Dog Pregnancy & Breeding Blog

Practical, vet-referenced guides for dog owners and small breeders: heat cycles, pregnancy week by week, whelping, and caring for newborn puppies.

Dogs bleed after giving birth for usually about three weeks, though it may last up to eight weeks, and the discharge, called…

Caring for a mother dog after giving birth means three things: feeding her well, checking her every day for the first two…

A dog is likely done giving birth when she settles and rests calmly, nurses her puppies without straining, has had no contractions…

The best way to help a dog give birth is usually to prepare well in advance, stay calm and quiet during labour,…

A whelping supplies checklist is a list of everything you need gathered and ready before your dog goes into labour, grouped so…

A whelping box is a low sided, enclosed pen where your dog gives birth and nurses her puppies for the first few…

What is a normal dog temperature before labor, and what does a drop mean? A healthy pregnant dog has a normal rectal…

How long does dog labor last? For most dogs, active whelping takes a few hours, while the whole process from the first…

Dog labor has three stages. Stage 1 is the start of contractions and the opening of the cervix, with restlessness, panting, nesting…