Getting your Old English Sheepdog pregnant

Old English Sheepdog Estrus cycle (when do they go into heat?)

Most female Old English Sheepdogs reach puberty between 6 and 9 months of age. However, some large female dogs will reach puberty later. There are documented cases of reaching puberty after 24 months of age. Theoretically, even at the first estrus cycle you could mate your OES; however, this is not recommended as eggs do not reach their full maturity. Therefore, it is recommended that you skip first and even second cycle and plan for mating at the third cycle or later. This will also allow for your sheepie to mature to be a mother. You can expect two heat cycles per year, each 6 months apart.

There are 4 parts of a normal cycle for your female Old English Sheepdog. In the first part, which is known as proestrus, you will notice that vulva will became enlarged and vaginal discharge will be red, which lasts for 7 to 12 days. In this stage your OES girl will not be fertile and will not allow males to jump her. After this stage, your Old English Sheepdog dame will switch to the second part of the cycle, which is known as estrus cycle when she becomes fertile, ovulates, vaginal discharge turns to straw color, and she accepts males for mating. This stage lasts from 5 to 7 days. After this stage, third part called diestrus appears that can last from 10 to 140 days. Your OES is not fertile in diestrus stage, but can be pregnant or in a period of rest. Finally, there is the 4th part of the cycle called aestrus which will last until the next proestrus in which vaginal discharge is not common and you should visit your veterinary practitioner to ensure your Old English Sheepdog is healthy.

Within the estrus period, ovulation, maturity of eggs and fertility days occur. If we would know the best few days within this period to mate our Old English Sheepdogs, it would help a lot. This is possible with progesterone tracking. Progesterone tests are simple blood tests that aid in finding the best 3 days for mating. Once these days are identified, try to arrange two to three mating sessions in order to ensure proper fertilization occurred. In line with progesterone testing, it is advisable to do vaginal cytology swab to ensure your sheepie is healthy and ready for fertilization (no damaging microorganisms present).

From the owner’s practical point of view, when your sheepie is in heat there are several things you could do to reduce the stress your sheepie might feel. You will definitely notice some changes in her behavior. She can become depressed, agitated by her discharge, or restless. To help her reduce the stress, the best approach is to increase frequency of walkies so that she can preoccupy her mind with “just being a dog”. Stay away from non-sterilized males, so that she can have some peaceful time. If you have droppings of her discharge in the house, you can limit the area she is allowed to be. There are also some diner-type products you could use if you prefer that approach. Most doggies are clean and self grooming will take care of the discharge, but you will have to deal with some, especially after long night sleep. 

Making your Old English Sheepdog pregnant

You might ask now why do we want to cover this topic. Isn’t it clear how to make your OES pregnant? In general, yes. A simple biological way is what most of the Old English Sheepdog owners will experience when they decide that their OES is ready to have puppies. However, as Old English Sheepdogs are pets, some of their instincts could require assistance from human counterparts. Also, sometimes insemination is the only option for various physical or emotional reasons. 

Unlike human relationship where falling in love will often happen before they decide to have children, in purebred canine world you will do a lot of research to find genetically appropriate mate for your OES girl. This does not mean that your Old English Sheepdog girl will not show preference. She will! Usually not for a dog you chose for her to mate. Our experience with our girls was that they all preferred other breeds, mostly from the toy breed category. In any case, your OES girl will clearly show when she is not happy with her “chosen one”. This, however, will not prevent mating, but some assistance from owners will be required. Just watch out for your forearms and hands, as sometimes girls show their unhappiness by growling and clicking with their teeth towards the stud and if your extremity is in the way, you could get nipped. It does not happen often, but you should keep in mind that there is a possibility.

The first step, therefore, has to be finding the right sire (male mating partner). It is assumed that both your girl and the future mating partner are healthy and fully vaccinated. However, a proper research of family history is required to ensure the bloodline is diverse enough. Kennel clubs in your country will provide you with clear guidance on that. In Europe a lot of owners travel from country to country to find breeding mates that are healthy, have all genetic and DNA tests done, are from the different bloodline and have enough championships to satisfy rules for puppy certifications. Rules for pedigree are somewhat different in each country, so check with your Kennel club what is required before you select the sire. We would advise that you visit your veterinarian and check if he knows anything about genetic breeding stocks. Even though it is tempting to think of genetic stock selection simplistically and just exclude any dog that has any genetic issue, this would easily lead towards the elimination of a breed. Purebred dogs generally belong to a small group of genes and therefore skilled veterinarians with genetic training will be able to assist you in selection of a perfect sire for you. Eliminating a dog because of belly hernia is not as important as issues with temperament. There are many not so obvious genetic issues that are not easily identifiable for non-skilled breeders and veterinary clinicians. Breeders with a lot of experience will be able to help you as well.

Once you have found a suitable sire, you will have to decide on how to mate your Old English Sheepdog girl (also called bitch in canine world). Mating can be done naturally by leaving dame and sire to “do their business”, or by any form of assisted or artificial insemination. If the mating is natural, mating can be arranged either by taking your OES dame to sire, or sire can visit his mating dame. To reduce stress for sire, usual practice is that dame travels and then he will feel confident being at his territory and can concentrate on mating process. Arrangements require careful coordination as it is possible to predict roughly when the progesterone level will be optimal, but we can’t be precise, so all parties (including veterinarian if you would like his/her presence) have to be ready to compromise their time and be available on a short notice. 

If you have the time and funds to travel, recommendation is to attempt with the natural mating before trying to do any artificial inseminations. If this is your dame’s first mating, it is recommended that you find an experienced sire that is not aggressive. This rules applies vice versa. If dame is experienced and sire is inexperienced, make sure that dame is not overly aggressive as she could spook off her partner. Outside of progesterone testing, the ideal days for mating would be day 12 and day 14 from the onset of vaginal bleeding. It is recommended that you start with introductions on day 9 so that partners can get to know each other. Upon the first meeting they could be timid, or playful and curious. You will know it is the right day as she will allow him to proceed. Once the first try was done, it is a good practice to try again within the 24-48 hours period. If you have been an “overbearing” parent, there is a chance that your OES girl will not be willing to mate while you’re around. Simply because she heard “no” many times. In that case, you will need to leave her and come back after they mate. If there are difficulties in pure natural approach, sometimes assistance from the owners will be required to help the connection. This is especially true for inexperienced studs. Female Old English Sheepdog is “in charge” of foreplay and positioning, while the male has to be able to jump, take her hips with his front legs, move the tail out of way (if not bobbed) and insert. In case that the male is struggling, owner can intervene, but sometimes they get aggressive if you come too close, so always be cautious. After the “deed”, male and female will get into the tie position due to the enlarged gland on the mail’s penis, and this can take from 15 to 30 minutes. Do not try to separate them before they get separated naturally. Of course, if the separation does not happen within the 30 minutes, call veterinarian for advice. 

If natural mating is not going as per plan, or it was not an option from the beginning, there are several options for artificial insemination. Vaginal artificial insemination is a good option if two dogs don’t succeed in nature mating and intervention fails. In this case, experienced owners with proper kits, or veterinarian could extract semen from the sire while dame is still there and then using the tool to inseminate the dame. In this case it is recommended that hind quarters are elevated. Another option is to transport freshly chilled semen from stud’s place to dame’s place, if they do not live too far away. Or, if the distance is very long, then frozen semen is the option for artificial insemination. Your veterinarian will decide if chilled or frozen semen should be administered vaginally, transcervically, or surgically.

Signs and Length of Pregnancy

The rule of thumb in regards of determining pregnancy early is to simply assume that the pregnancy occurred until it is proven different. Usual gestation time (pregnancy length) is between 58 and 68 days. On average, an Old English Sheepdog pregnancy lasts 63 days.

There is no straightforward way to know if your pup is pregnant just by observing her. If you see any physical manifestation early in the pregnancy it could be a sign of health issues, so it is always recommendable to verify with your veterinarian. Vomiting and diminished appetite are normal in the first 5 weeks of pregnancy. Veterinarian will be able to palpate pregnancy if the pregnancy is between 28 and 35 days. However, this can be done only by an experienced veterinarian, as palpating can be tricky. Other option is use of various radiological solutions, such are ultrasound or radiography to determine the pregnancy. Radiography is usually done 42 to 45 days after suspected conception as at that moment puppy bones mineralize and you would be able to have one of the happiest games with your friends: counting how many puppies inside. 28 days after mating it is possible to do fibrinogen and relaxin blood tests, but they are known to be inaccurate as they also indicate some other inflammatory processes. Therefore, only veterinarians are able to read these results. There are no pregnancy tests like for humans, as behavior of progesterone is completely different in dogs than it is with humans.

Care during Pregnancy

Owners should ensure their dog has plenty of food and water and is getting enough exercise. They should also monitor their dog’s temperature to ensure she is not going into labor prematurely. Usually, during the first 4 to 5 weeks, she could be reluctant to eat, but she should not be loosing weight. It is important that she gets well-balanced diet. After the 5th week, her appetite should improve and she could be eating 20-30% more than usual amount. Towards the end of pregnancy and whelping, your Old English Sheepdog’s appetite will decline again due to internal pressure on her stomach and she could be refusing food completely, which is usually a good sign to prepare for puppies. If she starts to refuse food earlier than expected, it could be a sign of internal issues, so immediately visit a veterinary clinic. Always consult with your veterinarian about the diet for your pregnant sheepie. 

Your pregnant Old English Sheepdog will require moderate exercise in order to keep her muscle tone at check. Try to stay away from swimming or activities in which she could get bumps or injuries of her abdomen. Her abdomen will be getting noticeable larger within the last 5-6 weeks of gestation. Your sheepie could be digging holes, which is a mechanical way for canines to draw milk and “wake up” their mammary glands. You will notice close to whelping time that her mammary glands are increasing and filling up with milk. Nearing the end of pregnancy, your sheepie could become restless due to size of her abdomen, and could urinate more frequently as the uterus would be pressing on her abdomen. Many sheepies will have difficulties finding good position to sleep, will be finding colder areas to lay down, will be breathing shallower and pant. This is the time to minimize movement and to find some comfortable place for her. 

If your pregnant sheepie is the only dog you live with, then a simple approach of staying away from any areas that have known outbreak of infectious diseases will do (this information would be available at your veterinary clinic for the area you live in). If you have other dogs, but they are all only pets that are not frequently going for shows, then you have similar approach. However, if you do own show dogs that travel during pregnancy of your female sheepie, then it is good idea to quarantine her from traveling dogs to ensure she does not pick up infectious disease that can influence her pregnancy. However, strict isolation would be impractical, so a small risk always exists. Focus on the health of your sheepie and she will take care of puppies. 

It would be ideal if the pregnancy is drug and vaccine free, but there are some exceptions. Any change in behavior should be reported to your veterinary caregiver as there are many pathologies that could lead to loss of puppy in the uterus, conditions affecting your Old English Sheepdog girl, or leading to premature birth. 

Your sheepie could be changing her behavior during pregnancy. Initially, she could be becoming more affectionate, asking for more petting time, sleeping next to you, and similar. As the time comes closer to give birth, she could be getting more restless, somewhat agitated and not favoring companionship of other dogs, especially females. However, keep in mind that many bitches have false pregnancies. This happens with or without mating attempts. You will notice change in behavior, dining holes, etc. If you did not mate your OES girl, try to distract her from digging holes, as false pregnancies can result in swollen mammary glands that need cold compress treatments, or other treatments from your veterinarian. 

Whelping

Most Old English Sheepdog pregnancies result in healthy, full-term puppies. However, there is always a risk of complications, so it is important to be prepared for anything.

If everything is going as planned with the pregnancy, you will have to prepare a nest for your sheepie. It is good to prepare the nest approximately 2 weeks prior whelping in order for her to make it “her own”. Make sure you use a quiet place where there is no major fluctuation of household members and where no other pets will be intruding on her during the critical stages of whelping. We’ve made a mistake in our household where we organized my 18th birthday celebration in the yard, which put off whelping for several more days just because of the added stress. She was actually very happy to go around and visit everyone, but it did put her off whelping. It was several very uncomfortable days for her, so we learned our lesson for the future. 

We usually prepared a whelping box that was large enough to accommodate mum and her puppies later on. Ensure that the whelping room is warm enough. You can also use lamps to warm up area where puppies would be resting. Puppies struggle to control their body temperature for the first 3 to 4 weeks, so it is of upmost importance that you stay in charge in regulating the temperature and to ensure the whelping room is not drafty. Once you place the lamp, you will notice that puppies will be moving towards the lamp when they need some additional heat, or moving away when they feel too warm. Don’t place the lamp too low, but rather find the distance that works the best for them. Provide them with some blankies they can use to snuggle. Of course, mum will be the best place to sleep, but they can be “little monsters” and mom will sometimes run away for a break. Initially, she will go to eat and potty lightning fast to come back to them. As the time goes by, she will be more relaxed. Of course, if she hears any of the puppies crying (which they’ll do a lot in early stages), she will immediately go there to check what is going on. Help her not to step on puppies while trying to position herself in the whelping box/nest.

Regular whelping requires little to no assistance from owners and usually follows these three stages:

Stage 1: The very-soon future mom is now getting restless; her breathing becomes shallow and you can notice that she is panting. If you measure her temperature, it will usually be 1 to 1.5 degrees lower than usual, which is around 101 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius). Prior to the stage one your sheepie could be nesting and refusing food for 12-24 hours. The stage 1 could be lasting for 6-12 hours before she starts parturition (labor). This is particularly confusing stage for your pup so try to offer her some calmness. You can try petting her, but if she is getting too excited, leave her contemplating what is going on. Sometimes her eyes will have a glare as if she is engaged in deep thinking. She could be looking at her flank and behind. Contractions start, but you will not be able to notice it without monitoring tools. However, you will be able to notice as the transition to stage 2 happens and she starts to hold her breath as contractions happen. You could experience your sheepie expressing mucus plug, which is normal. 

Stage 2: It is time to meet your newborn puppies. Depending on the number of puppies expected, this stage can last for quite a long time. Usually, you can expect one or two puppies in relatively short time and then your OES girl will take some rest until getting on with another puppy. When she starts pushing, it is expected that a puppy is born within 1 hours of pushing. If she is resting, it can take up to 3 hours between puppies. Usual time difference between puppies is 15 to 30 minutes, but it varies significantly. Lookout for green discharge; if you see green discharge it is a sign of fetal distress and it is good time to call veterinarian. Your sheepie will choose the most comfortable position for delivery. It can be in a position of a squat, in your lap, lying in whelping box on her side, or similar. Try to accommodate her most comfortable position.

Stage 3: Even though we cover it as a separate stage, it is more likely that stage 2 and stage 3 will be intermittently connected. After one or two puppies born, your Old English Sheepdog girl will most likely deliver placentas. You can allow her to eat one or two, but not more to prevent upsetting her stomach. Stage 3 is usually the one that causes some level of paranoia with owners, as you always think that you did not count correctly and that some part of placenta is still inside. Often owners and handlers decide to give medical drip to induce further labor. It is also helpful to have an accurate number of puppies you can expect. If you suspect that there are any more placentas remaining in 12 hours after last puppy delivery, you should call veterinarian. There are many complications of natural whelping, so always call veterinarian when in doubt. If this is your first whelping session, you can ask more experienced breeder to come and land you a helping help. Experience does help a lot.

Puppies are here: now what? Neonatal and pediatric care.

Your beautiful Old English Sheepdog mum has just delivered puppies. She is thrilled, anxious and exhausted at the same time. She is not sure what to do exactly, but instincts do help. How do you cope? If you are all alone, it will be very tough. It is good to have a helping hand. First few days up to two weeks is going to be very demanding on you and you will probably get very little sleep. Now you need to care not only about your OES mummy, but also a number of Old English Sheepdog puppies. 

Once the puppies are born and you confirm they are doing well, try not to handle them too much. Mummy will like to feel only her and their scent on them. This will make her feel comfortable and safe. She will most probably allow you to do anything you like, but most other people and dogs are going to be a big no. Sometimes she can even react on you, but this does not last for more than first few days. After first days are gone, she will mellow and allow more. It is understandable and natural. Old English Sheepdog mummy will act like all other mothers and will completely disregard her own needs to cater for her puppies. This can lead to malnutrition and some medical conditions. This is the time you will need to insist on some regularities, such are feeding, water intake and potty time. Initially, she will be reluctant to leave the puppies, but if you have your whelping box in a bedroom and she can see that you close the door; she will be more relaxed and step outside to take a meal, drink some water, take supplements and vitamins and do the potty part. With one of our sheepie moms, we experienced hypocalcemia, where due to lack of calcium she collapsed and could not get back on her feet. A high dose of calcium brought her back soon, but she gave all her calcium to “little monsters” and we needed to supplement lacking amount.

As mentioned above, mothers will initially be reluctant to leave their puppies. However, as puppies are gaining their strength and independence, she will like to go back to her favorite activities. For example, if she enjoyed throw and fetch game with you, she’ll want to go back to that activity, only with shorter terms, as her brain will play tricks and suddenly she’l remember she has something important in her life and then she’ll abruptly just run to see the puppies. Make sure she gets enough food and supplements and that she does not injure her mammary glands. Swimming will be ok after her cervix closes and there is no more discharge. Make sure to limit her exposure to areas with large groups of dogs to prevent infectious diseases. If your new Old English Sheepdog mummy behaves strange, refuses food, has no energy, has a lot of discharge, vomits or has a diarrhea, make sure to call veterinarian. There are many pathologies that could affect postpartum mothers, so keep a good eye on her. It usually all goes uneventful, but if she behaves strangely, or you have a doubt about anything, it is better to call, then to wonder.

Loss of puppies is something no-one is prepared for. However, 10%-40% loss for a litter is considered normal. It can be devastating, but the main reason why nature gave so many puppies for each individual mother is because the loss rate is so high. If everything is going well, all precautions, genetic tests, proper care, etc. was done, then losses are going to be minimized. Initially puppies are very fragile, so if you manage to keep them up on their progress, they’ll be considered safe very soon. However, numerous viral, bacterial or parasitic dangers are present at all times, so focused endeavor is required. 

Within the first week of their lives, puppies are not active more than to feed themselves. This will take most of their energy away. They should cling well on mother’s nipples and feed properly without excessive search. They will sleep rest of the time and will not be vocal. They will seek comfort of their littermates and mother for snuggly sleep. It is important to mention that they will not be able to urinate or go potty on their own. They have to be stimulated by their mother or sometimes owners with a soft tissue if mother is not attentive as she should be . This is done by mother licking their perineum, or by you simulating her tongue action with a soft tissue. Their eyes and ears are shut at this stage. Normal weight for Old English Sheepdog newborn is around 400 to 500 grams. They should be gaining 5%-10% of their initial weight daily. 

The second week of life is bringing similar progress, only with more aggressive feeding routine. Their eyes are still shut, but they do sometimes make a little bit of noise. They interact with their littermates sporadically, but everything is still focused on getting nutrients. This is the time when you should check their development and compare among littermates. Any members not progressing well, refusing food or acting differently is a significant sign of developmental issues and it is a good time to call veterinarian. You can try to force feed them, as this sometimes helps them to gain some strength to resume feeding on their own. Your life is still significantly affected by the litter you are taking care of. 

Fifth and sixth week delivers joy of getting to know your Old English Sheepdog pups’ personalities, which can be handful, but also satisfying. They are not ready to go to their designated homes yet, as they still need a lot of interaction with their mother. She will start to growl and show her teeth to them to indicate that milking party is close to the end and that their sharp little teeth is not welcome near mother’s abdomen. They should hear and see normally and already behave like little dogs. They will explore a lot and be very mischievous sometimes. You will have to keep an eye on them at all times. By the 8th to 10th week, they should be ready for their new homes. Make sure they are healthy enough and that they know some basics of behavior before they leave their nests. Your job as puppy master is coming closer to the end.

If everything is going well, dewclaws and tails could be removed on the 5th day of puppies’ delivery. By the 5th day they are usually strong enough to endure trauma. Dewclaws are common, but there is a chance your puppies will be dewclaws free. If you want your Old English Sheepdog to be bobtailed, then this is an opportunity to do so without major surgical procedures. You have to keep in mind that this experience is traumatic and will require some recovery for puppies. For you as an owner, especially if you have major affection for animals, docking of tails can be emotional. Hearing puppies cry can change your mind of docking in the future. In many parts of the World docking is considered barbaric and is forbidden, but in the USA if you want to show your pup, you will have to dock the tails. We have written extensively about docking of tails in this article.