Raising Puppies

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Let me begin by saying I do not believe all dogs and people are created equal when it comes to breeding. Health and
emotional well being of both the dog and the owner is something that needs to be considered and examined closely
before making the decision to do so. I am not encouraging anyone to breed, in fact I would discourage most people
from doing it. I don't feel I am any better than you are because I have decided to breed some of my cocker spaniels.
What I do believe is I was better prepared than most because I researched and had experience with working with
animals and could be prepared to handle the unexpected and serious situations that can occur.
The following pages are based on my experience and opinions. If/when you meet me you will find out I am not a
judgemental individual and would never tell you what to do or how to live your life. That is your choice and I do truly
feel so long as no one is being hurt (including dogs and puppies) and no laws are being broken than who am I to say
what you do?

Raising Puppies Sounds like it should be fairly easy, and it can be if you know what you are doing and make the
commitment to give them the best care possible.
Most natural process is to let mom take care of them. Mom is supposed to have a natural instinct for
birthing and caring for her puppies. It is my own belief that if mom doesn't have this natural talent than she should
never be bred again and probably should not have been bred in the first place. Some dogs are just not emotionally
prepared for being a mom and others aren't physically developed for it. Since mankind has gotten involved there has
been interference in the natural makeup and structure of dogs that are not always a positive contribution to producing
puppies. Breeders are supposed to be committed to contributing positively to their chosen breed and it's my opinion
that bringing pups into the world that wouldn't have survived with just mom or in nature is not upholding that
commitment. With the Animal Rights propaganda produced these days anyone having a litter of puppies is labeled a
breeder and given a negative tone to that title. However I feel being a breeder involves much more than producing
puppies and I in fact refer to those who don't take the time and commitment to know and research to improve their
breed a "puppy producer" vs a Dog Breeder.
How to know if mom is doing a good job. If the mom is with the puppies more than not and they are all
warm, nursing and seem to be gaining weight, as well as mom is keeping them clean (licking them) chances are mom is
doing a good job. Some moms do not like their puppies handled all that often at first and its best to give her room to
decide what she is comfortable with. Most of my females welcome my attention to their puppies. They have bonded
with me and see me as their "mom" and know that I have good reasons to be handling the puppies. I know how to
check that mom is producing milk and to gage whether or not she is producing enough milk to support her puppies. In
the future I might put together a webpage about how to supplement or bottle feed puppies but I haven't yet.
Sometimes mom sets aside from the other puppies a pup or two, keep a close eye on this as if she rejects the puppies
you will need to encourage her to accept them and or take over for her, they can not until weeks later sustain their own
body temperatures and need to nurse quite often to keep their strength.
When in doubt, contact your veterinarian. If you aren't sure that your puppies are doing well or normal than
you need to at the very least call your veterinarian and describe what is concerning you. They will probably
encourage you to come in for a visit as evaluating how a puppy/dog is doing without seeing them and going only on
what you can try to describe to them is beyond difficult. I can tell you firsthand how frustrating it is because I get
contacted by people (sometimes in the middle of the night even!) who really don't have any idea what they are doing
and want me to fix the issue for them. It can't be done. There seems to be a myth that vets are only interested in
getting your money and not taking care of your pets... I have met probably in person over 100 veterinarians and I can't
say that I have ever met one who was totally about money and not medicine. If you take the time and education and
services that your family vet offers to you and consider that compared to what you would spend at your own doctor
than there isn't any realism to thinking they are ripping you off. Vet school is as expensive if not more so than
becoming a Human Doctor, they learn about every species and even specialize. Sure some of them don't have great
"bed side manners" but that applies to Human Doctors too. Having worked with about a dozen closely over the years
(on their staff vs just a client) I can tell you that they usually do care very much for the welfare of your pets and that
while you might find them somewhat difficult to approach (this is funny but true, most people are intimidated by them)
they however are very willing to answer any and all your questions if they have the time.
Abnormalities in pups. As with people there are many abnormalities in puppies that can be called "birth
defects". Each breed has its own more common ones and whatever breed you are dealing with you should do as
much research on so you can be prepared. I may in the future try to put together a more detailed page about them
but for now I will just cover the basics so you can quickly determine if your pup is at least appearing healthy.

Each puppy (and this applies to kitties too) will be born with its eyes closed, their ears are often smaller and
closer to the head as if they haven't unfolded just yet.
They should have 2 nostrils (often pink in color tho that might change later) and a mouth with a tongue.
They should not have teeth at birth and the roof of their mouth should be smooth and you should be able to see
only to the back of their throat. Cleft Palates are often when the roof of the mouth has not closed properly
during development and can lead to major issues later because they might aspirate (inhale liquid) while nursing
and that can lead to pnemonia and death. There are ways of feeding the baby if this is the case but you should
contact your vet to discuss how severe the problem is and what your options are.
They should each have 4 limbs with 4-5 "toes" on it. Limbs should be of the same length as the other 'pair'.
Each puppy should be of the same basic shape and size.
They should each have an opening for urine and an opening for feces. Girls obviously have their urine opening
closer to their anal opening. Boys have a penis and that is usually located closer to their "belly button" than it is
for girls.
Their umbilical cord / belly button should be in the middle between where their ribs are and where their back
legs are. After its been 'cut' or separated from the sack and mom the cord should dry up and shrivel. Bleeding
from the cord should stop soon (a matter of minutes) and if it doesn't you will need to tie it with a peice of
thread. I have unfortunately seen the abdominal wall of a puppy not develop and the actual intestines of the
puppy be hanging out of its umbilical opening. The well meaning family thought it was only the cord and cut it
and the puppy unfortunately bled to death, tho at that age surgery to repair the problem would probably not
have succeeded either.
Tails on puppies depends on the breed and its parents. In Cocker Spaniels, the pups are mostly born with full
length tails that are "docked" by 3 days of age. Sometimes they have been known to be shorter, or have
"lumps" in them and there are various causes to this that dont have alot of affect on the puppy at this stage.

Tail Docking, Removing Dew Claws.

When to wean?

Keeping puppies clean.

Keeping puppies at the right temperature.

Products to use with puppies.

Raising Puppies

(time permitting).
12/3/08

This website contains our photos and info about our Breeding Program and some other related information. We
invite you to check out our website to learn more about us and the cocker spaniels here. Please use the links on
the left or upper portion of each page to navigate this website. For those on slower speed connections we have
a plain text Directory Page for your convenience.
Kattery Kennels is owned and operated by Kat & Terry Reck and is not affiliated with any other identity. The
graphics and material found within is the sole property of Kattery Kennels and is watermarked and copyrighted
to Kat. Requests for further information should be directed to Info@KatteryKennels.com
Please view our Conditions of Use Page.

(time permitting).
1/13/08