Q: Is it OK for my Dog to Give Birth at Home? | Dog & Cat Health, Wellness, Products and Breed Information

Q: Is it OK for my Dog to Give Birth at Home?
| Print | By Dr. Lauren Brickman | April 3, 2009 1:55 PM

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!

Comments (59)

Debbie H. April 2, 2009 11:13 PM

where in the dc area can i get a whelping box? my vet does not know. is there any other 24 hour emergency animail hospital that you can pre registure in case we run into an emergency? my vet only gave me one in dc.

Amy May 2, 2009 11:06 PM

You can buy a whelping box online, although this can be a bit pricey. What I would do, and what I have seen done, is to use a plastic kiddie pool as a generic version of a whelping box. They're much cheaper, they're easy to clean, the puppies cannot climb out, and they offer plenty of room for turning and moving. Good luck!

BIRI May 23, 2009 4:59 PM

CAN IT BE A GRIL

betty May 26, 2009 4:24 PM

my dog of 9 wks has been sick took 2 vet blood x rays they say bacterial infection like mennigitis will not stand feeding by hand and med dispenser needle to give water meds r amoxicillin septra mextronidazole will this help as they say i may have 2 put him down
thank you

edda May 26, 2009 6:25 PM

what should i feed my pregnant dog?she barely wants to eat anything, is that normal?

Betty from momma2 May 29, 2009 1:32 AM

BETTY I DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT DISEASE BUT SUGGEST GETTINH BABY FORMULA AND BABY FOOD PERHAPS PUREE RICE- IT IS TOO EARLY FOR RICE BUT IF SHE IS NOT KEEPING THINGS IN MAY HELP BIND HER WATCH THE STOO FOR INCREASED OR ANY RUNS AND CONT. W/VET BUT HAVE HER GET IV FLUIDS EVERY 1-3 DAYS YOU CAN USUALLY HAVE VET PROVIDE SVC FOR ABOUT 10 DOKKARS OR 15- IF SHE DEHYDRATES SHE CAN GO INJTO RENAL FAILURE. CAN'T SAY IF YOU SHOULD PUT HER DOWN YET- BUT DON'T LET HER SUFFER FROM STARVATION AS IT IS POSSIBLE WITH ANY ANIMAL IF THEY R A PUPPY ESPECIALLY-MY CAT GOT POISONED AND MY DOG JUST HAD BABIES 2 MONTHS AGO SO I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH. ALSO HAVE A 17 YEAR OLD DOG AND HAD 3 CATS 1 DIED AT 16-17 RENAL FAILURE DUE TO DIABETES ANOTHER ABOUT SAME AGE FROM COMPLICATIONS OF CANCER SURGERY. SHE GOT PNOMMONIA, ANOTHER CAT AT ABOUT 19 THAT WAS THE POISONED ON HE GOT DECON AND AFTER ABOUT 10 WEEKS, I DETOXIFIED HIM, TAUGHT HIM HOW TO EAT AND SAVED FROM NEAR DEATH - HE WAS SO SICK HE FORGOT HOW TO EAT - I TAUGHT HIM AND HE HAD A LONG HEALTHY LIFE DESPITE VETS MINIMAL HELP TILL I IMPLEMENTED AND DIAGNOSED SUCCESSFUL DIAG.

EDDA - MOMMA2 May 29, 2009 1:36 AM

TRY MAKING HER A STEAK OR TRY SOFT FOOD EVEN CHIX SOUP NO ONIONS. IF SHE IS GONNA GIVE BIRTH LIKE NEXT DAY OR SO LACK OF INTEREST IN FOOD IN NOT RARE. ANY OTHER TIMR I WOULD SAY YES MY NEW MOMMA1 BABY HAD BABIES 2 MNNTHS AGO AND FOR MOST PART ATE AND EATS LIKE A PIG BUT MAINTAINS HER GIRLISH FIGURE- GOOD LUCK GET HER SPECIAL MEALS SHE'LL BE OK

My pups are growing May 30, 2009 10:29 AM

My puppies are three weeks they are turning four weeks tomorrow.Will they keep drinking milk by an older age?

glory4grandma@comcast.net June 1, 2009 4:59 PM

I have a toy poodle she needs to be spayed i can't afford it, what should I do?

Tonya June 2, 2009 9:37 PM

We have a black female lab, she is now 16 years old. She has arthuritis and some other problems. We have her on meds for the arthur.
How long does a lab live. I cant stand the thoughts of looseing her.
Also from the time she was 6 months old she has allergies. she licks all the time and now is chewing her joints???????????? We have her to the vets very often but nothing really helps only temp while she is taking the meds.
Is this heredity with the lab?
Thanks so much
Tonya
tonlebo@verizon.net

jean laflamme June 3, 2009 7:56 PM

my daughters new puppy suffers from separation anxiety and destroyed his crate actually got out of it what can she do

Marisa June 4, 2009 10:33 AM

My dog dixie had pupies before at home we were prepared but not all the way have a box ready bed sheets or blankets or towels then put them bottom of the box also cut a door on the side so she can come in and out when needed watch her though when she is giving birth sometimes they chew on th pups when they clean the bag off somtimes you will have to do that. if you leave before she is giving birth put her in a crate when you leave because if she had the pupies the pups will be ok and mom won't leave. you will probably have trouble having the mother letting her puppies drink from her so hold her down for a little while and let the pupies drink from her and then she will realize then. you will usually have a dead puppy at least thats ok because thats what is suppose to happen and that is it to now.

Bonnie June 5, 2009 4:03 PM

GLORY, if you can't afford the price of a simple spay, you should surrender your dog to the local shelter/humane society/rescue. What will you do if your dog has a major medical problem that needs prompt attention? I'm always amazed how people can afford internet service, yet they can't afford to take care of their dog??

Bonnie June 5, 2009 4:07 PM

EDDA, you need to speak to your breed mentor about your dog's problem. He/she will be more than happy to help you out.

Linda June 5, 2009 9:51 PM

Glory....if you love your dog and you are giving it a good home...that is all that matters. To Bonnie, with the thousands of homeless animals in the country how can u say to a person/any person that if you can't afford vet care take it to a shelter. Pleaseeee... not everyone is loaded but love is free. Glory, many places offer discounts on spaying...if you are getting any type of assistance many states offer discounted spaying/neuturing fee's. Go ahead and comment on this....I at one time could afford vet care but like everything and almost everyone in the country the economy has cut into my budget as well. So, with that being said, guess I should put my kids up for adoption and give our pets of 10 years to a shelter. Bonnie you ARE nuts, Lady!

kay June 7, 2009 10:11 AM

i read that a dog's temp will drop the day before the dog goes in labor. should i check my dog's temperature everyday

Jessi June 7, 2009 7:25 PM

My chihuahuas have had litters and we kennel them at night. When they are close to giving birth we put them (alone) in a bigger kennel with more space and more than once we have woken up one morning to find that the puppies have been born with wonderful results! We've been very fortunate!

Janet June 8, 2009 12:33 AM

I'm using a Rubbermaid plastic container that is shallow, maybe 4-5" deep for my daughter's chihuahua's whelping box. What I'm not sure, though, is if it is big enough (length x width). How does one determine what size of a birthing area a dog should have?

grain June 8, 2009 11:30 AM

How long does it take for a dog to have puppies.

pomrpoo June 8, 2009 5:36 PM

grain generally its 63 days

Londa June 9, 2009 12:52 AM

Our golden retriever had her puppies on 2 weeks ago today. 3 days ago she started to take out a puppy and remove it from the others. We don't know why she is taking them out of the pool. Today we moved them back to the pool and she gradually took them out 1 at a time till she had all 10 of them in the rubbermaid tub, and then she laid out on the floor of the garage. At first she nursed the 1st one and them 2 and then she nursed 4 and then just added the rest to the box. Any help would be appreciated. She only has 9 nipples and is picking out the smaller ones. We are also wondering if she is too hot under the heat lamp. Thanks

breeze10 June 10, 2009 7:15 PM

I love youre guys sight its a place were u can go to find info that u need to know. This helped me and my family make our house into a better place for my baby gil to have her baby girls. THANK UUUU!!!!!

caren June 11, 2009 11:28 AM

can you bath a dog after her giving birth to her puppies

puppy mom June 16, 2009 8:05 PM

around what week during a dogs pregnany do they start producing milk?

Angela June 20, 2009 8:35 PM

should i stay with my dog she had 2 but want do i do now?

Joel June 20, 2009 8:50 PM

My German Shepherd is pregnant and close to delivering. As clsoe as I can tell, she is around day 52. I found a dark, liver-colored mass in her kennel floor this evening that has me worried. It was not a fetus, or did not appear to be. It definitely had a membrane though, and I would estimate the volume to be approximately 1 cup. This is her first litter. Should I be worried?

ross June 20, 2009 10:32 PM

my dog is pregnant but i am not sure of the date she got pregnant but now she has some clear and black stuff comeing out of her is that normale

margaret June 21, 2009 4:56 PM

I have a Dashound, 2yrs. first litter. Vet. said puppys should be here around the 4th of july.I'm so afrid to help or know when she needs help.And I don't fell the puppys moving

margaret June 21, 2009 4:57 PM

I have a Dashound, 2yrs. first litter. Vet. said puppys should be here around the 4th of july.I'm so afrid to help or know when she needs help.And I don't fell the puppys moving

need help June 21, 2009 6:48 PM

my chichuahua is pregnant and not sure when she got that way but she is producing milk now..can i tell how far she is along by that?

margie June 22, 2009 3:08 AM

Bonnie, some internet service is free.and Linda is right love is free. also you can call the ASPCA in your hometown to inquire about Animal lovers who have connections to low income or free services. I have 5 cats and a German Shepard who got pregnant. I waited too long and should have had her spayed.Kit has pure bred parents and I got her from a Police officer.I'm going to use a childs swimming pool for Kit.you can also use a large box from a t.v. or simular large item. just cut it down.Good luck!

larry June 22, 2009 10:02 PM

i have a rat terrier who is house broken but suddenly has started peeing all over the house and i have watched him and he doesnt even know when he is doing it whats wrong?????

carol June 24, 2009 6:51 AM

watching shitzu who had puppies last night. Knew she was pregnant, but didn't expect puppies to be born now. What should I do? I have them for 5 more days. There's 5 puppies. I set her up in her dog bed and the owner is unreachable on vacation. She's lying on her puppies and they're alive, but I feel they should be nursing. I'm waiting for the vet to open

nancy June 25, 2009 4:24 PM

My shitzu had 8 puppies Tuesday the 23rd, but they are dying one by one, now she only have 4 alive, I don't know what to do, this is my first time I have a dog having puppies............help!!!!!!!

Natalie June 25, 2009 6:03 PM

My Chihuahua had 4 pups on June 2nd and 2 died at birth. We rushed her to the vet and the last 2 survived the birth, but one more died 11 days later. She had something called failure to thrive or fading puppy syndrome. It was a sad thing, since I hand fed her every 1 1/2 - 2 hours for all 11 days. I was a wreck. My point is that even though we expected a normal, easy delivery and 4 healthy pups (this was her 2nd litter and her first produced 4 live pups), things can always go wrong. Keep your vet's number handy and ask any and all questions you may have. Also, one important point - if the pups are born bum first (which is also quite common and considered normal), and the bag of waters breaks before they are completely born, they are in danger of drowning. As soon as the bag breaks, they will begin to try and breathe. This is how we lost the first 2. They didn't come out fast enough and the bags broke before they were completely born. It was SO SAD!!! Knowledge is KEY! Learn everything you can beforehand and you will be prepared for whatever comes up. We are intelligent and intuitive people, but just weren't as prepared to deal with this as we thought. We now have one healthy little 3 1/2 week old Chi girl and are thankful for her.

LISA June 25, 2009 10:13 PM

I HAVE A BICHON FRISE THAT IS PREGNANT AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW LONG IS DOGS PREGNANT AND CAN THEY BE OVER DO

WANDA June 27, 2009 10:04 AM

WE THINK OUR FEMALE COCKER SPANIEL IS PREGNANT, AND WE DONT KNOW HOW TO TELL. CAN SOMEONE TELL US

TAMMY June 28, 2009 5:52 AM

IHAVE 2 CHIHUAHUAS AT HOME THAT LOOKS AS IF THEIR BREST R FILLING W/MILK AND I'M NOT SURE IF THEY R EVEN PREG.IS THEIR A WAY FOR ME TO TELL ? IT'S BEEN 2 OR ALITTLE MORE SENSE MY LITTLE MALE CHIHUAHUA COULD HAVE POSSIBLE CONNECTED. PLZ.HELP ME .THANK YOU VERY MUCH THIS HAS BEEN A WONDRFUL SITE.

rose June 28, 2009 2:27 PM

at what week old should a pup be bathed?

mrharmeyer 1 Mel July 6, 2009 10:04 AM

at what age can i breed a pembroke welsh corgi, she is 14 months old now

Anonymous July 7, 2009 11:06 PM

I have a 3 month old chiuahua at what age do they start to bark?

Sophia July 8, 2009 1:00 PM

Is it bad four all 4 of my dogs paws to hurt when he walks cause he is limping right now and he does not like to walk much cause his paws are hurting him really bad still it happend last week his paws were bleeding and is it bad his pading on one of his paws is trying to come so it is pelling off his paw

joan July 11, 2009 10:44 AM

my dog sugar is spotting does this mean she is in heat?

lucie August 13, 2009 9:41 AM

my 5 year old labrador is about to give birth to her pups any day now can anyone give us some information i have read up on loads but i just want to be really clued up on this because its our first time of doing this and we want everything to go smoothly. one question i would like to know is how do we know our dog has finished giving birth to all of her liter

diana August 20, 2009 1:44 AM

if there is someone out there that can answer my ? i would appreciate...my ? is ...why does my 5month puppy eats her own pup.

mrsalaska September 1, 2009 10:13 PM

is it ok that my chiuahua got pregnant by a mini pincher and will she have a hard labor

Nobody October 28, 2009 9:48 AM

I would like to give this advice to all posters. If you use correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and paragraph formation people will be able to understand your questions better and will be able to give advice more easily.

tazzy October 28, 2009 6:24 PM

my dog need 2 come on in her heat im rdy fo dhesz pupps

Marie November 9, 2009 1:52 PM

Amen to "Nobody" about correct grammar and punctuation!
Just wanted to share my whelping experience with everyone. My dog Dixie, a 2 1/2 yr old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel gave birth last Wed to 4 healthy puppies.
She was a first time mama, and so was I, as I never was able to have any children. Boy, was I nervous! I read everything on the internet I could find and had regular trips to the vet. I highly recommend the website "debbiejensen.com". I didn't think she was due for a few more days, but when she started being restless, pacing, and PANTING, I knew something was up. When she won't eat, it is a "SIGN!" Prior to that morning she had been eating like a horse. I made a whelping box about 2 weeks ago from a dishwasher box cut down to around 12 - 14 inches, covered it with contact paper to make it stronger and easier to clean, and put it in the place I wanted to have her puppies. Lots of clean towels and sheets. She began nesting, but right before the birth, she was frantically nesting!
Do not let your dog outside at this time. Puppies are on the way! A few minutes later she jumped out of the box, let out a yelp, and a puppy popped out! Freaked me out. I tore the membrane, aspirated his mouth, and started rubbing him with a clean towel as Dixie cut the cord and ate the afterbirth. I put them both back in the box and over the next 4 hours she proceeded to give birth to 3 more pups. All are healthy and doing great. I am so proud of her.
I also recommend a sheepskin blanket thing made by Purina that I found at KMart the day before the birth. It is warm and soft, the puppies can move easily on it, pee goes through and the top remains dry. I wash and dry it every day. Also, right after all the puppies are born you need to clean up all the linens in the box (they are wet and cold), and put fresh towels, blankets, etc in the box. I actually used a hairdryer on low with a diffuser to warm up and dry off the puppies as they were being born. Don't get it too hot.
Anyway, it was a great first experience. Hope this will help.

Maria-The Puppy World November 9, 2009 6:47 PM

There is many ways you can tell that your dog is about to go into labor. Here are the most common.
Bitch starts digging & walking around in circles.
She stops eating or barely eats.
She sleeps all/she is inactive.
She starts crying/whimpering often.
She start releasing black/dark fluids from the vagina.
It is safe on having the bitch give birth at home but you have to be very attentive & make sure she has fresh clean water all the time, a clean environment with no dirt where she can get her nipples dirty. That will be very bad for the puppies when nursing.
www.thepuppyworld.com

cally November 10, 2009 6:42 AM

i have a jack russell in her 5th week of pregnancy this is her 2nd litter she had 6 puppies on her 1st how many will she have on her 2nd time around ???

Marie November 10, 2009 2:29 PM

You can have an x-ray done at day 45 or after to determine how many puppies, and if any are really large. I recommend waiting a few more days. Dixie had her x-ray done at what I thought was day 47, turned out to be more like day 52. They could only see 2 or maybe 3 skulls visible. She ended up with 4 puppies!!
Some vets can do an ultrasound. That option was not available, due to living in a small rural community. Plus the diagnostition needs to be very capable, since sometimes heartbeats can be read twice, or one can be missed. A great tool, nontheless.

tammy November 11, 2009 12:32 AM

my question is how many puppies would a pug have i seen what u said on cally and marie but what if i caint afford it
concerned

cally November 14, 2009 1:28 PM

thank you marie i went to my vet and he doesnt have xray or ultrasound. my dog is now 6 and half weeks pregnant and she is far too big even the vet said she was. she wasnt as big last time even when she was due she wasnt as big as this the vet said she is having a very large litter he told me to feed her little amounts of food spaced during the day and he said he mite have to do a c-section if she isnt able to push i will keep you updated anyway thanks for your help..

mrsbrooks November 30, 2009 11:50 PM

how long does it take before a dog (boxer) finishes delivering her liter its been 5 hrs and no more than the 3 she had but shes still trying to push and she looks as if there are more to come

cally December 3, 2009 12:42 AM

mrsbrooks how is your dog i hope she was ok . how many puppies did she have in the end ?

Gia December 3, 2009 1:25 AM

My doggie had her first and last litter of puppies yesterday morning. She was calm and with my help it all went smooth. Took her to the vet a few hours later and we were told that she appears to be doing fine. Her babies are big and healthy. Now my concern is she keeps panting a lot, and tries digging right on her doggie bed. She has her pups there, and it scares me when she does that. (i imagine she might hurt one of the puppies.) I've read many sites about the panting.. maybe she has a fever, or is lacking calcium... etc. Earlier i was caressing her and her abdomen feels like she still has something inside.. could it be possible for another pup to be inside? Well, anyway I am taking her to the vet again. This time will request an x-ray.

Kelly December 3, 2009 1:59 AM

Our puppy is 4 mos old and we think she is either having stomache aches or is constipated. what home remidy is there to relieve constipation?

cally December 5, 2009 11:23 AM

i had good news my dog gave birth yesterday had 7 puppies all are doing well mother is fine but about 12 hours after she give birth she had the 8 pup but it died but apart from everthing is good

onewiththought January 2, 2010 8:16 PM

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I have a a Golden Lab and she is in labor but wont come inside...she is normally an outside dog but I thought it better to bring in for the delivery. She has a outside area. I have tried to force her to stay inside but she just wont have it. When I let her out she settles down. She still pants and all but doesnt get all freaked out likes she does inside. Is this normal and should I keep trying to force her inside. What about the puppies will they be ok. Will forcing her to stay in compromise her delivery? Its kinda of a weird question I just wants what best for both. Her area outside is out of the element and she has plenty of hay and a thick blanket, anything else I should do. THanks.

sm reddy February 20, 2010 9:38 AM