I have a 12-13 puppy litter due in a few days.

I would welcome the advice of some of the pros.

Would suggest allowing her to have them herself or section her?

She has had 2 litters both 6 pups and very easy delivery both times.

This is her last litter and this was a big surprise to me.

My girls last litter was 12, we expected 8-10 and got 12, although we lost the 11th puppy. Her first litter was 7, 2nd a year later was 9 and the third one on a aback to back breeding was 12. She whelped that litter the quickest and without issue...other than the 11th being DOA. The 12th was fine an hour later...in fact she was a keeper. I see no reason to section her unless she has trouble. Dont let your worries hinder her...be happy!!!

Sherry, thanks for the upbeat attitude.

It helps --- whelping is always so worrisome.

I'm home alone too -- hubby is out-of-town.

But hopefully she will hold out a few more days.

Thanks again!

Last year I had a litter of 12 out of a 4 year old girl.
she whelped in 4 hours, no losses.

I was concerned about everyone getting enough of the colostrum so we marked the pups so the could nurse in shifts. They all stayed with mom but every few hours we would leave one group to get all they could.

We did not supplement with formula, but my mother ate non stop, I could not keep the bowl full enough for her :O)
good luck with your girl, when temp drops warn you vet but she should be fine.

Ciara whelped exactly 63 days from ovulation...in fact she did not do the regular nesting ritual because I think she was so large and miserable she did not have the ability to. LOL I knew she was in labor because of her panting. At 6:15 pm I made her stay in her whelping box and she presented me with her first puppy at 6:30 with nary a push. Her smallest pup was 13 oz and the largest was 17oz in this litter. She was finished whelping at 7:30 am.

If your girl should start whelping and you need a little moral support, please give me a call. You can find my number on my website, or email me and I will give it to you. I know how scary and alone it can seem when you are whelping through the night and it seems like you are the only soul on the face of the earth.

Hang tight and GOOD LUCK!!!

I wish you could post a picture of her.

I bet she looks like she swallowed a basketball. I would imagine all she is doing at this point is grunting too...LOL Poor things...

We know a girl in our area who had a litter of 15 in January. I don't know how long the birthing took, but all survived, and it was a natural whelping. Good Luck...Let us know how everything goes!

Please be careful taking advice from self proclaimed experts on this or any other public board.
Do what your gut, and your trusted, experienced vet tells you to do.
Best of luck to you!

it does not appear that anyone was claiming to be an expert. The OP was asking for other's expereiences and that is what was given. It is simply amazing that not one thread can ever be posted on this forum without someone trying to make a rift of some sort. I beleieve most everyone would agree if a c section is not needed, why on earth do it. I am certainly glad my labradors dont act like three fourths of the folks on this board. *shaking head in disbelief*

The OP asked specifically for suggestions on whether to section or not, not experiences.
She asked for advice from experienced (pros) breeders.
The issue is that you never know who is giving the advice and what their actual experience is.
Think resume, qualifications.
Just because someone has had a litter or two, does not make them qualified to give out medical advice to others and we see that happening a lot here

Long time breeder,
where does anyone claim to be a self proclaimed pro?
all I see is fellow breeders telling about their large litter deliveries and wishing luck. No one told her to tie the bitch to the barn and walk away or to run for a C section.

I am sure the OP will do what is best for her dog we all assumed that.

If she was looking for actual PRO's she would be talking to multiple vets.

It was obvious what she meant, she meant others with more experience than herself, in a nice pat on the back way.

How do you know these breeders can not be considered a pro?
you dont know that and have no right to assume otherwise.
If you have nothing positive to offer to the posted subject then don't.

I did offer positive advice. I advised to be careful where you get your advice!!

if your first post would have left out "self proclaimed experts"
I don't think your post would have been taken as a nasty unnecessary shot.
it was insightful except for that jab....no one sound like they thought they were self proclaimed experts.

I would not do a c-section due to the larger size of the litter. If she was a poor whelper prior then perhaps you might want to consider it. Given the fact that she has 12 to 13 pups doesn't mean she can't handle it.

Let her try, if you have any problems with whelping or pups, call or see your vet as you would with any size litter.

Whelping a singleton or litter of 2 is more difficult than a larger litter but that's JMO. I don't call myself a "pro" but I have whelped a good amount of litters over the years. We never had a planned c-section, there was no reason for it.

always told me if I had nothing nice to say, to say nothing at all.

I've had 3 litters of 12 or 13 pups.
First litter mom tried whelping and stopped after 8. She had whelped 2 litters before without problems (9 and 4 pups). This time she stopped at 8, we thought maybe the halfway rest and let her wait an hour or so. No contractions, called ER vet and had to take her in. 2 of the remaining 4 pups weren't alive as the placentas were detached.
After loosing two really nice pups, the next x-ray that showed that many pups we scheduled a c-section. If I schedule it (based on her temp drop not a date) and my regular vet knows about it, they will open up after hours if they are here. If I don't and its an emergancy then I have to go the ER where I don't know them and they don't know me or the dogs. That should factore into your decision.
That girl had 1 pup on the way to the vet. But after c-section vet said it was good we did because she had very thin walls (the pups were big and lots of them and she was stretched thin).
Because of that outcome, the next litter I had that was again larger (12), I decided to section again (now mind you my vet doesn't put them under, they are sedated and given a local and the pups come out squealing, so not the same as putting mom under and having sleepy pups). Could that mom have had her pups, probably, but I'd rather know that I did all I could to make sure all the pups were alive and mom didn't have any issues or get tired out. I guess it depends on what your reasons for a section would be. I don't think anyone can tell you what you should do, I think you know your girl and how important the pups are to you and the history of her lines and whelping. I think you need to factor everything in. Do you have a vet that will meet you no matter what time, is there a ER vet that you might have issues with to deal with if she has problems. If you are alone and need to get her to the vet in case of an ER visit, is there a friend who could/would drive you, ect. Good luck and let us all know how it goes!

Have a girl that whelped 13. It was her 2nd time whelping.First was 8. No problems. All survived. They worked out nursing in shifts themselves.

I have also had 12 and 13 several times over the years. Never any problems. They seem to pop out faster with alot. I worry alot more about a litter of up to 6. That is when I have had to go for help. Bet she will be fine. Be different if she had problems before.