welping english mastiffs

Question
my females first litter ,she is three yrs old. has already mothered a 11 week old male mastiff, and  has very good mothering traits. need to know if a c- section prevents the dam from being a good mother ?? as waking up to a litter of pups ?? what % of dams reject the pups??? and is it neccessary to do c-sections on first litters??? also i have welped 64 pups (with previous (yellow lab) dog we had and want to know what what other training  i should know before shes due and what i can be prepared for?? we live 15 miles from a vet, ???? so i want to be ready ,,,,

                                  thnaks for your help??

Answer
Hi Shelley

Can I ask why you think she needs a section?  There is no reason to believe she should have a section, mastiff's don't typically have sections.

Larger breeds tend to go longer than your average so if she goes a few more days, I wouldn't be too concerned.

We've had experience with females that have had sections and those that have whelped naturally.  In all cases, depending on the female, they take to the pups.  The only concern is that occasionally, it takes longer for a female to come out of the drugs and the pups can be lethargic too.   That being said, a terrible mother is a terrible mother no matter which way the pups come.  There is no reason to believe that your female would reject her litter.

All dogs, regardless of breed or size, (although I find my Mastiff's way easier to train the my Chihuahua) should have manners and basic obedience.

The only thing you need to be prepared for is... a large litter.

Good luck