[oilcreek]

We think our dog is pregnant. We took her to the vet but they felt it was too early to tell. We tried to breed her before but she didn't take. She showed all the signs before and the vet called it a "false pregnancy". This time, she is getting much bigger and her nipple are getting milk sacs. We are taking her back to the vet in a few weeks, however, in the mean time, we are just trying to look for other signs. Can anyone help?

[labman]

The straight forward answer to your question is there is little way to be sure until about a month, and X-rays or ultrasound. It is possible to observe how other dogs relate to her. We don't, but they know.

I would like to question how much research you have done before starting breeding puppies. Have you read and followed the guidelines on responsible breeding at www.akc.org? Have you read many books such as Successful Dog Breeding, by Chris Walkowicz, DMV, 1994? Have you research common problems in Dachshunds and made sure not only her, but the dogs in her pedigree and that of the stud you bred her to were free of them? Does she have a temperament, free of aggression, housebreaking, marking, etc. problems? Producing quality puppies is very difficult, and seldom profitable.

I am sorry if I seem a little rough on you, but it breaks my heart to know millions of dogs are slaughtered every year for lack of homes. Everybody should be free to come here for answers, but I feel responsible to bring up these other issues too. I certainly can't blame you for the poor job society as a whole does educating people about responcible dog care. I think even the AKC pushes breedign too much.