Before labor starts
- Temperature drop. A reading below about 99.0°F (37.2°C) usually means labor within about 8 to 24 hours. Track it with the temperature log.
- Nesting: scratching bedding, digging and rearranging blankets.
- Loss of appetite and sometimes vomiting a little clear fluid.
- Restlessness, panting, shivering and wanting to be close to you, or wanting to hide.
The three stages
| Stage | What happens | Normal timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contractions begin inside and the cervix opens. She may pant, pace, shiver and refuse food. No visible straining. | 6 to 12 hours, up to 24 in first litters |
| 2 | Visible straining. A water bag may appear, then a puppy is born. She tears the sac and chews the cord. | 3 to 12 hours total; a puppy every 30 to 60 minutes |
| 3 | The placenta (afterbirth) passes, usually within 5 to 15 minutes after each puppy. | Alternates with stage 2 |
Count the placentas. Occasionally two puppies are born before two placentas pass, but a retained placenta can cause infection and needs a vet.
What you can do
- Stay nearby but quiet. Most dogs deliver best undisturbed.
- Keep the room warm, around 75 to 80°F (24 to 27°C), with clean washable bedding.
- Write down start times of contractions and each puppy’s birth.
- Keep your vet and the nearest 24-hour emergency clinic number visible.
Call your vet now if…
- Green or black discharge appears before the first puppy.
- She strains hard for 30 to 60 minutes with no puppy.
- More than two to four hours pass between puppies when you know more remain.
- A puppy is stuck in the birth canal and gentle traction does not free it.
- She is exhausted, collapses, trembles or has a seizure.
- Stage 1 signs last more than 24 hours, or she is more than two days past day 65 from ovulation.