Originally Posted by fenwoman

Gosh she is sweet. Makes me mad though when someone decides to breed and then 'can't cope' with the puppies
Did she not expect them to take up space, make a mess, poop and pee everywhere? And because she couldn't cope with it, the poor pups have to leave their mum and litter before they are fully dependant both physically and mentally.
Learning to behave in a pack or litter is so important and is what helps pups learn boundaries, accept discipline etc. Pups removed too soon rightly have care and attention lavished on them, however, they tend to grow up with an unhealthy idea that they are higher status than they really are and with a large breed, this can be a massive problem if not dangerous. You are probably going to anyway, but just in case you didn't think of it, get her enrolled in a puppy socialisation class as soon as she can be for her own good and yours.
I'm looking forward to hearing of her progress as she grows and of course seeing loads of pictures too.

Originally Posted by Meko

isn't 18 a fair few pups though? the record is 24 and most surviving record is 20, so 18 is probably a lot to handle and for most people to struggle with.