Because dogs are wonderful pets, one would not be enough for a dog lover as these animals are kind of addicting. Dog owners that form a strong bond with the pet would want to breed the dog. Breeding the beloved pet would mean more pets to love and to share with family members. Watching the pregnant pet deliver the puppies would be a wonderful experience.

Normally, dogs, like their ancient ancestors in the wild would not need human intervention to whelp. Whelping though is not always normal and difficult labor that would endanger the lives of the dam and the puppies can occur. A dog owner that has planned to breed the pet is duty bound to provide the dog with all imaginable comforts that will make whelping easier and safer. A dog owner also has to know the signs that the pet is having a difficult labor. Apart from recognizing the telltale signs, a dog owner also has to have first aid knowledge to be able to help the pet.

The dog’s pregnancy would last for eight to nine weeks. At the end of this period, the whelping box lined with old blankets should be ready. The towels, the blunt tipped scissors or dental floss for the puppies’ umbilical cords should be ready as well. One very important tool that will let the dog owner know that the pet is ready to give birth is a thermometer. A thermometer reading that is 2 to 3 degrees lower than the normal 101.5 degrees body temperature is an indication that the dog will whelp in 12 to 24 hours.

For normal births, the dog will do all the work of delivering the puppies. After the puppy was delivered, the mother dog will take care of the cleaning and the cutting of the of the umbilical cord. Cleaning the newborn and cutting the umbilical cord will be the task of the dog owner if for some reasons, the dog would not want to attend to the newly born puppies. This situation commonly happen to dogs that gave birth for the first time. It will be the dog owner’s task to tear the sac to prevent the puppy from suffocation. Cleaning the newborn will be the owner’s task as well.

A whelping dog with a puppy stuck half in and half out would need urgent help. Firmly hold the protruding body part with a towel and pull out the puppy. Remove a dead puppy stuck in the birth canal immediately. This condition is best resolved by a vet but if no professional help is available, a K-Y jelly lubricated hand can be inserted into the dog to pull forward the dead puppy. This aggressive effort of removing the dead pup will be very necessary to save the life of the dam and the unborn puppies.

Find out more about dog first aid and whelping at Sarah’s Dogs.