and will require a c-section inorder to deliver the pup and survive the pregnancy, I can promise you a c-section will be alot more than $140,

She is only 1 , that is like a 12 year old child becomeing a mother, chances are she is not going to be mature enough to know what to do to be a mother and you may have to help her or take over mother duties for her by hand rearing those pups, which will be an almost a round the clock job if all 7 survive, so for you I am sure that would be easier to do inside your home in the kitchen where you can warm/sterlize bottles and have every thing on hand need than running in and outside spending all day in her pen and sitting out there all day and night for the next 4 weeks doing feedings and rubbing tummies to burp or runnning up and down the stairs and basically living in you laundry room if in the basement, Heat lamps would also need to be set up outdoors if it cools off at night

You could very well have a very, very tough job ahead of you, with several sleepless nights, if I was you the last thing I would be worrying about is the cleanliness of the house but how to make the job of caring for all those pups the easiest for myself if all h#ll goes wrong, I would arrange to have someone on standby to run out a buy replacement formula and bottles because those pups will need to be fed every 2 hours and almost immediately after birth. I would have the kitchen set up in advance as well for the delivery clean rags,towels, and equipment needed for delivery incase Lola has no idea what to do, if problems start occuring midway thru birth or at the start have you have the car pre set up to transport mom and any pups born .to the vet, phone the vet get info on what supplies you should have on hand

I forgot to comment on the shock collar no don't use and definitely don't use on the pups, it is an electrical shock and could result in stopping the hearts rythm

You might go thru all this hell and once those become weaned end up watching them all die after from parvo or distemper because no not having Lola vaccinated try to scrape together the money to get those pups vaccinated before weaning and if lucky they may survive,

Answer 4

Your dog needs to be inside with you when she delivers. Given the size of the father and the fact that bostons tend to have large heads, there is a good chance that a puppy could get stuck up there, killing her and the puppies.

Personally, if you are worried about a little mess, and not about the welfare of the dog, maybe it's time to give her to a rescue who will be knowledgable and able to care for her during her delivery. They certainly won't be happy about having to take on a dog that hasn't been vaccinated/wormed etc. but she'll get better care than you are obviously able to give her.

I don't mean to be harsh, but if you aren't providing proper veterinary care to your dog and her puppies you are neglecting them. If you aren't able to care for them, you should give them to someone who can. You have failed her already by letting her be with an unneutered male while she was in heat. This is your fault, you need to take responsibility for it.

The reason she is crying is because she is lonely being out in the kennel all day. Get rid of the shock collar and bring her inside with you where she will be a part of the family. With a little training and consistency she could be a great pet.

Answer 5

Did you know about this trip before you got this pup.....It seems a very strange thing to do, most people plan to be with a new pup as much as possible in the first few weeks, they need stability and to feel safe, the first couple of weeks is so crucial to a new pup in a new home in my eyes, I just can't believe you are leaving him a week after getting him, I appreciate if it's an emergency you have to leave because these things happen in life, but the way you put the question makes me think this is not so in your case, I feel very sorry for this puppy that you are willing to put him at risk by taking him to ANY kennels at his young and vulnerable age

Answer 6

Hi Jessie C,
A normal canine pregnancy lasts approximately sixty-three days following conception. Keep eye on your dog. If within 3 days your dog is nor get labor - for your dog this emergency. You have very young a mom-dog, 1 year old Boston Terrior - very early age for gives birth.

Your the dog may refuse to eat and start to build her nest, where she plans to have her puppies. Unless you introduce her beforehand to a whelping box, the delivery room may be any box, the space near her warm kennel or any number of places you would probably consider inappropriate.

A whelping box should be sufficiently large to accommodate a comfortable stretch for the dog. It should have low sides and be placed in a warm, dry/draft-free and secluded place. Place towels or other soft material in the bottom of the whelping box. Fresh newspapers are also fine and may be easily removed and replaced as they become soiled during whelping. Once whelping is completed/ however, you should replace the newspapers with something that provides better footing for the puppies.

Shortly before whelping, the dog's body temperature will drop to 99 degrees or lower (normal temperature for a dog is between l00 and 102.5 degrees). By this time, you should have shaved her belly, where appropriate, to allow the puppies to find the nipples. If she has a long or dense coat, you should also shave and clean the area around her genitals.

Approximately twenty-four hours after her temperature drops, she can be expected to enter the first stage of labor, when the cervix dilates and opens the birth canal for the passage of puppies. At this time, she will pant, strain, appear restless or may perhaps vomit. Vomiting is normal at the onset of labor, but persistent vomiting may be a sign of illness. This stage of labor is followed by actual abdominal straining and production of the puppies and placentas.

Most dogs give birth easily, without the need of human help. Each puppy emerges in its own placental membrane, which must be removed before the puppy can breathe. The mother usually takes care of this by tearing off and eating the membrane, and then severs the umbilical cord. After delivery, she will lick each puppy to stimulate its breathing.
Please look article:
http://www.askedweb.com/askedweb/Whelping-Care_Of_Mother_And_Puppies/
http://www.askedweb.com/askedweb/Whelping_Puppies/
http://www.askedweb.com/askedweb/Problems_At_Birth/
Jason Homan

Answer 7

Golly Gosh!!
You could have avoided all these problems by having the dog desexed!
Now it's too late...No mum and the pups need to be inside and kept warm. You need to have the pups with mum for at least 8 weeks. Can't you have her in the laundry, at least it is easier to clean mess up!

I don't believe in shock collars, of course it will only work when it's on her and once off she will bark. Reward her when she isnt barking...dogs really aim to please.

I don't want to sound rude but why do you have a dog? Perhaps you would be better off giving her away?

Anyway good luck it is a big job to look after mum and pups!

Answer 8

Maybe, since you are unable to care properly for Lolly the best thing would be for you to turn her over to the ASPCA. Boston Terriers are prone to having problems when giving birth because of the large size of their pup's heads. Since Lolly mated with a much larger dog this may be worse and she may need a C-section. Why is she crying and whining? Is she in pain? If she goes into labor and cannot pass the pups they will die inside of her and she will die too. I truly don't understand why you want this dog just to keep her outside so she doesn't dirty your house. Maybe she's whining because she's lonely and wants to be near you.

Answer 9

The boston terrier has a high rate of need for c-section and given that the father of the litter is also larger than her, I would consider that you need tokeep her in your sight 24/7 so you kinow she's in trouble. If fact given how long its been and that clearly she hasn't been with you 24/7 since you're having toruble with her shreaking, I think she should get a vet physical TOMORROW. It can happen that being unable to deliver a stuck pup they just stop labor --- until things go septic ...
As for age to new home - in many states it's illegal to sell them before 8 weeks
here is a web site about preperations and care:
http://www.k9web.com/dog-faqs/breeding.html
I be praying for lolly she's gonna need it

Answer 10

If your budget is so tight that you cannot afford vaccinations and wormings, I am really surprised to read that you took her in for tests to learn how many puppies there were.

I agree with the other posts, the girl needs to be indoors. You should have read some books to prepare yourself for whelping rather than waiting until day 65! Yikes, puppies tonight dead or alive. Hopefully with a litter of 7, you bought some Pedialyte to give her between puppies as she will be extremely thirsty and likely get dehydrated from all of the panting and pushing to deliver puppies. This will likely be a very long night. Get her settled in and plan on sleeping on the floor beside her bedding. A typical delivery of a litter of 7 can take anywhere from 3 to 7 hours after the arrival of the first puppy. The birth of that first puppy will usually have a couple hours of panting, and furious scratching before she actually settles down to start pushing out a puppy. She will likely cut the umbilical cord of each puppy by chewing it . Once complete, you can remove the puppy from the sac and make sure to get its head out of the sac first so it can start to take its first breathe. Meanwhile, stay near her and use clean cloths to dry each puppy off and put it next to her tummy sho she can start cleaning it and helping it urinate and pass its first bowel movement. Be prepared for a long night.

I am sending a vaccination schedule for your to follow for the puppies. Make sure they get what they need to prevent parvo and distemper and give the required number of shots at the right times. Be sure to also take your litter with the mom to the vet the day after they are born. Bring them all in a crate that is covered with a blanket to protect them from exposure to diseases from other dogs at the vet. Your vet will check hearts and lungs of each puppy as well as check for cleft palates. He will also give the mom a shot to help clean out her uterus of any debris and to help bring down her milk.