What should I do to be prepared?
1. Make sure you have plenty of clean newspapers and sheets or towels.
2. Select the place where you would like her to have her puppies and put a suitable whelping box in that location. The whelping box should be large enough for her to move around freely, with low sides so that she can see out and easily move in and out. A large cardboard packing case with an open top and an opening cut out of the side is ideal for smaller dogs. Be sure to ask your veterinary healthcare team for more advice on making a whelping box for your pet.
3. Line the bottom of the whelping box with plenty of newspaper. There will be a large amount of fluid at the time of whelping. If sufficient layers of newspaper and cloth are in place before whelping, you can remove soiled layers with minimum interruption to the mother and her newborn puppies.
4. Acrylic bedding, which is easily washed, can be used to cover the newspaper. However, during whelping, plain newspaper is more absorbent and the puppies are less likely to get hidden beneath it.
hiding in strange places. Is this normal?
During the last week of pregnancy the female often starts to look for a safe place for whelping. Some pets appear to become confused, wanting to be with their owners and at the same time wanting to prepare their nest. It is a good idea to get your pet used to the place where you want her to have her puppies well in advance of whelping. Even so, there are a number of dogs that insist on having their puppies near the owner. This may be on your bed in the middle of the night. Be warned!
She has decided to whelp in the bedroom, what should you do?
It will be far less stressful for everyone to allow her to continue in her chosen place. Make sure you spread lots of old newspaper and, if possible, cover the carpet with a plastic sheet covered by sheets or newspaper. It is normal for foetal fluids to be colored green. These stains can be difficult to remove.
Once your pet has finished whelping, try gently moving her and her new family to your chosen place. She should be well acquainted with this area prior to whelping.
If your pet insists on being near you with her puppies, allow her. A whelping box in a quiet corner of the living room that has been protected with newspapers and sheets is preferable to an anxious mother constantly leaving her puppies.