Train My Pets

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Whelping is a term used to refer to the birth process of canines, when the female hunting dog gives birth to a litter of puppies. Most female hunting dogs (bitches) will go through this process naturally, with little help needed from you or a veterinarian. Occasionally, though, some help is needed and if you understand the process and what is expected at each stage of whelping, you’ll be prepared to give aid when it is needed.You may often hear people refer to the term whelping - simply put, this refers to the birthing process of a litter of hunting dogs. This is a fairly natural process for dogs, but sometimes you may need to assist in the process or seek the help of a veterinarian. Understanding the whelping process is critical in order to provide help to a hunting dog during the delivery process.

A bitch will be pregnant for about 58 to 68 days. Towards the end of this gestation period, at about the fifty-eighth day, you’ll want to start watching for signs of labor. Take the dog’s temperature regularly and watch for a sudden drop to about 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit as this is an indication that she will begin whelping within the next 24 hours. You can rent or buy a thermometer meant especially for this task from a veterinarian. Use a little lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, to help the process.The gestation period for dogs is 58 to 68 days. As that 58th day approaches you will want to keep a close eye for signs that your pregnant dog is about to go into labor. I typically take my dogs temperature as the days get closer to the expected delivery date and watch carefully for a sudden drop in her temperature. Now dogs typically have a normal temperature of 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit but about 24 hours prior to delivery their temperature will drop by a couple degrees to 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating birth is imminent.

Make available a whelping box (any box large enough for her to comfortably stretch in). It can be cardboard, plastic, or wooden. She will naturally begin nesting in that box shortly before the whelping process is to begin. Her instincts are telling her to prepare for the puppies.Now it’s important to designate a place where you female will have this litter of puppies. I prefer a whelping box made from wood – this will make cleanup much easier. As your dog’s temperature begins to fall you will want to introduce her to the whelping box. She will naturally begin nesting so make sure you line the bottom of the box with newspaper as she will shred paper in preparation for giving birth.

Don’t hold that 24-hour rule for temperature drop to whelping too fast, however. Often, this temperature drop happens only a few minutes or hours before the event. Nesting and temperature change together are sure indications no matter what, though. Be prepared anytime after her 58th day of pregnancy for her to go into labor at any time. When she does go into labor, she will begin contractions, which will be clearly visible as her muscles from shoulder to tail will contract and release rhythmically and she will likely lie down and find a comfortable place in her whelping box. She will whimper slightly and begin licking herself to prepare for birth.One point about this sudden drop in temperature, I have seen dogs go into labor as within only a few hours of this drop. So be prepared. If you find your dog is starting to nest in other areas of the house bring her to the whelping box to get her comfortable there. A combination of nesting and a temperature drop is a sure indicator that she is about to deliver puppies soon. Like humans, the first signs of labor are contractions. These contractions should be quite apparent in her muscles tightening from her mid-section to her tail. Another tell-tale sign is the female beginning to excessively licking herself as she begins to prepare for whelping the litter.

It’s likely that from here on in, you will only be an observer, watching as the pups emerge one after another. It can take several minutes or even hours. A bitch that has not had puppies before will likely take longer than one who hasn’t, but there is no hard-and-fast rule. If the process takes more than two or three hours, call a veterinarian for advice.Puppies should begin coming out one right after another. This can happen very quickly, or sometimes in a first time mother can take a few hours. If your dog has been in labor for more that two to three hours, you should consider calling your vet, so you know what to look for in case of an emergency.

If more than an hour goes by with her in labor but producing no puppies, help her up and take her for a brief walk around the area or (if the weather is good) in the yard. Do not go further than you can carry her, however, so that if she collapses into birth, you can quickly take her back to her whelping box. Feathering is another technique that can help stimulate birth. Put on a latex glove and lubricate with KY jelly or another non-toxic lubricant and gently insert your finger into her vulva up to the top of her vagina.There are some tips to help your dog along into labor, and should be considered only if she has been in labor for more than one hour and no puppies have come out. One of the suggestions is to get your dog up and allow her to walk around. Just make sure she doesn’t venture too far from the whelping box, so if she begins to go into labor you can easily get her back to the box. The other tips is a technique called feathering. This is when you put on a latex glove and apply some non-toxic lubrication and gently insert your finger into your dog’s vulva and gently rub the top of the vagina, this will help stimulate involuntary uterine contractions.

When the puppies finally do come, they will be preceded by a gush of fluid as her water breaks. After her water has broken, expect a puppy within twenty minutes and more to follow shortly after, one after another. They are usually born head first and the mother will naturally know when to stop. You can “feel” her gut by gently pressing with your fingers to see if more puppies are due to arrive.When a puppy is being born it is accompanied by the water sac, which can either be with in tactic, or ruptured prior to the puppy being fully delivered. The puppy is usually delivered head first.

Once they are born, the mother will likely do all the work caring for the puppies. Make sure that warm, damp rags are ready for wiping down the pups and for gently massaging them to stimulate breathing. Most likely, mother will do this with her tongue as the pups are born, so again, you will likely just watch. Do not pick up or handle the puppies any more than medically necessary during the first few hours so that they can have mom’s full attention. Gentle, shortly-timed handling for the first week or so is recommended while the puppies acclimate and grow.Most of your puppies will be delivered with a placenta and in an amniotic birthing sack. Care should be taken not to make sure the puppy is removed from the sack, cleaned and dried as quickly as possible. The mother should naturally do most of this for you, however, there will be times when you need to step in and help. During the first few hours after birth you should try to keep your handling of the puppies to a minimum and let the mother naturally accept and begin caring for these puppies on her own.

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