First I would just like to start off by saying we are a farm that does breed English Mastiffs. We ARE NOT a "puppy mill". Each Dam "Female" once she reaches age 2 preferably is allowed one litter per year. We watch and try to keep our dogs separate during the other times of the year(on cycles) to give each one breaks and recovery time. Sometimes we understand that a slip may occur but this would/will be rare. Sometimes they get off of cycle and it is not apparent that nature is about to happen, until it does.
Secondly our dogs are all part of our family. Yes they are all AKC Registered and yes they do help us bring in extra income to our family. We try to better the breed of the English Mastiff. We look at size, temperament, and a great family dog. After every litter a large amount goes right back to the dogs and their food. However they get spoiled. They are all house dogs, they get plenty of treats, love, and cuddles. Our kids have a great relationship with them. (ages 2 and 12)
They are crate trained, they have a big fenced in backyard, and they also have an outdoor dog run which recently got a cement floor poured. We are happy we can provide them with a great life.
Old Picture But I Love It
Some things that people may not realize is how much time, patience, emotion and lack of sleep that will be involved in breeding. I'm not talking about the actual "act". The Sire (Male) usually takes care of that. I'm talking about the care for Mama and the care for these sweet little puppies when they come out. While other owners may be able to just leave their smaller dogs to labor and deliver the pups; you should not do this with Mastiffs. I do not. Mastiffs are so big that they can unintentionally step one, lay on, and sometimes unfortunately squish their babies without even knowing they are. Labor and delivery usually takes about two days. Our last litter Mama Roxy had there were 4 still-born. ( This year there was just 1) This is very typical because they have such large litters. It is very sad and a little heart breaking every time.
With the large litter comes the question of how to make sure everyone gets fed equally. Especially making sure that my (littles)runts get in there and are satisfied. This happens by waking up every 2-3 hours and personally alternating puppies while they feed. Making sure Mama doesn't move the wrong way or get up while they are nursing. This time in the first 3 -4 weeks in exhausting. It is like having lots of newborn babies at the same time. Most if not all of our puppies are usually well spoken for and already have their families and homes waiting for them. So I am their caregiver and their protector.
Taking care of Mama.
Mama has a big whelping (delivery) area as well as a separate kennel next to her. The puppies are
kept in the separate kennel for the first two weeks. The separate kennel has a heating pad towards the back and plenty of room for them all to cuddle or get away from each other if they want to. I keep them separate until feedings because of the potential dangers I mentioned above. This also allows Mama to have plenty enough space for after birth and enough room to spread out during feedings. Mama gets fed her normal dog food, vitamins, calming herb supplements, cottage cheese, eggs, and pretty much anything she wants. Along with lots of water. This happens for months before she delivers, she usually has no appetite for the last 2-3 weeks, and then the big diet starts back up after delivery.
She knows when she is pregnant(besides physically) because the extra spoiling begins!! Also just like us humans, there is morning sickness. The first couples weeks there is little appetite.
After delivery there is usually a time where she looks sad..about 3-4 weeks later. Her hormones are prolly changing back, plus she has puppies with teeth and nails climbing on her and she is weaning them off. We just give her extra love. Keep an eye on her and make sure she gets outside often to feel the sun.
So now we are on to the next stages.
The puppies get introduced to a milk supplement and once they have all proven that they know what it is and are drinking regularly (from bowls) I then move on to a thick substance called puppy mash. Basically I soak puppy food and then add the formula to it for the first couple of feedings. Once they have digested that and
I see healthy poops and pees I start to add some cottage cheese, little bits. They love this and it also gives a bigger allotment of hours in between feedings.
They are pretty cute running around, tackling each other, and barking/howling at this stage.
They get to go outside for the first time as well. In the first 4 weeks they have very little human contact and are not allowed to go outside because they are susceptible to illness. When you purchase your new pet from us we do not allow other people to hold or play with it to ensure the health and safety of the pup. We also keep them separate from the other animals on our farm.
4 weeks later it is time to send them off to their new families. They all get a relaxing bath with a Calming Lavender Dog Shampoo. This shampoo we mix and bottle at our farm(we also sell it).
Part of you is excited to get the space back in your home, or to be able to sleep again, or just go back to a "normal" schedule.
~ Around here a normal schedule or sleep are questionable, lol.~
However it is bittersweet. Knowing that all of the families are awesome people and that the babies will be taken care of does help, but it is always sad saying goodbye to these beautiful babies.
There are many more details like colors and collars for each puppy, the actual feeding schedule that I go by, vet checks, deworming, all of the pictures taken, and communication to all the families. If I were to write about that then this would be a novel , not a blog.
So if this gave you any idea of what it is actually like to be a breeder or if this just informed you of what we/I go through for your future puppy. I hope you take the time to appreciate it, nature, and the miracle of these little furbabies.
What will you look for in your next family pup and where they come from? Wilson Wonders
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