A few years ago I knew of someone who would whelp & raise a litter for the price of a pup. It seems like a lot of work for only $1500-1800. Does anyone have any recent experience and what did you/they charge.

whelp= cost of 1 pup
raising= cost of 1 pup
pups picked up at weaning right at 3-31/2 weeks

WHO THE HECK WEANS THEIR PUPPIES AT 3-3 1/2 WEEKS??? OMG!

I know someone that charges 2000 to go to the airport and get your girl, whelp the litter, raise the pups to 8 weeks and ship them off for you. C section and expenses are extra if needed.

Wow, who does this????

Can't tell me breeding is not all about the money when someone doesn't have the time or desire to stand by their girl while she delivers dollar bills for you???? Why would anyone send a pregnant momma off with strangers to a strange place to deliver?

Hope the next time one of you has a baby, you go somewhere unfamiliar without family and friends around to love you!!

Crazy, just crazy......

As usual, another judgmental statement. There are all different reasons why people need help whelping. I hope you never find yourself with a pregnant bitch and then a real emergency that comes up and need to ask for help. Friends do help friends but it's a lot of work and it's nice to get paid something for doing this.

No judgement to those who truly need the help. I help when those in my area are in need but you know as well as I do that we're not talking about someone who needs the help in an emergency......

Still a response of judgment. Why? Who are you to judge someone else and what they do for whatever reason they do it? It's not your business.

Not a judgement, it's my opinion which I am entitled to!!

Exactly. There's a vet tech I know of that will do the whelping in the owners home or -facility- for $1,800. I heard of her over 2 decades ago with the price of $500.

The ones that I know of that send their bitches out do so because they don't know how or don't want to mess their homes even their basements. . One in particular finally began whelping with assistance her last 4 or 5 litters. Most of the time she had planned c sections done and learned how to raise a litter finally with household help.

I would come help any friend and not expect or accept a dime. True friendship or aquaintanceships don't pay for help.

For my first litter, I was very ignorant and nervous
I asked the Vet Tech from my office if he could help me
He said he usually assisted with in home delivery for $350.00
It was worth every bit of the $ that I paid him
I learned a lot, didn't loose one puppy
He was wonderful... he stayed all night until Mom was done with delivery

IMHO, HELPING or even paying your local vet tech to be on call to come over and HELP is FINE.

Sending your bitch off to a strange location to whelp and then up until weaning seems cruel to me. What reason could you possibly have to not be there with your precious bitch at the time she is going to need you the most (even if it's just pets while the tech does the work?). Mess or smell in the house? If that's the case, I am sorry, but you should not be breeding.

Now I don't know if that's what the original person was asking about, but if you want a litter and then can't be bothered to be in the thick of it, then you shouldn't be doing it. Again, friends and vet help are a different story. I have a cool headed husband that is worth his weight in gold (and he's a BIG man).

The OP was asking how much but not seeking your permission to have help whelping a litter. There are many reasons for needing assistance ...... poor health, age, business or simply lack of experience. Many of us love being in our sport but can not be there every time. What difference is it to anyone else why it's done as long as the bitch and puppies are safe and well cared for. I would also venture to guess that if you're paying someone to whelp or raise a litter that breeder is certainly not doing it for money. The cost of paying for such services will quickly eat into whatever "profit" you may be anticipating. However around this household, there's no such thing as profit in dogs.

THANK YOU ........

The topic went into a different zone because of this post but that's just my opinion.



When you read the last sentence it's initially disturbing to read that anyone not necessarily the OP would fully wean a litter and take the pups away from Mum at 3 to 3½ weeks.

Sorry to see it go in the wrong direction but I can't think of anyone who wouldn't find that particular post disturbing.

Kathleen, when you ask a question like that on an open board you will get others opinions. So if you're going to ask, expect some breeders to be disturbed by the costs and as I said, about pups leaving Mum so young as mentioned by 'pricing'. I've never heard of taking pups away from Mum that young but then again I have never had the promise of help if needed from a friend. Normally I have family to assist me. Once I didn't so I asked a friend to be available in case I needed help. I've made myself available for a couple of close friends in past years too.

I have helped several breeders with whelping litters and what I have found works best for me and the Bitch owners is this:

I pick up the girls about a month before they are due to whelp this way they adapt to my home, other dogs, and enviroment long before they give birth.

I give weekly updates to the Bitch Owner and keep them abreast of what is going on during the last stages of pregnancy. Once the litter is whelped we each get a Pick Puppy from the litter or price there of if no picks. (Breeder gets 1st and Whelper/Helper gets 2nd) After that all of the puppy sales monies are put together and the Breeder and the Whelper/Helper gets all expenses reimbursed upfront and (All expenses must be documented by receipts) Then the remaining puppy money is split 50/50. All of the puppies are placed from my home under the Breeders Contract and specifications. The Breeder gets a detailed breakdown of all expenses, receipts and income in a P/L format and is paid in cash at the time of Pick-up of her Bitch and puppy.