working while pregnant

[sandra]

I'm after some advice please, my springer bitch was mated last week so fingers crossed pups will be on the way.

All the articles I am reading say to keep the bitch active and fit during the pregnancy but what about a beating dog?

I've been given advice not to do anything with her for the first couple of weeks then let her work for the next few weeks then obviously nothing for the last couple of weeks. She never has to do a full day's beating as I alternate dogs during the day but she is a dog that doesn't do anything by halves! We beat on some quite punishing ground and she always goes full on when she's hunting so in the early few weeks before she starts getting weighed down I know she won't hold back.

Should I not work her at all and just give her plenty of exercise or let her carry on as normal?

[Springfield Pointers]

I ran the final brace in a field trial against a dog that came 1st. The dog went home after the trial and gave birth to 5 pups a week later. But free advice on a forum is just free advice on a forum.
Consult a veterinarian.

[Judy]

Friend of mine was picking up with his pregnant Springer, I thought she looked heavy and milky so asked him how long she'd got to go - "no idea" - the following week he came over and said "she had them that night". Not sure I would consider leaving that late but she had a lovely litter of sound healthy pups! Think its a length of string question, be guided by the dog and your vet!

[sandra]

Sorry I should have said I had a chat with my vet about this and other bits pre mating - he had no idea what beating was! I did try and explain! The advice was to continue with normal exercise and re beating just don't let her overdo things.

I guess rather than advice I was wondering if anyone had experience of beating with a pregnant bitch, do they seem to naturally pace themselves? I can watch things like stamina but it's the spaniel habit of throwing themselves into brambles and stick piles that I'm slightly nervous of as normally she is pretty fearless.

I definitely won't be working her up to the point Judy's friend did!

[Sgurr]

Look at it another way. For the first couple of weeks after mating the embryos are trying to plug into the horns of the uterus, so keep her quiet, normal walks, no beating. Then from about week three to week six,if all has gone well, pups are developing slowly, so if she wants to work, fine. For the final three weeks, she needs more food and less exercise - teats may be getting bigger and more prone to injury. Depends on how many pups in there too. Maybe take her out for the atmosphere and just do one drive. Let her decide with no pressure from you. This is the advice I give to my kennel partner who has 25 years of working dogs but I have more breeding experience.

[sandra]

Look at it another way. For the first couple of weeks after mating the embryos are trying to plug into the horns of the uterus, so keep her quiet, normal walks, no beating. Then from about week three to week six,if all has gone well, pups are developing slowly, so if she wants to work, fine. For the final three weeks, she needs more food and less exercise - teats may be getting bigger and more prone to injury. Depends on how many pups in there too. Maybe take her out for the atmosphere and just do one drive. Let her decide with no pressure from you. This is the advice I give to my kennel partner who has 25 years of working dogs but I have more breeding experience.

Thank you, I don’t have any experience of breeding at this time of the year so that’s very helpful

[Aimeetess]

One of the shoots I pick up on, one chap has about 10 spaniels he mates one same bitch every year. The same bitch works right until she gives birth, as in she was heavily pregnant due to pop that week and she worked a full day beating and she was back out working 2 days after she had a litter of pups, shivering and not wanting to work with pups at home kenneled. I put her inside my coat last year, felt awful, teats leaking.

Wrong in every way IMO.. pups have always been fine apparently.

[reidller]

One of the shoots I pick up on, one chap has about 10 spaniels he mates one same bitch every year. The same bitch works right until she gives birth, as in she was heavily pregnant due to pop that week and she worked a full day beating and she was back out working 2 days after she had a litter of pups, shivering and not wanting to work with pups at home kenneled. I put her inside my coat last year, felt awful, teats leaking.

Wrong in every way IMO.. pups have always been fine apparently.

That's bloody awful, it goes against every maternal instinct of the bitch. If it was my shoot, I'd tell the bloke to fuck off and not come back.

[Sgurr]

Just agree that is bloody awful and it takes a lot to make me swear.

[Clayton1977]

One of the shoots I pick up on, one chap has about 10 spaniels he mates one same bitch every year. The same bitch works right until she gives birth, as in she was heavily pregnant due to pop that week and she worked a full day beating and she was back out working 2 days after she had a litter of pups, shivering and not wanting to work with pups at home kenneled. I put her inside my coat last year, felt awful, teats leaking.

Wrong in every way IMO.. pups have always been fine apparently.

What a horrible b*****d. Some people really are in desperate need of a good kicking.