sas Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 (edited) Hi Everyone, A general question for Breeders as to whether you would use a service like this... I have a friend whose looking at starting a whelping service where she would take on one bitch at a time for Breeders who for whatever reason cannot whelp the bitch at their place i.e. another litter at the same time, lack of resources, lack of experience, can't get the time off work etc. The Whelper is an experienced Vet Nurse and also a Registered Breeder themselves. Some notes: 1) Bitch would be whelped in the home and the puppies raised inside. 2) Large grassed run area available for the bitch prior to whelp and as an exercise/day pen for the bitch and pups later on. 3) Bitch and pups would go back to Breeder when the pups are around 4 weeks of age (or as discussed with the Breeder). 4) Bitch would have to have to be up to date with all their Needles or Titre test. 5) Fee for service would most likely be 10% of the puppies selling price per pup. As I'm not the person looking at running the service myself I can't really answer ad hock questions about it but what would your general feeling be about a service such as that? Edited May 5, 2011 by MEH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fifi Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 MEH, I do it for my breeder/mentor and some friends, but only at their own places. The people I provide this service for would never consider a bitch & pups be away from home. I'm sure there are breeders who would be comfortable having their bitch stay & whelp somewhere else, but I personally don't know any. Maybe your friend could also think about a home visit / stay service component of her idea ? many breeders who work outside the home really struggle with enough time off to raise the litter. Just my thoughts :-) fifi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJean Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Hi Everyone,A general question for Breeders as to whether you would use a service like this... I have a friend whose looking at starting a whelping service where she would take on one bitch at a time for Breeders who for whatever reason cannot whelp the bitch at their place i.e. another litter at the same time, lack of resources, lack of experience, can't get the time off work etc. The Whelper is an experienced Vet Nurse and also a Registered Breeder themselves. Some notes: 1) Bitch would be whelped in the home and the puppies raised inside. 2) Large grassed run area available for the bitch prior to whelp and as an exercise/day pen for the bitch and pups later on. 3) Bitch and pups would go back to Breeder when the pups are around 4 weeks of age (or as discussed with the Breeder). 4) Bitch would have to have to be up to date with all their Needles or Titre test. 5) Fee for service would most likely be 10% of the puppies selling price per pup. As I'm not the person looking at running the service myself I can't really answer ad hock questions about it but what would your general feeling be about a service such as that? I've actually tried to engage a service for one of my girls when I was o/s your friend might find that their business idea will be limited to small breeds or types of dogs because ultimately a small breed bitch is easier to handle wrt any post-whelping management issues such as a large breed bitch that wont let the whelping professional near her or the puppies. You'd have to probably limit the service to breeds of dogs that you were familiar with and confident interacting with etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebanne Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 quite common in the racing greyhound world I believe to use a whelping service Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordogs Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I have also whelped litters for a friends who were not able to have time off work but at their home not mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I also do this for persons not able to whelp their litters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I would not use a service like that. There is quite a few Greyhound places that provide that service, here are 2 I know of http://www.justgreyhounds.com/bluegums http://www.simplywhelping.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Danni Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I would not use a service where my bitch or puppies left my home. However, I might use a service that provides assistance after my pups are born, so that I can get back to work or not have to travel home at lunchtime to feed and toilet everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoL Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 No, I'm too much of a control freak to let something so huge and with so many potential risks like whelping be cared for by someone else! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunnwarren Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Don't think my bitches would tolerate someone they don't know in with them while they have pups. Last time I had someone come in and check on a bitch of mine the bitch tried to bite them when they put their hand into the whelping box. Most bitches are very protective of their babies. Mine are fine until the pups get to about 3 days old then heaven help any stranger that walks into the room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 No I would not use this service. I would not leave my dogs in a strange environment with people I did not know. Also would not mate the dog if I knew I could not be there or have time for the litter. May be ok for kennel dogs that are used to staff, being confined etc but for those that live as pets I can't imagine the stress on them even though pups would be born & survive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paptacular! Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 No, I'm too much of a control freak to let something so huge and with so many potential risks like whelping be cared for by someone else! Yes I'd be concerned with liability issues.... for example if in someone else's care the bitch badly bit the carer or there was a post-whelping problem that may have been missed and illness/injury/death occurred as a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 or there was a post-whelping problem that may have been missed and illness/injury/death occurred as a result. I was thinking alone the same lines what if the career gave/did... Oxy at the wrong time and ruptured the uterus. They said yes to a c-section and the breeder did want one but wanted to wait a little longer. The tube feed a puppy and did it wrong killing the puppy. They let the bitch labour to long and it resulted in stillborn stressed out puppies. Bitch gets mastitis and the career leaves it to long before seeking treatment. Has the whelping box to hot and causes the puppies to cook. Bitch is stressed out and won't eat because it's owner is not around. Liability factor is huge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 or there was a post-whelping problem that may have been missed and illness/injury/deI was thinking alone the same lines what if the career gave/did... Oxy at the wrong time and ruptured the uterus. They said yes to a c-section and the breeder did want one but wanted to wait a little longer. The tube feed a puppy and did it wrong killing the puppy. They let the bitch labour to long and it resulted in stillborn stressed out puppies. Bitch gets mastitis and the career leaves it to long before seeking treatment. Has the whelping box to hot and causes the puppies to cook. Bitch is stressed out and won't eat because it's owner is not around. Liability factor is huge. [/quote I have been doing it for nearly 40 years and never had a complaint. I think that speaks for itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I have been doing it for nearly 40 years and never had a complaint. I think that speaks for itself. That's you thou, were are talking about someone else you do not know as a paid service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Baggins Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I assissted friend with their first whelping. They where thre but it was still resonsibility. Never whelped a large breed before, I learnt a lot from that whelping and it changed my managemnet of her next whelping. Her third whelping we nearly pulled the pin but took her fora walk arounf the street and she kicked back into business. I would take on a whelp if someone was OS ETC BUT huge responsibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I would presume you would consider responsibilty like you wouuld if you handed your bitch over to a vet clinic - you'd have to trust in teh professional knowledge and extpertise of the service, and the service would need good insurance for when situations went badly. I wouldn't use one habitually, having few dogs and them being very close with the family. But can see it being very valuable service to have available in certain instances like a sudden emergency that called family away from home at crucial whelping times etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SwaY Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 But can see it being very valuable service to have available in certain instances like a sudden emergency that called family away from home at crucial whelping times etc I agree Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 Each bitch can be so different when in whelp and once they have puppies - the blase bitch who loves everyone can turn into Cujo if anyone apart from owner comes near her pups whilst others don't really care. I don't think it would help some bitches to be taken from their homes near whelp date to a totally strange place to have puppies - enough stress around without adding more. But I could understand using such a service in the event of a dire emergency and I couldn't get any friends to help me out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Danni Posted May 6, 2011 Share Posted May 6, 2011 I did start the whelping on a bitch that belonged to a friend of mine when she herself went to hospital to have her son. But I knew the bitch a bit and she knew me, so there were no issues and the bitch was in her own home. The first 2 pups were born with me in attendance and then my friend (the husband/father) came back from hospital and whelped the rest of the litter in the very wee small hours of the next day. I still see "my first born son" quite regularly as he grew into a lovely show dog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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