We have never experienced whelping with our rott weiler. She had a runt that weighs half that of the other pups and is not moving as well. Is that kind of thing normal? And what kinds of things do I need to be aware of for the runt of the litter? Thanks!:cool:

I think it sounds bad. Even if you find a vet over the weekend, it may not survive. What do your reference books say? I think it is highly irresponsible to let a dog breed without educating yourself so you don't have to start digging for answers after you have a problem. Those unwilling to do so, should have their dogs spay/neutered. A good place for more information is Woodhaven Labradors Articles (http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/articles.html#breeding)

I think labman is right on as usual but you have to give that little fellow all the chances he can have. Give him special attention and if he doesn't make it then, you won't feel bad. If the mom dog rejects him then you know he hasn't got a chance. If she accepts him and lets him nurse (you will see what she will do) then you know he has a chance. Good luck.

Thanks so much Labman. As far as educating myself before breeding, I looked up as much as I knew how to look up just about every aspect I could think of for whelping. Printed it all out and kept it for reference, so Please don't judge me. I had my rottie well contained, it happened that a neighbor dog was loose and got her in my own fully fenced (8 foot high) yard. My nephew (who works with dogs) mentioned that NOT spay/ neutering is much more healthy for the animal, so this is the first dog I did not spay/ neuter. To ease your mind, I will be spaying her when it is safe to do so. The mother has accepted the runt, but we are keeping a very close eye on our little fizgig (runt puppy) to make sure that she survives and has a wonderful home where she will be a close part of our pack.

The main things you need to be watching for is making sure he isn't squished by the other pups, make sure he gets enough food, move him to the mothers teats regularaly and watch that he get his fill withough the other pups bullying him away. This will also re-inforce the mother / pup bond and may help to prevent her rejecting him.

Also make sure he isn't pushed out to the edges too much or he may get cold. Check on him hourly at most for the next few days if you can. Set up a webcam on the whelping box if you can and you can keep an eye on things better without disturbing them too much.

At a push you can hand rear but this is a lot of commitment and needs some serious research before you think of it.

Nicnet

Again, thanks for the reply. I have been keeping a very close eye, and Mother and pup seem to be bonding very well. I did actually also begin moving the pup to a teat regularly so that she can grow well. I'll try to stay back as much as I think is safe for mom and pup, but also want to make sure the pups all have an excellent start to life. The new Mama is such a good nurturing mother, I am SO proud of her!