Well, I think BOTTOM KNOTS are useful in keeping the hair out of the way of a bitch who is whelping a litter. It is only useful on long haired bitches.

It may not be pretty to look at, but nothing can be worse than having their britches act as a dark green paint brush.

In the end (pun) it helps to keep the hair out of the way when the bitch is whelping and afterwards while she is still leaking birthing fluids. There is nothing quite like the sight of black/green grundge all over light coloured pants. The best thing is that bitch does not have to spend as much time in the bathtub, when she really wants to be with her puppies.

What do you do?

1. Brush the hair thoroughly to enable you to part it easily. It is best to do this a day or two before she is due to whelp, and you may wish to do it at 3 different sessions to give her a break in between times.
2. With the bitch standing start at the top and work downwards.
3. With small elastic bands, I take a clump of hair at the base of and on the tail pull it towards the head and apply the band right next to the skin.
4. I band a couple more on either side of the first one.
5. Band another one up the center of the tail towards the head. Then I band all of these together.
6. I take larger elastic bands and put three or four around the whole tail, pulling the hair and tail towards the head. Be careful not to put them on too tight as you can cut off circulation to the tail.
7. I band the hair on either side of the anus, pulling the hair towards the sides.
8. I work my way downwards making another 3 bands on each side.
9. At a central point farther away from the bottom I make another band on each side.
10. Then I band all of the bands on each side together. You can only do this if the bitch has a good length of hair on her britches.