Uh Oh! I think our dog is pregnant!!! HELP!

[Freya]

Firstly, to the OP - I hope your dog isnt pregnant, if its her first heat season there are definately going to be some changes in her body as she matures reproductively. If she is pregnant, then I would definately weigh up the pro's and con's of termination VS whelping. Puppies and whelping is not easy, not by a long shot. The dog needs 110% care and attention, top notch food and regular vet checks while pregnant. The labour can be quite arduous depending on the dog. You could end up forking out alot of money for a cesar and vet aftercare. Then you have atleast 8-10wks of a litter of puppies eating you out of house and home, whining and chewing everything. You cant leave them unattended much, if at all. THEN you have to sell them. With our first dog, she was a highly sought after breed - and we still had trouble homing the pups because of the area we lived in. And because I was picky about who they went to. The first litter was ELEVEN pups, the second nine. Big dogs can tend to have big litters which means more puppies to find a home for. This time round, we already have a waitlist of buyers for our dogs first two litters as she is a sought after breed as well. She is breeding for the improvement of the breed so we are extremely careful about choosing a sire and to ensure only the good traits get passed on, even then its never 100% guarantee.

I would highly recommend desexing her if she is not pregnant, or if you terminate the pregnancy. Breeding already crossed genetics with more crossed genetics is just a nightmare unless its done in a heavily researched and controlled way. Not in backyards unintentionally. This is the exact reason why the RSPCA and other animal welfare organisations are overrun with dogs needing homes. You rarely see purebred dogs in a shelter because they cost alot which means usually only the truly committed buy them and because they are usually healthy if your buying from a reputable breeder who breeds for health and not just for name. Obviusly there are exceptions to the rule.

I would be watching her like a hawk as dogs pregnancies are usually only around 8-10wks long. Around the end of that time if she is clearly pregnant (extended abdomen, very lethargic) then I would be keeping her in your laundry or another dry safe place as the labour can come on suddenly and you'll have pups littered around your backyard before you know it! Make sure she is eating a decent brand whelping food or puppy food, her intake would usually increase if she is pregnant.

Good luck!