Hi - I'm new to this site and to puppy grandmothering! We booked a holiday abroad way back in November for 13-20 April, and our rescue dog, Floss, produced 6 puppies on Monday. We organised family members to come and stay while we're away, but Floss has been really stressed by strange noises, postman, visitors etc, so now I'm wondering if having 'strange' people staying is a good idea. Do you think she will be more settled by our leaving date (nearly 3 weeks after pups' birth)? We have also considered boarding them, but would that be even more stressful? At least at home she's in familiar surroundings. Any comments would be most welcome. Thanks

That is a difficult one.
Personally i would not go on holiday until the pups were rehomed rather than leaving them with strangers. But thats just my opinion.

You know your own dog better than anyone and if you feel its ok to leave them and they will not come to any harm then thats what you must do.

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Grandma to Jinja Dog, Mum to Tilly the Cavalier, Tattycat, Moomy, Choo, Sonic, Niven Mc Twisp and Lawna the rabbits and 1 guinea,17 budgies, 4 Cockatiels, 8 Goldfish.

Hi
sorry to say it but you shouldnt be going on holiday when you have puppies most bitches will get very upset having stangers about near her pups, and no good boarding kennels will take them and if they did id expect the bitch to be very stressed in kennels with her puppies and she could possibley do some damage to them through stress.
I can only say if i were you i would never consider leaving my bitch and new puppies to go on holiday.
hope you can find away around this maybe re book your holiday till after the pups have gone to new homes.

please dont board them theres too great a risk of puppies picking up diseases or infection, could you not reschedule your holiday?

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"If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered. They must be outshouted, out financed, and out voted. Their narrow and biased attitude must be outweighed by an attitude based on an understanding of natural processes."
L David Mech

We have doomed the Wolf not for what it is, but for what we have deliberately and mistakenly perceived it to be..the mythologized epitome of a savage, ruthless killer..which is, in reality no more than a reflexed images of ourself." -Farley Mowat

I would put off the holiday untill the pups have all been rehomed

Hi there,

I'm guessing you weren't expecting things, and with the holiday being booked back in Nov, you'd loose out if you re-schedualed. What a awful situation!!

I'm not expert, and have never had puppies to look after, but wondering if it might be possiple for one person, who your girl trusts to stay at your house, rather than different family members?! To me that would seem the least stressful for her. BUt as I said I'm not expert!!

ju xxx

If you cant re book the holiday (which I would do even if I lost money) then I would get one family member to come and talk and stroke the dog each day before you go away and have just that one person staying with the dog and the pups Bitches can be very upset when the owner is not there especially as new pups are there to No way would I risk just having different members of the family pop in each day
Just my opinion though

Wow difficult one! I presume you've advised the rescue you got the dog from that she's had pups? Ultimately they are responsible for rehoming the pups and should hopefully be able to to advise you on what to do. If she was one of my rescues (which she wouldn't be cos all ours are spayed before rehoming) I'd want to know what had happened.

also , when the puppies are about 3 - 4 weeks old they should be starting to be weaned? would you friend feel happy and confident to do this? i agree this is a terrible dilema for you but the mum and pups should be put first in this case?

i would agree with most above, re-book your hoilday if you can..
we dont go anywere when we have puppies we stay with bitches up until shes 2 weeks due and then until pups are around 5-6weeks..it reasures the bitch.some people might find this to much but we would never forgive our selves if something happened and we werent there to sort its..
your bitch could get worse by the time they are 3weeks old.
i personally wouldnt put them into bording in case of affecting its a very young age and if they do end up catching something there immune system might not cope with it or even worse if mum catches something and passes it on to pups..
good luck with pups and put some pictures up of them soon..!
kerry..x