Tips from a hobby breeder

Does the thought of having a litter with your dog keep you going? Do you think it would be great to give other people a dog just as nice as the one you have yourself? We visited Merijn and her dog Snipper. Snipper became the mother of four happy puppies in August 2020. How did Merijn handle this and what does this mean for Snipper? Are there any useful tips that you can take into account with regard to the pregnancy, birth and upbringing of the puppies? We found out.

Snipper & Merijn

Ever since he was a child, Merijn had a great love for dogs and cats. After much nagging, it was finally time when Merijn was 9 years old. An adult black shepherd joined the family. When Merijn had children himself, there was a dog, Takkie, a Jack Russel , who was quite busy defending his pack when our 3 children were small. After Takkie passed away, the wish for a dog remained and Snipper came along. A great happiness of small size!

Snipper is a cross between an American Cocker Spaniel and a Chihuahua. Her woolly ears and sweet appearance made her part of the family right away. The name was fairly easy to find. She wouldn't grow up, so this little happiness soon bore the name Snipper.

What Merijn likes most about Snipper is the way she always seeks contact, looks at her sweetly and joyfully, and the walks with her, where she always follows along enthusiastically and walks freely but still listens well.

The wish for a litter

The wish for a litter started early. This world can always use a few more tough and sweet dogs was and still is the thought. From the moment Snipper was 1 year old, the thought of a litter played through Merijn's head. The experience of a litter and the idea that there would be tiny Snippers seemed fantastic.

There were also doubts. Snipper is small, can such a small dog handle a pregnancy and the litter? After contacting a vet and a few years later, the decision was made and the search for a suitable father began.

To prevent the puppies from becoming too big during pregnancy, it was important that the male was not heavier than Snipper. After a long search, Merijn found the ideal father in Poppi, a small toy poodle of 2.5 kilos. The contact was nice and both owners did not want puppies for the money, but a healthy and sweet offspring of their dogs. I had nice contact with the owner of Poppi and I noticed that she was not interested in the income but mainly in a healthy and sweet offspring of her dog.

From cover to throw

It turned out to be a match made in heaven. Poppi was even cuter than expected and it was a hit right away. After the mating, Merijn started to worry. What was once a very happy and cheerful dog, quickly became a listless dog. The little food caused her energy to visibly decrease. Fortunately, there was a clear reason. There appeared to be 5 puppies growing in that small belly, which simply left no room for any stomach contents. A super big surprise since a small breed like Snipper often gives birth to at most 2 or 3 puppies.

Despite the little food and a heat wave, Snipper took it all in stride. Merijn, on the other hand, did everything he could to keep Snipper strong. Half the pet shop was emptied and Snipper was hand-fed.

Fortunately for Snipper, the delivery started 4 days earlier than the average pregnancy of 61 days. On Thursday 20 August it became clear that the preliminary phase of the delivery had started. As soon as this starts, you can recognize it by the heavy sweating and panting. This can last up to 24 hours. Immediately the next headache presented itself for Merijn. How do you recognize a contraction?

After 4 hours of panting, Merijn lifted Snipper's leg on impulse. Here, the first miracle was already there. Unfortunately, the first puppy turned out to be stillborn. From that time on, Merijn did not leave Snipper alone for a second, the fear of more stillborn puppies was now enormous. Fortunately, those worries were unfounded. The next puppy was born struggling, and Snipper reacted as if she was an expert in bringing puppies into the world.

Then there were 3 more, a beautiful group of children with 2 black males and 2 white females! Beautiful to see how natural and automatic everything went. The puppies knew immediately what to do and Snipper too.

Tips for future hobby breeders

• Start this journey because you really enjoy it, there are easier ways to make money.
• Take good care of the mother dog with healthy food (concentrate food) during pregnancy and while nursing. It requires a lot of energy from the mother dog. Concentrate food costs a bit more, but it ensures that your dog stays in good condition.
• Purchase a puppy crate that is easy to reach from above and spacious enough to provide them with a safe nest for the first 3 to 4 weeks.
• Purchase a heat lamp for the first period, to keep the puppies nice and warm. (also in summer).
• Make sure that your house can be furnished reasonably puppy-proof after those first 3 weeks. For example, like Merijn did, put a tarp over your parquet floor and cordon off a part of your room so that the puppies can't go everywhere.
• Read carefully what the puppies need in terms of deworming, nutrition, flea treatment and vaccinations.
• Don't give away the dogs for peanuts, by asking a reasonably high amount, you prevent people from buying a dog on impulse or out of affection. After all, a dog lives an average of 10 to 15 years and of course you want the children of your dog to go to a loving owner, who has thought about this carefully.

Kees, Brutus, Catootje and Babet

Since they are two white and two black puppies, it was fairly easy to tell them apart. The black males, Kees & Brutus, despite his name the smallest of the bunch. And Babet & Catootje, the white females.

The puppies are now 9 weeks old. And if you ask Merijn how she liked it? AMAZING! So many beautiful memories, photos, videos and other experiences. She would like to have another litter. Just not with Snipper. This experience was beautiful, but she does not want to put Snipper through it again. It has really been very hard for her. Only now that the puppies are 8 weeks old and she no longer nurses them, Snipper is happy and energetic again.

She also has a great tip for finding loving owners for the puppies. Make a list of interested parties and let people apply for a puppy. There is so much interest in a puppy, you can be very selective about this. For example, you can also ensure that more puppies continue to live in the village where you live. Merijn found the owners for her puppies through friends and acquaintances. This way she knows for sure that she has found a super nice home for all four.

The pups are slowly leaving the nest. The smallest pup will continue to grow stronger and develop with mom for 11 weeks. From mid-November it will be really quiet in Merijn's house. Fortunately, there will be room for 1-on-1 contact with her black friend Snipper and long walks.

Thanks to Merijn Ruijterman for the many valuable tips and photos.

Please note: No rights can be derived from this information. Always make sure you are well prepared for a litter.