{"id":449,"date":"2021-05-23T03:43:57","date_gmt":"2021-05-23T03:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sugarthechickendog.com\/?p=449"},"modified":"2021-05-23T14:04:04","modified_gmt":"2021-05-23T14:04:04","slug":"having-puppies-what-do-you-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/sugarthechickendog.com\/index.php\/2021\/05\/23\/having-puppies-what-do-you-need\/","title":{"rendered":"Having puppies? What do you need?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sugar had her puppies! Having puppies was not in our plans. We\u2019ve always adopted or rescued. So how did it happen? Well obviously the birds and the bees played a role and neither of our dogs is fixed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This post contains Amazon affiliate links. I may earn a commission on purchases made at no additional cost to you. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our vet told us to wait until our livestock guardian dog was 2 years old to have them spayed or neutered. This ensures that they are finished growing and reduces the number of musculoskeletal problems later on in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sugar was 22 months old when she went into her second heat. Our plans were to schedule her an appointment as soon as it was over. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was naive in thinking that Jax wasn\u2019t old enough to be a father, plus he\u2019s so clumsy (only being 9 months old), that I just didn\u2019t think it was possible. Boy was I wrong. 63 days later and we have puppies! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We went to the vet about a week before just to make sure. Sugar\u2019s teats were starting to fill in but she wasn\u2019t huge. I was hoping for a false pregnancy and I was a little relieved when the vet said Jax was awfully young to be a father. But the x-ray confirmed, 7-8 little chicken dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"x-ray<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Getting an x-ray prior to whelping is a great idea. This way we knew what to expect and could anticipate any problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next. Herb built a whelping box and placed 2x4s on the inside so Sugar wouldn\u2019t smush a baby up against the wall. If you place the boards horizontally, it gives the puppies a little more room. If we were ever going to do this again, I\u2019d have him place the 2x4s a little higher. They love to sleep under it and as fast as they are growing, they are starting to get stuck.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Herb measured Sugar from head to tail to determine the size. It’s 5’x5′. We wanted her to have plenty of room to stretch out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What supplies do you need for having puppies? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Prior to the babies being born, I started getting some supplies together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n