| Recently I bred my Yorkshire terrier. She is two years | | | | up and down the stairs. Meanwhile, the father-to-be |
| old and I thought that the time was right. I own the | | | | was running around the house as though nothing had |
| male as well, so it seemed like everything would go | | | | changed. |
| along smoothly. First, I went to my veterinarian and | | | | I made every attempt to stay home as much as |
| made sure that both of my dogs were in good health. | | | | possible during the last week, or at least to have |
| When he gave the all clear sign I went home and | | | | someone there. But one day I was gone for several |
| waited until she went into heat. | | | | hours and came home to find that she had given birth |
| I tried to narrow down the days of mating so that I | | | | without waiting for me. There were fours puppies, but |
| would know when the puppies would be expected. I | | | | only one had survived. The other three had either been |
| knew it took nine weeks, or 63 days, so I figured out | | | | stillborn, or had suffocated when the mother had not |
| when she would deliver her puppies. At around six | | | | removed the membrane that covers them at birth. I |
| weeks I took her back to the vet. She didn't seem to | | | | was heartbroken over the loss of these three perfect |
| be any bigger and there was no way for me to tell if | | | | little creatures that never took a breath, but happy that |
| she was pregnant or not. The vet did an x-ray and | | | | the mother and surviving baby were doing fine. |
| said that she was, indeed, pregnant. He said that he | | | | I learned many lessons from this that I will consider in |
| could only see one skeleton, but that he expected her | | | | the future. The most important one is that you must |
| to have several pups. | | | | not go away during the final days of your dogs' |
| I was away during the next week and when I returned | | | | pregnancy. You never know if she will need you during |
| I could not believe my eyes. My little Yorkie had turned | | | | the birthing process. |
| into a pumpkin! She was huge and had difficulty getting | | | | |