Single Pup in Litter
|
|
Socialize the pup with another litter of puppies if at all possible. It will still be a bit different from those in a regualr sized litter as it will have it's mother all to itself but at least it will have other puppies to learn how to play with & learn proper social behavior among other puppies. If not, these singletons can't figure out if they are human or canine. You can only do so much & this pup will still be a bit different in personality from what you are used to. I have a singleton girl & I love her to pieces.  She is totally devoted to me.  |
| I have one too...she is stubborn and noisy and bossy. She is an attention hog and thinks the world revolves around her...and she is never so far away from me that I can't touch her with my feet. It took 4 homes to get her into a household that could deal with her...but I love her to pieces.
I know she was socialized, but I also think some of this behavior is just inherited. I would hope that your singleton pup is a boy, as I just don't usually see boys with the bossy issues. Mine isn't a bad dog...just different. |
| Congratulations to you and Sidney, one puppy well done, seems to be with the surgical AI not many pups produced but at least you have one so well done to you both.
Singleton, well off to puppy kinder as soon as it is safe and extra socialisation around others as they get older and all the vaccinations are completed. Mommy can still pass on a lot to her one and only, known a few over the years where there bitches through AI's have only produced one or two puppers and all turned out well and great in nature. But you have to work on it, handling the one and only right from the word go, and as soon as it is safe off to some form of puppy kindy for socialisation and a bit of rough house play with puppers around the same age. 
Another thing with mom and whelping just one, higher chances of Primary Uterine Intertia, so be very carefull and if she has not popped by her due date straight back to the vets for checking. If her waters break and nothing after for about 2 hours then rush off to the vets. If you see her straining for that period of time and nothing happening again straight off to see the vet. The mortality rate with popping just one is harder so just be aware and on guard in case you need an emergency c-section to bring this new baby into the world.
Wishing you all the best and look forward to hearing when the new little darling is born. Congratulations again  |
| Sorry it has been so long for an update!!! I had a rough time w/the singleton litter (primarily people issues not dog) .
After many sleepless nights (15), two x-rays, an ultrasound, 3 diff. vet visits w/2 diff. vets, Sidney decided to whelp her puppy while I was in the shower for 15 min on Nov. 4th (def. late considering we surgically inseminated). People all around were disappointed - the co owners b/c they wanted a pup and they would receive 1/2 of any earnings, the stud's owner b/c our agreement stated that 2 puppies = a litter and the stud fee was a puppy unless there was a single pup, and me b/c I waited forever and he came quickly and peacefully - by the time I got out of the shower, he was cleaned off and nursing! Sidney did wonderfully except for spoiling her pup beyond the limits. The puppy was exceptionally smart. He decided he wanted to be potty trained at 3 1/2 weeks so he cried every time he wanted to go out - great with an 8 week old puppy but not so great w/a 4 week old puppy (I had to take him out at least once every hour throughout the night too *yawn*). You were right that single pups are very different! Since he didn't have anyone to play w/for the first few weeks, he was def. rougher than any other pups I've had (drew blood on every member of the house except for my son) and demanded all of our attention. lol Once he was large enough, I had to give him time to play w/my other dogs just so they could teach him manners. Sid let him chew her up (I've never seen ears and a neck so matted) and left some bad scrapes on her head - had to put her on Clavamox - I was so embarrassed when it came time for her to go back with co owners. I had to give her a hack job around her neck and on her head and she looked quite dreadful. I had wanted to shave her before the whelping but the co owners weren't too keen on that so I stripped her undercoat (her undercoat was matted pretty close to her skin so it took awhile), leaving the lower portion of her legs, her chest, neck and head. I didn't want to strip her all the way b/c I knew she'd eventually want to play in the snow. All told, I probably put more than 30 hours into grooming her (over time of course). Wouldn't you know, the day after the co owners got her back, they wanted to have her shaved down...probably in response to my hack job w/her head, but still...*sigh* Having this litter was def. a financial hit and I knew that from the first x-ray. Not counting extra food or any of Sid's screening exams/certs/x-rays or stud agreement, I put around $800 into breeding her w/this particular stud before he even hit the whelping box *oh well*. I wasn't in it for money but it would have been helpful to come up a little closer to even. I've never seen a more gorgeous pup but I am biased! Hopefully I post the pics right so I can have bragging rights... He is now living w/his dad (stud) after we negotiated an agreement. I'm still having a difficult time communicating with the co owners.  I sent them an email recently reminding them to start a heartworm preventative again. Its in the contract that whomever she resides with is responsible for it, yet they believe I should pay. They didn't actually return my email. Instead I got an accidental email between the two of them talking about the subject. *sigh* They seem to really love Sidney and yet they fight over every issue! |
| Wow. What a tricky business this can be.
I'm a little confused though -- if there are 2 co-owners of that were sending emails, what is your role? LOL Are you a third co-owner? Will you be trying again? Nice pics in your photo gallery! Thanks for sharing. |
Okay - pictures were added to the photo albums!  *finally* |
| Sorry for the confusion! The co owner has a tight knit family - she, her husband, and their two grown daughters will usually all contact me if any one of them needs something. The email was between the husband and wife. Needless to say, when they had issues with Sidney having only one pup, I was buried in email and had my cell phone & work phone ringing of the hook! I can tell they love Sidney but at times they do seem to be very concerned about $$$. Their family has two other sheepies so I was pretty certain they would fall in love w/her back when I was looking for a suitable co owner. (Silly zoning regulations won't permit me to get a kennel license) |
| I hope to try again but definitely with a different stud. As Sidney cannot be shown (she had a broken canine when I got her), you can see why its hard to line up a good stud. I breed for health and temperment above all else & she is wonderful for both of these (OFA excellent for hips, normal for elbows, knees look good, thyroid perfect, CERF perfect, heart good, sheepie temperment). Who knows? If it doesn't look like I can breed her with an outstanding stud, I'll probably write up a new contract w/the co owners to have her spayed. As I have four at the house (dogs) - 2 GSDs (spayed/neutered) and 2 pugs, I am already over my limit. So unless I move, she'll stay w/the co owners. |
| They still can be shown with a broken tooth. |
Really?!!!  Everyone out here said she'd have to have reconstructive tooth surgery first! *ugh* As she was shaved in Jan, we have a long way to go until we get a show coat going... |
| In the breed standard for oes teeth are only worth 5 points, the correctness of the bite itself is far more important than something it obviously wasn't born with. |
| Thanks willowsprite! I was led to believe that the competition is so great that we'd have no chance w/her tooth. When comparing her to the standard, she appears to not have deviations but it'd be nice to have a judge decide that as I'm a bit partial!
Hopefully her coat growing in is her final coat. Her undercoat the past year seems to knot with every step she took! Thankfully, she's very good when groomed. I guess I'd have to wait awhile to show even if she hadn't been shaved as I stripped most of her undercoat. While the co-owners are generally wonderful, they don't line groom so her undercoat was matted pretty close to the skin when I got her back for whelping. I have to say, if I hadn't watched all of the tutorials here, I might not have even noticed. Brushes went down to w/in a cm of her skin and came through her fur w/o a problem. Luckily, when they came to pick her up, I showed them (with my limited knowledge) how to get down to the skin. Since she was shaved down, I bet they will do a lot better this time around. Hopefully her coat will grow back quickly and beautifully! |
| Though it probably shouldn't matter, as my conformation instructor pointed out: the head is the first thing they see and if there's something screwy at what they first look at, that's what's in their mind as they go over the rest of the dog so it could have a heavy influence. |
ButtersStotch wrote: Though it probably shouldn't matter, as my conformation instructor pointed out: the head is the first thing they see and if there's something screwy at what they first look at, that's what's in their mind as they go over the rest of the dog so it could have a heavy influence.
Very good point |
| All you need to do to cover your butt, is get your vet to write a note that the broken canine is an accident not born that way. Carry that note with you everytime yo go into the ring in case the judge says something to you. They are allowd to show with broken k9. But, keep an eye on it to make sure you don't need a root canal on that tooth. |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|