Q: Is it OK for my Dog to Give Birth at Home?

Q: My dog is near the end of her pregnancy. How can I tell when she's going into labor? Is it okay for her to give birth at home?

A: Most dogs have a pregnancy term that last about 60 days. It is important to be prepared well before your dog is due to give birth. The normal temperature of dogs ranges between 100 and 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Have a rectal thermometer on hand and check your dogs' temperature. When the temperature drops this usually means that she is going to have the puppies in about a day.

It is ok for your dog to have her pups at home as long as you have a clean, quiet bedding area. This is important not only for the safety of your pups but for the mother as well. Many pet supply stores sell whelping boxes that are made especially for labor and puppies. Make sure that you talk to your veterinarian before your dog is going to have her pups. Your vet may want to discuss certain health related issues with you and make sure you have everything that you will need for the pups!

Author's profile photo
Dr. Lauren Brickman Dr. Brickman started as a veterinary technician at Garden City Park in 1997 and went on to…

Leave a Comment

Enter your information below or log in to skip these fields.
No account? Sign up here.
* indicates a required field.
(will appear with your comment)
For privacy reasons, do not use your full name or email address.
(will not be published)
For your protection, ensure that no personally identifiable information (like full name or email address) is submitted.

Your Privacy

Trust is a cornerstone of our corporate mission, and the success of our business depends on it. P&G is committed to maintaining your trust by protecting personal information we collect about you, our consumers.

Comments (8)

Anonymous (Unverified)

I want to express my admiration of your writing skill and ability to make readers read from the beginning to the end. I would like to read newer posts and to share my thoughts with you.
moulin de café
moulin de grains

bobo (Unverified)

I never read whole articles but the way you wrote this information is simply amazing and this kept my interest in reading and I enjoyed it. I read your post and I found it amazing. Your thought process is wonderful.

Regards,
Oil Extraction Machine

ash2554 (Unverified)
I have a 9 year old beagle/dotson mixed...She is pregnant for the first time is there anything that I should worry about cause of her age???
Sue (Unverified)
My Chinese Crested is 44 day's along,she is three year's old and this is her first litter.She is hairless so i sure hope we have at least one hairless baby.Good Luck to all u new mom's and will keep u updated on Pony
Windy (Unverified)
Hi - Can a dog give birth to some puppies and then many hours later give birth to more?
francis (Unverified)
my dog is 6months i think she might be pregnant but i dont notice any nipples the reason i think shes pregnant is her belly is big but she was always kind of chubby.how can i tell????? please help im confused
sm reddy (Unverified)
My pug delivered four live pups today. should I restrin the mother to be with pups all the day?