How can you tell if your dog is in labor?

Question

I have breed my AKC champion Toy Poodle to another AKC champ. Toy Poodle male. This is my first time ever doing this and she is due on January 30, 2007. What are some signs that I can look for that it is time? I am new at this and I want to be able to help her and stay with her the whole time she is in labor. I have looked up web sites but didn't find anything that would help me. Is there anything I can do to bring on her labor or is that not safe? She is my pet so after this one litter she is getting spayed. I plan on keeping one puppy and I can't wait until they get here. Please help!

Answer 1

Do NOT try to induce labor.

About 12 to 24 hours before the birth, the dam’s temperature may drop a couple of de-grees. If her normal temperature is, say, 101°, it may drop to about 99° or 98°. Take her temperature 2xs a day to watch for this drop.

On the date of her delivery, keep a cell phone near you with the emergency number of the nearest animal hospital, just in case you need it.

The onset of labor is usually accompanied by heavy panting, pacing, and “nest building” behaviors. The dog may whine throughout the process, shriek at the birth of each puppy, or be completely silent. When hard labor starts, the contractions become more severe. The dam’s panting will escalate a bit, and she may “hunch” over and/or lift her tail with each contraction. Just before the birth of each pup, you’ll see the puppy as a “bulge” just under the dam’s tail.

Don’t impose yourself on the birth area or get “grabby” during the birthing process. Female dogs can be rather unpredictable when they‘re giving birth. If your dog panics or sees you as a “threat” to her puppies, she may bite. Take your cues from your dog. She’ll let you know if she needs you (or wants you there) or not.

Breech births are not unusual for dogs. In fact, your dog may have some puppies that present head-first, and some tail first throughout the birthing process. As long as the puppy gets out all the way, and gets out relatively quickly, it shouldn’t pose a problem for the dam.

Usually the dam will remove the sac and bite the umbilical cord by herself, but new mothers may be overwhelmed and unsure of what to do when the first pup arrives. If you have to break open the birth sac, do it gently, and pull the sac away from the puppy’s head first. You need to make sure it can breathe. If you have to cut the umbilical cord, cut it with sterile scissors about ½” inch away from the puppy’s belly.

Call the vet if:
If you see any heavy discharge of blood… If the dam has been trying to birth the same puppy for hours and the puppy isn’t coming out…If you see foul-smelling blackish-green fluid emit from the vaginal area (this usually means a still birth puppy is inside of her)… If the puppies are premature or undeveloped or any time you feel things just aren’t going right.

E-mail us if you need further assistance at [e-mail]

Answer 2

Fetch 11 had the best answer! Please listen to them. They know what they are talking about. Here is a little extra from my experience. A few days to week prior to labor her genitals will noticeably 'drop' or sag. Your female will attempt to create a nest in a small and safe place. She will nest more frequently and aggressively the closer she gets. My two females both went 62 days to the tee. When labor begins the female pants heavily and very noticebly. She will also be restless. If you notice a wet spot anywhere your dog has been smell it. If there is no smell her water may have broken. After my labs very first puppy, it took 20 minutes for her maternal instincts to kick in. Be patient with your dog and understand nature will take its course. If you do have to remove the sac, as Fetch 11 talked about, also gently rub the puppy. The lapping of the mother dog is what 'kick starts' the puppies breathing. The gentle rubbing will simulate this. Good luck and I'm sure you and "mommy" will do great. Oh! A little side note: The puppies will come at different rates. I thought my female was done but ended up with number 8 two hours after the first seven. Generally the female will look very guant when she is done. Her first day or two she won't want to leave the puppies at all and won't ear or go out for a potty break. When she is ready to eat and drink be sure to let her have as much as she wants, the pups will take a lot out of her. You should be feeding her extra now. Anyway, again, good luck!

Answer 3

My pekingese litter is due on the 30th too. Also by AKC Champions.
I bred her on Nov. 28 and 30.
Now is the time to begin taking her temp about every 4 to 6 hours.
Normal temp is about 101 and drops to 98 at whelping time. Tonight my girl's temp is 99.6 so she has dropped some. Sometimes they go up and down for a couple of days.
She will be somewhat restless and may be digging in her bed (nesting). She could even go off her food for a bit. She needs to be taking pet tabs vitamins and pet cal tabs (calcium) and be feeding on puppy food.
When she is close to labor, she will start panting.
Do not do anything to bring on labor! There is no way of knowing exactly when she ovulated (unless you did progestrone tests). So you can not know exactly what day she should deliver.
Best of luck!

Answer 4

gosh, i think for someone to understand any kind of labor you had to go through it. your dog will be very lethargic a day or less before the intense labor increases. Also she most likely wont want to eat at meal times. Another clue will be that she will constantly want to lay down and be panting a lot. Some dogs want to be close to their care takers, more then ever and some just dont want anything to do with you. Also when the dog goes into that intense labor, she will start to trail some discharge or blood. Is your dog producing milk? because that is a sure sign the pups are on the way.

Answer 5

DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO SPEED UP THE LABOR didn't mean to yell but, I don't recommend that. The signs to look for are the dog is very restless often times acting as if they are trying to dig a hole or make a bed. They may also bite at their side. You may notice a swelling in her genital area however this does not always indicate labor. Its great to be with her during this we have always been there. When they puppies are born the mother should clean them right away and chew off them umbilical cord. I she doesn't you may need to at least clear the sack from away from the puppies nose and mouth to ensure they can breath. Once this is done use a " bulb Nose sucker " the kind you get for a new born baby to clean out their nose to clean out the puppies nose and mouth. Then use a clean dry towel to vigorously dry the puppy. Don't be to hard and rough but be vigorous to help promote blood flow and get the puppy breathing regular any questions or more details e mail me [e-mail]

Answer 6

I've never bred a dog, so I can't give advice from experience. So, call your vet! hehe. The vet or someone at the office should be able to give you tips.
Has she been getting regular check-ups? If not, be sure to take her in to make sure she and the puppies can have a normal delivery.
Do you have a whelping box set up? You may be able to find instructions online.
I'd say contact a breeder as well. They can give you play-by-play advice and tell you when to help and when to let her alone.
Good luck, and congrats on your new family members.
Oh and good call getting her spayed after. It's great to see a responsible owner :)

Answer 7

Hi Melissa,
From experience (I do NOT do this professionally) I have noticed that a few days before labour, the dog's teets will fill with milk and drop. (they will look swollen) Once it is time to give birth, she will try to find a comfortable place to lie (she may scratch at carpets and/or try to find a quiet area if you have kids or other pets.) She may whimper a bit.. and you can actually feel the contractions if you lightly touch her round belly. Her breathing may become a little irregular.. after all she is in labour...
I hope I have been of some help...
Good Luck!!!
Don't forget to remind your little Mommy theat she is a Good Girl...:-)

Answer 8

You should let nature take it's course, and not try to get anything to induce labor, because the body knows best when labor should occur. Yoru best resource is your vet. They can give you tips on what to watch for, and monitor her babies during the pregnancy.

Answer 9

Don't hurry her labor! If something goes wrong, you can always have the vet give her a c-section.