Birth
To prepare for whelping, they are put in stalls that contain plastic wading pools lined with newspapers. The stalls are warmed with radiant heating coils in the floor, and are equipped with closed-circuit cameras that allow the kennel staff to monitor the dogs' activities from afar (they can keep an eye on the expectant moms from the kennel kitchen during normal hours and from an on-campus studio apartment after hours).
Births can occur as early as five days before the official due date. When the time is near, the females start to "nest"—tearing the newspapers into small pieces and settling into the pools.
During birth, the kennel staff will assist when needed. This assistance may involve resuscitating newborn puppies, clamping bleeding umbilical cords, and feeding females tired from a long whelp.
The newborn puppies are weighed daily for the first five days of their lives to ensure they are gaining weight. If a puppy's growth is lagging, the pup may be bottle fed.
The nursing mothers' milk is examined for discoloration and tested to ensure it contains the appropriate nutrients and is free of infections. If a mother has more puppies than she can handle, the pups may be transferred to another mother that has also whelped at close to the same time (within 24-36 hours). If no such dog is available, the puppies will be bottle fed. As a health precaution for the newborn puppies, only the staff members working in the whelping kennel that day are allowed to go into that kennel.
Nov 1 - Alda and pups (3 days old)
Assigned letter of the alphabet - C
- Guide Dogs for the Blind Breeding Program
- Contra Costa East Guide Dog Raisers
- University of Cal article about being a Breeder Keeper
website updated on Feb 12, 2004
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