ozwildflower

I have standard poodles and my last litter will be 12 months old next month. Both litters from this girl have been whelped in a corner of my bedroom and moved to a whelping box in another corner of my bedroom where they stay until eyes and ears open and they are getting active - then I move them to a bigger area in the living room where all the noise is. (Open plan gives kitchen/living/office and noise in one area). Depending on weather I start taking them to an outside pen for a few hours from 3 - 3 1/2 weeks. I have polished cork floors which pups can't get traction on so, when I move them to the living area, I put down a good size piece of rubber backed dry bed, lots of teddies for climbing on and cuddling up to and newspaper for toileting.

One girl sleeps where ever she wants - usually on my bed. Doggy futons in the living room and bedrooms. I usually crate at night until they are of an age that they don't eat everything in the house while I sleep. They also have beds on the porch that they can use through the day if they want.

Did you email them to find out if they would deliver to you? I've not had a response to my email yet....... No, I didn't Winterpaws, I just took it from the list of postcodes that they deliver to - which comes up in 'clickable format' towards the end of the ordering process. My postcode isn't there and neither is that of the nearest town...which I would have been quite happy to pick up from. It will be interesting to see what they say to you, if they email back.

I just went through the whole order thing to find, at the very end of the process, that they don't deliver to my part of NSW. Seems if you are even slightly rural then you aren't on the delivery list. Shame really, it is because I am 45 mins from the nearest pet supply store that I shop online - I'm sure that is the case for many of us.

Congratulations!! That's terrific, love the name and love the breed.

He should feel bad. If she was in the garage, why on earth was she also on a chain????? I wouldn't be part of a repeat mating if I were you.

Just wondering if the nails are 'white' and if the poodle is living in a high rainfall area.....if so, could be like one of my standards. He has brittle nails that crack and peel when the weather has been wet, wet, wet (like the last year). Anyway, I've found that keeping them clipped as far back as possible and rubbing in a bit of oil helps.

I do hope everything is okay for you, however, the only time I have had this happen is when something is wrong with the pup and mother rejects it. It might be worth your taking the pup in to the vet for a check-up and/or supplement feed. Could be that mum is just inexperienced and has more than she feel she can cope with. Maybe others will have more or better advice. Good luck.

Yes, I agree with Ellz. Also depends a bit on how many pups i.e. are there enough nipples to go around. I also make sure the smallest gets the first milk from the best boob otherwise they can be getting the dregs after 'big brute' has sucked it nearly dry.

I'm hoping your appointment with the 2nd opinion vet has gone well. The only pup I have known to have major surgery that young was one that had a serious injury and shattered the bone when it fell off a very high verandah (not mine, but friends pup). 6 years later that dog is still having fun on the farm but is on daily medication. That brings me to my other point. Pups of this age often hurt themselves when playing..keep them quiet for a day or two and 'voila' happy pup. Good diet a must as others have said..in fact, I agree with everybody. I have standard poodles, and I'm sure it is the same with most large or larger breeds - be careful of how much they exercise when young and try and avoid racing up or down steps when playing. Let us know how you've gone with your appointment. Good Luck!

My girl goes right off her food when she is pregnant. The first time I was in a real panic - but knew what to expect from her the second time. (She has only had the 2 litters) I agree with everyone, but Wilderblu has the ideas that have mostly worked for my girl. She also doesn't like water for a week after whelping so I give her chicken broth...she will also tolerate that when she is pregnant. I avoid the dairy in any form as that usually gives them the runs - as does liver. Good Luck!

That would also be my first thought. I didn't let my girl mate this season after having had pups 8 months ago - and she is just coming out of a psuedo-pregnancy.

Yes, great place to get your supplies from - I also got my vet beds from there and it has been much used. I cut mine in half - which makes it easily washable. I use the green back in the whelping box when they are little and then, when they are getting around more, I use the rubber back. The reason I use the rubber back is because I have polished cork floors and the green back slips around. The green back dries faster and is easier when there is still a fair bit of washing to be done. By the timeI have them out on the rubber back they are toileting in their papered 'toilet' spot. Good luck with the pups.

I also don't force the issue of weaning - mum stops them when it's time. I offer scrapped meat or top grade mince at 3 1/2 weeks and they usually start looking forward to it by 4 weeks. From then I start adding different food and textures e.g. soaked puppy food. I don't like giving it dry as I've seen pups get quite constipated. By the time pups are 6 weeks they are eating pretty much what mum eats - chewing bones, chicken wings/frames. I have a bitch that often gives her pups a last feed before they leave home - after they haven't suckled for a week or more. Her pups have all grown to well adjusted adults, so I trust her as to weaning time. As has been said - just make sure pups are getting something before mum starts regurgitating for them.

I'm pretty sure I'd been insulted also. I always show the pedigree (or the link to) in any ad and still spend hours answering questions. Those people are just making work for themselves - or have something to hide. I had one guy who said he wanted a pet but then wanted pick of the litter - when I said (very nicely) that I couldnt' do that he got really nasty. Then, a few weeks later 'phoned my hubby and tried to say that I had promised pick of the litter and he expected to come on out and choose his pup. Scary people out there.

I tried the crumbling with Shy but that failed also!!! hahaha LOL..a dog after my dogs heart. Well, Anzu just looks at it and says "you must be kidding" and Takara blows it across the room (she does the same thing with her ball through the dog wire of the fence. Little darlings. www.takanzstandardpoodles.com

I bought milbemax today also. Trouble is, with my dogs anyway, apart from not liking the chews - I can't guarantee that they will always eat their dinner. Food is just not the most important thing in thier lives unless it is a training treat, and then they prefer praise and cuddles. Sticking a tablet down their throat is so easy and I know they have had the correct dose.

I wish I could convince my standard poodles that they are labs..I reckon life would be a bit easier.

Does the Mlbemax cover heartworm? I complained about the interceptor in at the vets (I'm a fair way from town and don't get there often) and the vet nurse got me some seperate tablets in a packet because they didn't have anything other than interceptor or spectrum boxed. It just had milbemax written on the packet but I have been a bit concerned that it may have only done the intestinal worming and missed them on their heartworm. Mossies are rife around here at the moment and I really don't want them to be missing their heartworm treatment. I have written to Interceptor, no reply at all. I can only think they are losing business and should maybe listen to what their customers are saying. Why they had to try and fix what wasn't brokent I don't know.

I don't have any problem putting tablets down my dogs throats and have never used the 'chewy' things. Bought, what I though was the usual Interceptor and have this huge rectangular thing that my dogs won't have a bar of. No way am I going to start chopping things up, putting it through their food and then standing over them to make sure they don't throw up for the next 3 hours. Sheeeeeesh. Not sure what I'll be buying but it sure as H@#%% won't be interceptor unless they bring out a tablet again. It is really annoying because I do have to watch for various nasties around here (including tapeworm being spread by the wallabies) and I felt safe with the 1st day of every month 'do everything' day. I don't have a flea problem and they get a rinse on them when I bath them - so don't need anything like Sentinel.

Yeah but the combined products like Interceptor are a combined heartwormer/intestinal wormer. I used Interceptor for years - but will not be anymore unless they change back to a tablet, or at least give me a choice. Not sure what I will give them yet in place of it. I don't have a flea issue here but I do have wallabies etc around the place that carry tapeworm (as well as a few other things like ticks) so I'm pretty fussy about the worming routine.

They make up names and use PO boxes Absolutely ID if that is happening - how scary. I mean, seems common sense to me that you can't raise dogs in a PO box - surely you have to at least have to give a proper address.

I second Gretel. Great product and great service. I like the rubber backed when the pups are a bit older..I use it in the bottom of the crate when travelling to vets etc as, on our very windy roads, it gives more stability and the pups feel more secure. I also use the rubber backed on our cork flooring so that little feet don't slip all over the place. I use the non- rubber backed for their sleeping quarters.

Maybe we need to get enough people talking about the problem with the chews so that the Interceptor folk take notice and give us a choice.

Am I the only one here who's dogs simply will NOT eat the new chewy Interceptor? They blow them clean across the room. I have no trouble getting a tablet down my dogs throat but there is no way I can get those square, rectangular things down. The no stickers doesn't worry me as I do everything on the 1st of the month - but having no choice but the chews really has got me and I changed to Milbemax this month. I do have friends that have had the same problem and I have suggested the change to them also.