Hello, Just want to start by saying I love this forum I only just found it a week ago and have spent that time absorbed in all the topics. It took me three days to make it through Candies, What a great thread!
Our Beagle who will be three at the end of June is expecting her first litter. Although I have helped a friends beagle deliver (almost 8 years ago now) I am suddenly feeling very nervous. Annie is a wonderful hunting dog, and more importantly a family pet. We took a long time to decide to breed her and although I am so excited about the coming puppies I am also worried about something going wrong. Vet is wonderful, says she looks great and I have nothing to worry about, other then that it looks like it will be a big litter. Today is day 50 from her first tie. The stud dog is my father in laws beagle. Both are registered, and had all their health tests done. We ended up bringing his dog here and kept him for a week. They tied three times on Sunday then five on Monday and once on Wednesday. As my Ann has never been early doing anything (first heat was at over a year old, second at almost two, this was her third) I figured she would go till at least day 63 from first tie, but I am starting to wonder. Saturday she had peed on the floor over night and in the pee was a large amount of mucus, vet said it was probably her mucus plug and that they can loose it anywhere from 7-10 days before labor begins. She has been panting a lot today but it got up in the 90's today. I took her temp this morning was going to do it at 12 and 11pm, but I took it at 11;30 it was 100.1 I figured it was a bit low, and I wasn't sure I had it in far enough so I tried again at 12:00 and it read 98.7. I know it is much to early for her to be in labor and at this time she is just laying on the floor sleeping, I think I will get a new thermometer tomorrow, perhaps there is something wrong with this one? It is one of the baby rectal thermometers that takes the temp in 8-10 seconds and beeps when it is done. Any advice is appreciated. Oh and here are some pictures of her


Before we bred her, she is about 2 in this picture


The Stud dog: Brutus


5weeks

6 weeks

7 weeks

Sorry for so many pictures, I have tons more!

Hi & welcome to the forum. How exciting - Beagle puppies, can't wait to see the pupsters once they put in an appearance.

Good luck with it all.

Lovely pics of mum & dad, Brutus looks so much like my Harvey, I had to do a double take, he is same build and virtually same markings - gorgeous and so handsome.

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Harvey - Beagle 4.5 years old
Willow - Old English Sheepdog x - 2.5 years old
Merlin - African Grey Parrot - 6 years old

RIP our Beautiful Girl : Zoe (Collie x) 1992 - 2006....Gone but never forgotten xx

Vow! Congratulations. She's so cute. I guess she'd have minimum 5 pups That is a big stomach for 6 weeks. It could be 6 or 7...

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....THE WILD BUNCH....

Thank you they are such great dogs. Especially my Ann, if the puppies are anything like she was as a pup it will be a peice of cake, Brutus on the other hand is a bit more typical beagle, loves to howl, loves to eat.. anything! Annie is quiet unless on the trail of rabbits, or wants back inside from going potty.
I could handle 5 of 6 no problem, we have homes for 6 so far. I was more worried about ten or so! A friend who lives close by raises beagles and said she was much bigger at 5 weeks then his girl, and his girl just had 7 puppies. I am thinking she is just carrying different. I can feel one move, but just barely and only if I am very patient just sitting with her with my hand on her belly.
So I took her temp again this morning and it read 99.9. I really think I just need a new thermometer. Well I will keep you all updated! Day 51 now! What is the earliest they can safely deliver? So I know when I am past it.

Thanks
Melissa

I would say 59 days. Hopefully she wont have them much before this. normal temp is around 99 up to 101.

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siggie by Dawn............Smudge'smummy

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Last night with the new thermometer temp was 99.1


So I am really worried. Today I got up to find hubby had put her out at 9:30(into our fenced yard) it was 10:30 when I got up I heard whining on the front porch (not where fence is) she had gotten out, but instead of taking off like she usually will for hours she was laying on the porch whinning. I brought her in and she followed me to the bathroom. She layed on the floor and didn't get up even when I left the bathroom. So I got out the new thermometer and the old one and went back in there sat down with her, (she didn't even pick up her head just thumped her tail at me) took it twice with the new one first was 98.7 then 99.1. Then with the old one just to see, it read 98.7 as well. I called my vet he said he wasn't worried and that sometimes big litters come early, but I am worried, I am very worried. He said she doesn't have a fever. Her temp last vet visit was 100.1.
I took her out to do chores with me (feeding and watering the ducks,guineas and rabbits) she just layed on the cement by the back porch. When I went to come in she wanted to stay out but I made her come in. She is now in her pool (whelping box) and after much turning back and forth seems to have found a comfy spot on her side and is sleeping.

What do you all think? I have all my supplies together except my scale that is suppose to arrive sometime this week.

I have to work at 2pm, Have to leave home at 1:30. And don't get off till 10pm. I can't call in unless its really the time as we only get three call in's every six months or we get fired, I havn't used any of mine saving them for this, but need to be sure before I take them.

Help!

puppies can be viable from day 56 but obviously the longer they are in the better that is quite a long time you are leaving her though anything could happen between those times are they your normal working hours or do you have time booked off for when the puppies actually arrive?
not sure if i read it right but did you say 3 matings on the sunday and 5 mating the next time

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She sounds like she is very uncomfortable being so big bless her, probably cant find a comfortable position to sleep in.
Can I just say something, please dont think i am having a go at you, BUT, as she is SO close to her due dates now, I do think that she is being left on her own for quite a long time while you are at work. 8 hours without anyone around is a long time and IF she does start labour and no one is around she could get into difficulty and need help and there wont be any one to intervene. Do you have a neighbour or two that will come in and check on her every hour. Dogs can go early and go into labour without warning, It would be such a shame if you came home to your dog in labour and one pup may be stuck which will hinder the others being born. Please try and find someone to look in on her for you, it will put your mind at rest knowing someone is around who could call a vet should she need one. (hopefully not). xxxxxxxxxxx

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siggie by Dawn............Smudge'smummy

Glitter Text Maker

Those are my normal hours, My husband will be here and has strick instructions to call me at work the second he notices anything unusual (ie. restlessness, panting, digging, whinning etc) and I can call in. But if I do and she doesn't have them (which I am praying she doesn't as I feel it is way to early) then thats one less day I can take off when she actually does. My husband is home all the time (farms) but he doesn't seem to understand all that can go wrong, his reply is always "well Jeff's dog had 9 puppies and no one knew it till morning and they where all fine" well yeah and hopefully that is what will happen, but it doesn't always go that way, and Jeff (his best friend) is not who we want to be like when it comes to our dog, they didn't even know there lab/beagle/rott mix was pregnant till two weeks before she had the pups. Annie is my baby and if anything happened to her I would never forgive myself, or him, and hopefully I have made my point with him on this. Its a 15 min drive home from work, so if he calls I can be here quickly.

She has not eaten anything today, even turned down her bacon treats (she usually goes nuts for these) and is laying in her pool again now. No digging, panting, whining, groaning, or grunting going on. Just sleeping. She needs to wait a few more days, and I hope she will.

Yes, they tied more then I thought they would, when my friend bred her dog (years ago) both dogs lived in the house, they tied like one day, and again the next. Annie would have nothing to do with Brutus at my father in laws, and I didn't want to leave her there, so we brought Brutus home with us for that week. The first tie, I had to hold her for, after that it was like she figured out what was going on and every time I let her out to go potty, she would go and then go straight to Brutus and they would tie. after the second day when it seemed like that was all either of them wanted to do I took Brutus out of the fenced yard and tied him where they couldn't reach each other. Vet said should wait a day in between so we skipped tuesday and Wednesday she wanted nothing to do with him, but managed to tie her once. First day ties where short like 5-10 minutes, second day all where around ten minutes and Wednesday they tied for 20 minutes.

Hope everything is ok and puppys stay mummys tummy for few more days xx let us know when they do start to come please xx