When your dog is about to have puppies, look for a rectal temperature drop (below 100°F/37.8°C), restlessness, nesting (shredding bedding, digging), panting, refusal to eat, and milk production, with these signs often signaling the start of labor 6-24 hours before puppies arrive, especially restlessness and nesting in the final hours before active pushing and delivery.
You may notice behavior changes in your dog, such as extreme nesting behavior (fervently shredding bedding material, frantic nesting, etc.), discomfort and increased panting. These signs usually occur 6-12 hours before parturition and signify the start of stage I labor, but may last up to 24-36 hours.
Signs of labor in dogs include nesting behavior, restlessness, panting, and a drop in body temperature. Early contractions may cause pacing or whining. As labor progresses, visible straining and discharge occur. If labor exceeds 24 hours without puppies or if severe distress appears, consult a veterinarian immediately.
There are several signs that labour might be starting, including:
Your vet can confirm a pregnancy with either a dog pregnancy test, which measures her hormone levels, from days 21-25 of her term, or by ultrasound from day 20-22. From around day 30 your vet will be able to carry out a physical examination to count how many puppies your dog is having.
Week 9 -Day 57 – 63
For a pregnancy of average length (63 – 65 days) this is the final week. Do puppies move a lot before birth? Yes. The puppies are large and active, causing rippling of her flanks.
At 7 weeks in, we were able to put our hands gently on her belly while she lay on her back (Tollers love to lay on their back!). We could feel gentle kicks and the movement of the pups. Their skeletons begin to solidify at this stage, and by week 8 they are solid enough to be visible on x-ray.
Active labour is when your cervix is 4-8cm dilated with a thin fully effaced cervix AND your contractions are regular, strong and long. If you are a first time parent, you can follow the 3-2-1 rule = consistent contractions every 3-5 minutes, for 2 hours, lasting 1 minute or more.
The signs of labor will vary for every pregnant person; some symptoms may be more subtle than others. Some early signs of early labor include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, increased bowel movements, lower back pain, cervical dilation and effacement and the loss of the mucus plug.
Most puppies are born headfirst but some come tail first. After each puppy, your dog should pass an afterbirth (placenta). Some pups share a placenta so do not worry if not every pup has one born after it.
Your dog will probably display nesting behaviors by settling into a comfortable pile of clothes or the back of a closet. Within several hours of this first stage, a dog's cervix will dilate in readiness for birth. You may see your dog's abdomen making rippling motions, a sign that contractions have begun.
In most cases, the mother dog will handle the delivery process on her own. However, it's still helpful to be prepared to step in if necessary. Make sure you have clean towels on hand to gently clean each puppy if the mother does not do it herself.
If you can see a puppy at the vulva and it is not being delivered, take a clean towel and gently take hold of the puppy. Gently pull the puppy at approximately 45° angle to the ground. Keep a constant pull even when your dog is not straining, as gentle traction will stimulate her to keep straining.
Research suggests that dogs not only sense when we're stressed because of our body language, but that they can actually smell our stress through our breath and sweat—so, yes, your dog is likely to know something's up as labor approaches.
To reduce the chance of a problem, set up a whelping box for your dog well before she's due to give birth, and make sure it's positioned in a warm, quiet, calm place way from the busy areas of your home. Keep an eye on your dog while she's giving birth and only intervene if absolutely necessary.
5 Signs That You're Really in Labor
The "5-5-5 rule" in a labor/postpartum context is a guideline for new mothers to prioritize rest and recovery in the first 15 days after childbirth, suggesting 5 days in bed, followed by 5 days on the bed (minimal movement), and then 5 days near the bed (gentle movement around the home). This promotes healing, bonding, and reduces stress, though it's a flexible guide, not a strict mandate, with some experts suggesting early movement can help prevent blood clots, making a modified approach ideal.
Anticipating Arrival: 5 Signs That Labor Is Near
Contractions can last anywhere from 20 to 70 seconds depending on what stage of labor you're in. During early labor, contractions may: Last 20 to 30 seconds.
Just over half of all births were spontaneous births following labours which started spontanously. These were most likely to occur between 1:00 and 6.59am with a peak around 4:00am, and a trough in the afternoon. They were slightly more likely to happen on weekdays than on other days.
Yes! In the late stage of pregnancy (weeks 7-9), you should be able to feel or even see the puppies moving around in your dog's tummy. Be sure to touch your dog's belly gently and carefully, and stop if she seems uncertain.
One of the first signs of impending labor in dogs is a drop in the mother's body temperature from 101.3°F to 98.6°F – labor usually begins around 12-24 hours after that. To know when this happens, take your dog's temperature twice a day with a rectal thermometer throughout the final week of pregnancy.
Puppies 4-5.5 weeks old can recognize their siblings and their mother, and their mother can recognize them. Two years later, mother dogs could still recognize their offspring, and their offspring recognized them. However, the offspring could not recognize their siblings unless they had been living together.