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Litter Daily Weight Record
Puppy Data Sheet
Dam Temp Chart
Weight Chart
The Actual Mating
The luckiest breeders have a bitch that goes into season on schedule, becomes predictably flirtatious around day 7, presents herself willingly to the stud and accepts his advances without struggle. The male confidently mounts his mate, the tie ensues, he dismounts and they stand calmly side-by-side until ejaculation occurs and the tie is over. The experienced breeder will be amused at the seeming effortless description of this natural event. She will remember the times that the bitch wouldn’t cooperate, or the stud was uninterested, or they wore themselves out with unproductive thrusting. The stud dog owner remembers fielding calls every day from a distraught bitch owner, worried that her window of opportunity to conceive was waning, and that her world would come to an end if this mating didn’t take place. Conversely, when the tie finally occurs the female panics, pain and/or injury ensues, the male is so traumatized that he becomes celibate, and his owner is understandably worried about the condition of the bitch in her care. What should happen, and what sometimes does happen, are worlds apart. The mentoring of an experienced breeder is invaluable, and it is also helpful to pair an inexperienced bitch with a seasoned stud, and a first-time stud with a mature and seasoned brood bitch.
At the onset of estrus, the female will sniff the male and invite him to sniff her by turning her rear quarters. She will flag her tail to one side and tease to get the male’s attention. She may lay her head across his back, paw at him or mount him.
When a sexually mature male encounters a female in estrus, he will make a preliminary approach, sniff and lick to test the bitch’s reaction. If she is not yet interested or aggressive toward the male, he will try again later. Males will not fight with a female, they just wait until she is more receptive. When the bitch is ready for breeding, she will stand solidly and flag the male. He will mount and clasp her around her flanks, begin thrusting until the penis enters the vagina. At this time the dog is partially elevated over her back and will dance from side to side on his toes. Intense deep thrusting occurs at the time the bulb of the penis enlarges. The enlargement of the bulb within the vagina causes the penis to be locked inside the vulva and the tie is accomplished. The dog will dismount and place both feet on the ground on one side of the bitch. Then he lifts his rear leg so he can turn around and the remainder of the tie is spent with the dog and bitch standing tail to tail. The length of the tie can last for just a few minutes to over an hour. During this time ejaculation continues intermittently. Conception can occur with or without a tie, and the length of tie has no influence on conception.
During the tie the bitch may stand quietly, but she may try to get away from the male. The male can be dragged by the bitch, with the potential for trauma and damage. For safety they should be fully supervised during the entire tie. The bitch may twist, turn, cry out, or howl. These actions can frighten a young inexperienced male. It can be helpful to scoop up the two tied animals and hold them on your lap in a big comfortable chair for the duration of the tie.
Note: One breeder scoops her tied Havanese up and places them in a 2 4-gallon Rubbermaid storage tote. It is large enough for them to stand comfortably side-by-side, but too tall for them to attempt to jump out. They appear comforted by the confinement, like swaddled babies, and relax and let nature take its course. She refers to the storage tote as the ‘breeding bucket.’
When the swelling of the male’s bulb goes down, the tie is broken. Both dogs will usually sit and lick themselves. Once in a while the skin at the tip of the prepuce will roll inward when the penis is being withdrawn back into the sheath. When this happens, the tip may not retract entirely into the sheath and will be exposed to drying and trauma. This can be very painful for him. The dog’s licking usually corrects the problem but always inspect the male’s prepuce after every mating to be sure all has returned to normal. If not, a light spray mist of water should help.
Stud dogs should gradually be introduced to having a bitch held for them, and it is well worth the effort to train a stud dog this way. It’s especially helpful in holding up a submissive bitch that continually sits as well as an aggressive one that snaps or tries to escape. You must always protect your stud dog physically and mentally if you want him to perform. Young males are more likely to mount inappropriately: i.e. head, shoulders, side etc. Experience is important to the male’s behavior and gentle guidance and encouragement is helpful.
Know Your Vet
In preparing for the birth of a litter of puppies, it is invaluable to be established and comfortable with a veterinarian well before the whelping due date. Often this can be done during an appointment relating to the pregnancy such as the initial pre-breeding examination of the dam, progesterone testing, sonogram to determine pregnancy, or an X-ray of the bitch to determine the number, size and orientation of the puppies done sometime after the 55th day of pregnancy. A record of the vet’s office hours, the emergency clinics they recommend, along with directions and phone numbers, and any additional special information the vet may have to help with the whelping the litter is a valuable addition to the whelping supplies.
Whelping Supplies
Here is a list of things that are valuable to have on hand while whelping pups.
Clamps (for cords as needed)
Child’s safely scissors (to cut cord, dull is better!)
Baby suction bulb (to remove mucus from newborns mouth , then nose as needed)
Dental floss, unwaxed (to tie off cords as needed)
Towels! Towels! Towels!
Small towels (to use to grip pups as needed)
Paper towels to clean up messes
Trash bags to contain messes – one for trash, one for used towels
Paper/forms to record births and make notes
Pens/pencils
Scale for birth weights
Clock/watch for timing
Alcohol wipes to clean clamps or scissors between pups
4x4 gauze pads to help grip pups if stuck
KY jelly (for lubrication in case of stuck pup)
Latex gloves
Betadine ( for cord care)
Nutrical or Karo syrup (for quick sugar to mom or pups as needed)
Favorite whelping books
Phone numbers of friends and vets for emergencies
Phone
Books to read for waiting
Car gassed up and ready to go in the event a trip to the emergency vet is necessary
Whelping Area
Whelping boxes can be almost anything. The important point is that it is easy to clean, draft free, comfortable for mom and easy to keep warm.
There are many designs available if you wish to make your own. You can buy many different types of whelping boxes on the Internet. We happen to use a concrete mixing container that is about 3ft X 2ft x 1ft high. It is heavy duty plastic and very cheap at the hardware stores - easy to wash and sturdy enough to reuse. Best is that it fits into our 3ft x 3ft puppy pen. Some breederz use plastic wading pools and even the bottoms of larger crates.
Inside the box it is important to place several layers of newspaper to absorb the fluids of the birthing process and cover it with towels. We have also used rubber-backed bath mats for better traction for Mom while she is delivering and to give the pups a good footing. Whatever you use you will need plenty so that you can change the bedding frequently to keep the litter clean and dry.
A heat source is also necessary for the box. Some breeders prefer an over head heat source over a heating pad. There are many options from the catalogs. Look at reptile heaters, a ceramic heat emitter which throws no light, a red light in a special holder, and brooder lights are also something to check out. But please remember to only heat about half the box, leave room for the puppies to get away from the heat if they are too hot.
There is a heater called a whelping nest. The nest heats as needed and has its own temperature control. Overheating causes dehydration. Humidity is also important for the pups. A cool vaporizer in the room the pups are in but away from the box helps a lot.
A room thermometer in the box but not on the heat source is needed. It is even better if you can find one that also measures the humidity. The box should be maintained at about 80 degrees since the pups cannot regulate their own temperature until about three weeks of age.
Many breeders incorporate the use of puppy rails around the sides of the box in order to give a newborn a safe “path” around the sides in case mom lays to close and traps him. Sometimes referred to as “pig rails” they can easily be made from PVC piping and attached about 2-3 inches from the floor of the box.
The box should be placed in the spot you want it to stay about a week before whelping. A quiet part of the house away from a lot of activity is best. Remember that Mom will be looking for dim, warm and isolated when she has her pups. (Think Closet!) Make it also a comfortable area for yourself since you will be spending time with Mom and helping her with the whelping.
Temporary Puppy Box
You will need to create a temporary place for the litter to stay while Mom is whelping the next puppy. A 24inch by 18-inch plastic box with a lid (such as a Rubbermaid box) can be ideal. It can double as a storage box for your whelping supplies after the pups no longer need it.
Fit a small heating pad without the automatic shut off into half of the box, run the cord out through a hole you will make in a corner of the box. Cover this with a bolster type crate mat to protect the pups from cold edges. As an alternative, use a microwavable heating pad. Test the temperature to make sure it is not too hot before using it to hold the puppies.
This is where you will place the pups while Mom is whelping the rest of the pups, and it is also a great way to transport the pups to and from the vet or any other time you will need to keep them warm away from Mom. Pre-warm the box before the litter starts to arrive and also before you take them away from mom to travel. At the vets you can ask to plug you box in and keep it warm that way for the trip home. Cold or chilled pups do not survive!
This information is based on the experience of the author, is provided to breeders for informational purposes only. It should not be construed to be endorsement by HCA of any particular technique, method or recommendation. Always seek and follow the advice of your vet first.
Supplemental Feedings
So you’ve done all you can to produce a healthy litter of puppies but something went wrong with one or more of them. Perhaps the dam has more than puppies she can handle, didn’t go full term is overdue, the puppies are undersized or just didn’t form correctly. Almost anything can go wrong. An absolutely wonderful book to read before you have your litter is Puppy Intensive Care: A Breeder's Guide to Care of Newborn Puppies by Myra Savant-Harris, this book will tell you what to have on hand in an emergency and where to find it. There is The Whelping & Bearing of Puppies: A Complete & Practical Guide by Muriel P. Lee, The Complete Book of Dog Breeding by Dan Rice, and Breeding a Litter – The Complete Book of Prenatal & Postnatal Care by Beth J. Finder Harris. (Please refer to the References Section for more books about breeding dogs.) The resources are out there to help you, but do keep in mind that a Havanese mentor and your vet are your best resource.
Orphan pups and Premature pups
If something happens and Mom will not, or cannot, feed one or more of the puppies, you need to be prepared. Mom’s milk may not come in right away; she may not be ready for motherhood so you might have to become the, hopefully temporary, surrogate mother. You should have available some “Just Born” or “Esbilac” milk replacement and some small animal nursing bottles. You can find it in liquid or powdered form at many pet stores or from online suppliers. If you have read the book mentioned above and feel confident enough, you can try your hand at tube feeding. To do that, you will also want to have a catheter and syringe available for use. Sometimes tube feeding is the only way to get the puppy to take milk. It’s a good idea to have your vet show you how to do this ahead of time.
In making these decisions, it is best to enlist the help of your veterinarian as soon as possible after the birth.
There are some wonderful recipes for milk to feed the puppy, but if this is your first time, the store ones are just fine to get you started. A lot of puppies are born in the middle of the night when it is not easy to find a market open. You certainly do not want to leave mom and the pups to go find what you need, so it’s a good idea to be sure you are prepared ahead of time.
If mom is not cleaning the puppies for some reason; they will need to have assistance from you to stimulate them to potty. Please do not leave your litter until you are sure all are being cared for by the mother. I use soft Kleenex to help the new puppy go. Rub gently from the tummy to the rear across the genital area to help stimulate them to urniate, then you need to rub from genital area to the tail to help them poop. The stimulation is something you will need to do after you feed them, which should be done about every 2 hours to start with.
Try to keep the puppy with the mom and litter mates to keep it warm, if at all possible,. If mom is pushing the puppy away, you need to have a place to keep it warm by itself. One way to do this is to use a small plastic container lined with towels. You can purchase a “Snuggle Safe” that can be warmed in the microwave to place in a towel under the puppy. Or you can use a heating pad on low. Make sure that you monitor the temperature and that you don’t dehydrate the puppy in doing so. If the puppy gets chilled you will lose it quickly. All the puppies need to be kept warm as they are not capable of regulating their own body temperature in the first several days.
Each day you need to take the mother and puppy aside to try to get the puppy to nurse if at all possible. If you don’t try, you won’t know if the mom will accept the puppy or if the puppy now has enough suction to nurse the mother. If you can get mom to accept the puppy, it will be better for both of them, but this does not always happen.
For the first several days, you should weigh the entire litter to determine their progress on weight gain. A small basket or bread pan on postage scale works well for this. The first day you will often find that they have lost a small amount of their birth weight, but after that, they should make a steady gain. Havanese puppies at birth can weigh anywhere from 4 oz. to 7 oz. with some variation above and below those values. Their birth weigh depends on the bitch and how many puppies she has produced as well as other factors.
Weak or Fading pups
Underweight and very weak puppies are a little harder to deal with. As soon as you notice they are non-responsive to nursing you need to give them a drop in their mouth of Karo Syrup or you can use a product called Stat that you can get from your vet. This is a short term fix to give them a small amount of energy while you and your vet assess what is causing the weakness.
Hopefully you will have already established yourself and your bitch with a good vet (see Preparing for Delivery) who can help you make good decisions and can coach you through the following procedures or other appropriate ones.
You will need to keep the weak puppies hydrated. If you gently pinch their skin and the skin stays up in a pucker, you know you need to get fluids into them. You may not know how to give them fluid subcutaneously, but you can try using a the feeding tube or a bottle. With the easily dehydrated fading puppies, you have to keep a special balance between warmth so the puppy doesn’t get chilled and fluid intake because the warmth will speed up fluid loss from the puppy.
The puppy needs to have enough energy to take the bottle; a 3 oz. or smaller puppy sometimes does not have that strength. To help with this problem, you can try putting the small puppy nipple on a 3/10 cc syringe and then gently push the milk out as the puppy sucks. Unfortunately, it’s very hard to regulate the amount of milk that comes out of a syringe. Some breeders will hold the puppy with it’s head in a slight downward position to help keep excess formula from drowning the puppy.
The puppy’s stomach is small, so great care must be taken to not over feed the puppy. A general rule of thumb is to feed the puppy ½ it’s weight in cc’s…for example…if the puppy weighs 3 oz, feed 1-1/2 cc per feeding, every 2 hours. It is a good idea to weigh the puppy each time you feed so that after 3 or 4 feedings, you will know whether the puppy has maybe gained even a small amount of weight.
Malformed pups
You also need to know that sometimes puppies are born in a dry sack and dead, and the mom may try to eat it so that it will not affect the remaining puppies,.This puppy should be removed from the mother as quickly as possible.
Welcome to HCA’s Breeders’ Education Committee Pages
Dear Visitor: It is our hope that you are exploring this site as a member of the Havanese Club of America, or a Regional or Local Havanese Club member, and an owner of a Champion-potential Havanese from sound parentage, ready to commit yourself to the hard work of becoming a responsible Havanese breeder. Breeding a healthy Havanese litter of sound temperament and correct type can be one of life’s truly rewarding experiences. The best breeders will tell you that they never stop learning. Producing a litter means that you are committed to the well-being of those puppies for the remainder of their lives. This site is intended as a springboard to your education as a breeder, NOT as an all-inclusive text on canine reproduction. On this site you will find the common characteristics of good breeders as outlined in the Havanese Club of America Code of Ethics, a basic overview of the breeding process from start to finish, and a list of references from respected breeders and authors. The Actual Mating Courting and the Tie Example of Puppy Book
Please note: All articles, references, directions, instructions, examples and explanations contained in these Breeders’ Education pages are presented as the opinion or experience of the author, and should NOT be construed by anyone to be an endorsement by the HCA, nor as the only or best way to address a given situation. Always seek and follow advice from your Vet regarding any of the situations addressed on these pages.
Before You Breed
Introduction - Should I Breed my Dog?
Assessing Breeding Stock Conformation, Temperament, & Health
Selecting a Mate - Your Objectives for the Breeding
Prepare for Breeding
Estrus and Timing
Making Arrangements for Physical Mating
Making Arrangements for Artificial Insemination
Stud Contracts
Placement of Puppies
Puppy Application/Breeder Questionnaire
Artificial Insemination
The Pregnancy
Nutrition and Conditioning
Evidence of Pregnancy
Pregnancy Calendar
Preparing for Delivery
Whelping Supplies
Whelping Area
The Birth
Normal Deliveries
Difficult Deliveries
Caesarean Section
Newborn Care
Supplemental Feedings
When to Call the Vet
Care of the Dam
Puppy Development – coming soon
Housing Your Newborns
Assessing Progress
Early Socialization
Physical Conditioning
Potty Arrangements
Weaning Puppies
Providing Puppy Buyer Updates
Placing the Puppies –coming soon
Show and Pet Evaluation
Registration, Documentation and Contracts
Selection and Pick-up Arrangements
New Owner’s Package
Puppy Follow-up – coming soon
Your Puppy’s New Home
Puppy Training and Formal Education
Fulfilling Contract Agreements
Records and Forms
Birth Record
Litter Daily Weight Record
Puppy Data Sheet
Dam Temp Chart
Weight Chart
References – list of books, websites, and other resources