Prenatal Puppy Development

Prenatal development
From the ovum to a new life.

This page we want to provide for you to show that the breeding ambitions take place in many aspects  - it is not only the period of training the girl till she is an adult, passing all her health checks and further keep her healthy (physically and mentally), the long search of the stud dog, his thoughts of right nutrition and the rearing of the puppies, once they saw the light of the world.

Dog breeding is so much more, much of it can not be described in Details, because we mean all the little unspoken little things,in which we believe, will make our puppies strong, health and happy even before birth and give them a good start on earth.


In the 70`s an American veterinarian and ethologist conducted laboratory experiments in which he found out that pregnant females, which exposed to stress or take medications, produce offspring that was less emotionally stable, and this also when the pups had been nursed by foster mothers, which were not exposed to this stress. One could also say that the offspring of mothers who have been petted and spoiled, were good-natured. Thus evolved the ability to feel, even before birth. The puppies get used to the contact in the uterus if the mother is petted and react during the late stages of pregnancy. This leads to the conclusion that getting pups from mothers who live in a friendly, stress-free environment, have a better start in life. The breeder and his environment has allready during the pregnacy of the bitch, an important influence on the character, of the pups at birth.

 

1. day
Zum  grossen FotoThe sperms walk to the Fallopian tubes. With healthy dogs the sperm is able of conception up to six days in the female genital.

2.-4. day
Conception of the ova in the Fallopian tube ampoule.

4.-8. day
Now the ovum divides daily in the middle Fallopian tube segment. 2-cell stage, 4-cell stage etc. = early-embryonic division stadia. The first division stadia are big a zehntel millimetre.

8.-9. day
The ova develop to Blastozysten. With the bitch comes to an end of heat normally. The bitch is fed and moved like always Zum   grossen Foto, no drugs without veterinarian!

10.-17. day
The further dividing embryos lie open first for approx. 5 - 7 days and irregularly in the womb. Then they steadily spread in the womb horn.

18.-20. day
Nidation of the embryos in the womb which begins education of the placenta. Now of every embryo has his firm place. To some bitches is bad in this time and they do not eat. As a rule is these  "eating-dislinke" only from short duration, she can amount ½ days up to three days. Now the bitch is very devoted.

21.-28. day
Zum grossen FotoThe education of the placenta is concluded. At the end of this embryonic period all important organ systems are put on with the dog, the final body form is already recognizable in her main features. One does not speak any more of embryos, but of the foetus. If the fruit arrangements die up to the 28th pregnancy day, they are absorbed mostly unobtrusively. The pregnancy can be proved by ultrasonic investigation. The bitch can separate viscous liquid clear to milk murky mucus, mostly a sure sign for a pregnancy. The nipples with the bitch start to stand up and colour pink ones.
Attention! During the organ genesis up to the 35th day the puppies are extremely sensitively for external effects like drugs, vaccinations, X-rays, vitamin deficiency and over feeding , over heating (e.g., in the car), environmental pollutants (z.b., Among the rest, fertilizers in puddles) this are responsible for false educations!!

28.-35. day
The foetal period is marked by the differentiation of the organs and the quick growth of the puppies. The eyelids are trained, the auricle covers the auditory canal, the fingers separate themselves, the male is recognizable Genital and five nipple pairs. The bitch increases in belly extent. The nipples rise. With some growing mothers there rises the drinking need.

35.-42. day
The fingers are separated completely and spread, the claws qualified the vibrissae are visible. Our bitch becomes a little more sluggish on walks maybe and plays not more with pleasure with other dogs. She protects her flanks and does not leave foreign dogs any more near herself

42.-49. day
Now the bitch gets several meals on the day, but thickly she should not become. Keep her weight in your eye!

49.-56. day
The movement of the puppies in the womb is slightly recognizable - lay level hand carefully on the belly of the relaxed bitch. The body hairs of the puppies are fully coined. Of the bitch the hair goes out on the belly. It should be made close with her throw box. An exciting question in this time: „My bitch has increased 4 kg, with many puppies I can count?" This is quite individual. One bitch give birth to 6 puppies with 450 grammes of natal weight, the other give birth to 10 puppies with 300 grammes of natal weight.

56.-63. day
Dog puppies are born as "a stay-at-home", the differentation of single organs as for example of the lung is not finished in the birth yet, the eyelids and auditory canals are closed. The bitch becomes restless and begins to show nest construction behaviour. She looks for a suitable place to the birth, digs caves, scratches everywhere around, pants. It can seclude itself white dissolution liquid. If the body temperature drops around approx. 1.5 - 2 degrees, the puppies within the next 6 - 24 hours become born.
Zum  grossen Foto

66. day
Most puppies will be born between 60. and 65th day of pregnancy On the 66th day you should absolutely visit the veterinarian whether a disturbance is given.

Picture @ National Geographic
Text: Annelie Feder, www.eurasierzuechter.de