We're having puppies!

Vladpills

Hi ladies and gents, long post below about having puppies, recommendations needed. All of the main questions highlighted in bold.

So, my Weimaraner is going to be having puppies soon, this is going to be her second litter. Last time, unfortunately, the puppies were born in the colder months, and for the entire time had to be kept indoors in the kitchen, which was a nightmare - it was messy, smelly, and involved alot of bleach, daily.

I made a big enough enclosure for them, and that seemed to really help rather than let them roam free.

I brought my dog for a scan, and were looking at 7-9 puppies, with last litter being 10. So, if i were to keep them indoors again, i would expect the same.

So, I have an idea, of moving them puppies out to my garage which doesnt get used much! I want to build a 4m by 3m enclosure for them, but my main concern is heating. I was thinking of putting in a red heat lamp for them - so part of the enclosure can be cold if its a warmer day, and part can be heated if they get cold. Another option is to hand lamps all around, and just connect them to a thermostat, so lets say once the temperature drops below 20 degrees, it turns on, off, on, off etc. and maintains a steady temperature.

Does anyone have any experience with this? How well does this work?

Also, on the topic of puppies, I will sell them once they are old enough, but the last time, Ive had ALOT of absolute chancers - people who live in flats, or who work all day.

These are big energetic dogs, atleast mine is, and I will refuse anyone who cannot provide enough evidence that they live in a house where pets are allowed, and that theyve been living there for awhile (cause they can end up moving, and with the residential crisis in dublin, getting a new place is like finding a job), as theres a possibility that, if they move, the dogs can get given away. Also, Id like proof that there is enough room for the dogs, or atleast that the people have enough time to walk them every day/second day.

Am I being picky, or am I correct in doing so? I refused 4-5 people a couple of years ago, but still bothers me if it was the right thing to do. One of the last pups I gave away for free because he was getting quite big already, but the family was genuine and had a farm where the dog would live, while another couple offered to buy, and lived in a 2 bedroom apartment in city center. It didnt feel right.

Last question, these dogs are not cheap, and god knows what might be going through other peoples heads. Is it reasonable to ask people for a picture of their ID if they come to look/leave a deposit? The pups will be secured with an alarm, locks, etc, but for peace of mind, how would you react if someone asked you for a proof of ID or address if you came to look at pups?

Thanks for taking your time to read all this!

tk123

How are you going to make sure the puppies are socialised to the sounds and activities of a household (and in turn securing their futures/minimising the risk of them being returned/re-homed) if they're out in a shed..which you'll still have to clean every day? Having them in a shed would be a major no no for me as a potential buyer having first hand experience of a unsocialised shed puppy.

Proof of ID/address - what are you going to do with it would be my question if you asked for it? Like are you going to look at it and just make sure the names match or do you want a copy of it? What will you do with it if you make a copy and keep it/how long will you keep it etc etc etc (Yes I had to do gdpr training in work lol!! :p)

People lie and are get lazy and don't walk their dogs/leave them out barking all day and night no matter what size their house is.. So at the end of the day you need to go with your gut instinct. Our house is a small terrace with a small garden.. but we live beside a park and are in driving distance bigger parks, the sea etc etc so just because we don't have a huge garden doesn't mean we can't have a dog.

Bells21

This all seems a bit 'closing the stable door after the horse has bolted' to me.
Do you plan on drawing up contracts which states that the dogs will be returned to you if the new owners need to give them up in the future? Worrying about the size of the garden etc is a bit pointless because 1. They might well move to somewhere with a small/non existent garden after they've gotten a puppy and 2. Even if they do have a small garden that doesn't necessarily mean that the dog won't be provided with everything that they need in terms of enrichment or exercise.
In terms of the puppies being in the garage, as mentioned above the puppies won't have been socialized or gotten used to the hustle and bustle or every day family life or to common noise within a home i.e. washing machine/hoover etc. You could be setting the puppies up to fail from the get go.
I think in terms of security, if you broadcast widely i.e. buying/selling websites, that you have these puppies then you're leaving yourself open.

Decent breeders who have tested parents, been proactive about socialising the puppies etc have waiting lists for puppies prior to them being conceived. They have a better chance of a decent placement for their pups, as they have plenty of time to vet potential new owners for the pups.

Vladpills

Hi! Thanks for the replies guys.

Firstly, id like to say that I have perhaps not explained myself properly, and both answers included the topic of unsocialized pups. Someone is always at home 95% of the time, and the main issue with how messy it got was waking up in the morning, having to clean, and the general smell in the room they lived in. My plan is to keep them in the house until they get their first vaccines, and are allowed out, no question there, but afterwards, I would like to relocate them to the garage, for night time, simply because it would be less messy. Again, AFTER the vaccines. When I do want to relocate them, they are free to roam around the garden, or into certain rooms of the house during the day, no problem there, so please dont think im just going to lock them in a shed until they are ready to go to their new home. Thats the reason I wanna know, how would be the best way of making an indoor environment for them. I mean, they wont be missing out on much of "human exposure" and "household noises" during the night anyway...not like I decide to turn on my electric guitar at 4am! :P When someone is home, again, they can roam wherever theyd like, atleast they can be cleaned up after in a timely manner without having to hose the room down!

In regards to proof of address, yeah, im on the fence about it if its a good idea, thus i asked. Well, id like to keep a copy, and yes, i had to get trained with the new gdpr too :P I guess it would be some sort of precaution? In my mind, if something were to happen, atleast id have details of people who came to see the pups etc, rather than strangers turning up at my door step, but now that I think of it, perhaps it is overboard. Again, I just had a thought and had nobody point out why it may be unnecessary, but I think you guys make a valid point.

I completely agree, some people do take great efforts to walk their dogs twice a day like it should be done, some make no effort at all, and get bored after a week. I guess those are just the first criteria that come to mind when thinking "what would make for a better home once the puppy grows up". Yes, again, probably over the edge, but if people say they already have a dog, or they atleast have places nearby, or one person is at home, thats all good boy points in my book! Straight away i see that atleast the dog wont be left alone (have a person, or another pet to keep company). If for example someone told me theyre getting a pup for their kid, id tell them i wont sell. Excuse my cold heart, but id rather not take the risk of a kid getting bored of a pup once it grows up, and the parents no realizing what they got into. Again, in regards to living space, I know by personal experience, big dogs, would be better suited where there is more room! My house isnt too big, and neither is the garden, and I can see that the dog would be much better suited in a larger environment. Another family member has the same breed, living in a large detached house, with a field, where the dog can be let loose off the leash, and enjoy itself. Yes, I know its contradicting, but I adopted my baby, and waited until almost the last day to see if anyone else would take her, as I knew my living space wouldnt be ideal for her - better than being eventually put to sleep.

Bells, I really like what youre saying in regards to having waiting lists etc, but im not a breeder, but that is absolutely something to look into, thanks!

Appreciate the advice, and sorry for the misunderstanding in the first post!

Cherry Blossom

Hi OP,

You are a backyard breeder, you understand that don't you. You are breeding from a rescued dog (I assume from the pound or privately). I assume you did no health checks prior to mating to ensure the dog was of breeding quality. The first vaccine is at 8 weeks, the pups will be ready for new homes at that stage so I don't understand the stuff you wrote about keeping them in a shed after first vaccinations. Presumably you will want to sell these dogs for money as opposed to rehoming them to five star homes which might be possible if you were rehoming them. No disrespect but you come across as not having a clue what you are doing. You will not find five star homes for one star pups from a one star situation I'm afraid. I appreciate this is not what you want to hear. Instead of IDing people which serves no purpose youd want to be putting together a list of questions to grill potential owners with and carry out home checks if you want to be surer of where they are going. However, as I said, they are one star pups and people willing to buy from you are not going to want the hassel for less than top quality dogs.

cocker5

Op - you state in your last post your not a breeder.. then why is the dog having puppies?

Where did u get the dog? Was your dog a rescue? Again I’m assuming not from a reputable rescue center .. as they all spay / neuter their dogs before rehoming in order to stop the very thing your dog - back yard breeding.

Have you carried out all the health and genetic testing before breeding?

Regardless of what any buyer says to you I hope if / when they it doesn’t work out you’ll be taking the pup / dog back?

You say second litter - are u still in contact with an the previous puppy purchasers?

Bells21

Vladpills wrote:

Bells, I really like what youre saying in regards to having waiting lists etc, but im not a breeder, but that is absolutely something to look into, thanks!

Reputable breeders end up with potential owners on waiting lists because their pups are health tested, well bred, carefully socialised etc. You ARE a breeder, albeit a backyard breeder. You have allowed your dog to produce two litters and you are profiting from these litters so yes you are a breeder.

DBB

You are legally required to microchip pups prior to them going to their new owners.
You are legally required to view both valid photographic ID, and proof of address, of each new owner, prior to filling out the microchip "change of ownership" form.
I'm also mystified as to why you think you're not a breeder op!
I'll keep my input to this thread to that.

beechwood55

Can you please do the right thing after this litter and have your dog spayed.

muddypaws

I'm a bit confused by your posts OP, 3 years ago you asked for help around a failed mating and you said that as the bitch was 3.5 this would be her last litter and then she'd be spayed. Yet here we are, 3 years later, so she's now 6.5, which previously you seemed to feel was too old for having pups.

The really confusing thing though is that in May 2015 you posted that your dog had attacked another dog, whilst she was pregnant, yet a month later you took her to be mated? Maybe I'm misreading dates?

sillysmiles

• Did you breed to keep one of the puppies yourself?
  
  
• Is she working stock or a family pet?
  
• What's the sire's history?
  
• What health checks are on the mother and the sire?
  
• What's the breeding history of the mother - how many litters has she had?
  
• Will you take the pup back if my circumstances change?
  
• What has the pup been socialised to? Noises? People? Animals? Urban noises? Rural?

These are some of the questions I'd ask if I was buying a pup.

puppieperson1

Why are you breeding dogs the country is awash with dogs and there are 1000's in the pounds and rescues. Why are you adding to the problem if you are just peddling dogs they will have no papers so you will not attract decent people. You are nothing better than a done dealer, a puppy farmer on a small scale . Giving a puppy away free because they got too big says everything. Spay the bitch for her sake you are a not a responsible owner.

DBB

Several posts deleted.

puppieperson1,
Think long and hard about posting in this forum again unless you're prepared to address people in a respectful and vaguely polite way. This is not the first time you've gone off on one at a poster whose choices you happen to disagree with.
Addressing anybody, no matter how much you disagree with the way they do things, in the way that you addressed the op here is crushingly counter-productive, and whilst Ceiling Fly didn't address your deleted post in a particularly respectful way either, they're right that your nasty tone is more likely to drive people away, into the earshot of less-than-reputable people. It'll certainly drive people away from this forum, which I'm not prepared to tolerate.

Ceiling Fly, you know what the report function is for. Fighting fire with fire will not be permitted here.

Thanks,
DBB