She may be pregnant, or having a false pregnancy, although thickening up through the waist is not a typical symptom of a false pregancy. I can usually tell by the second or third week when friend's bitches are expecting - long before the vet can with any certainty. But it's something I have to eyeball in person - there's just a "look" pregnant bitches get. I even informed one friend that her son's coonhound bitch was pregnant, when she thought I was nuts because she supposedly had had no opportunity. Apparently one of her cattle working BCs had slipped over really fast while she was walking him back to the kennel. Result: 9 weeks later, a beautiful Walker Coonhound/BC cross pup. And one friend who had to eat crow.
A female can concieve with no tie. Friend of mine got a very nice small litter of "oops" pups after his male mounted a bitch he was walking on lead, for a split second. The dog was an extremely experienced male, however - I"m not sure whether a pair of virgins would manage the same thing. The above incident had to happen in a split second too - but again in that case the female was quite experienced. The "oops" litter was between two dogs he had intended to breed, but the timing was off - the female was slated to run in the Finals championship just a few weeks after the pups came. She still competed and came in third.[sm=biggrin.gif]
You'll find plenty of vets willing to spay this early in the pregnancy with no problem. That's entirely up to you - if you will take the responsibility to do it, (it would be my choice since this is an unplanned litter from a first-time bitch, presumably companion quality - ie, you don't show or work her).
If you make the decision, you'll be able to make it work. Just call around - vets vary widely in their policies and I've never known more than a couple of vets that weren't willing to do a pregnancy termination spay. It's somewhat tricky but it's better than losing your companion during a fouled up pregnancy.
Good luck.
Becca Shouse: Irena Farm, Semora, NC
Cord, Ted, Gus, Zhi, Maggie, Lynn, Lu, Min and Tully
Waiting: Bubo & Ben
"We didn't have a phone, and we couldn't call you!" Helen, AIDS orphan. Don't let them die of ignorance - WorldHelp.net
"I-Dog Biggest Loser" Official Cheerleader/Mascot
Start 09/15/08: 186.4 lbs Current 175.6 lbs