It depends. So dogs do very well on their own, and that's fine. And that's plan A. But, some dogs, some breeds, especially our little smooshed-face or brachycephalic breeds, tend to need a C-section. And so we can plan for that. And then, as complications arrive, they might need some intervention there, whether it's medical management or if we need to go to surgery. Those are things that we can discuss based on the case.

During labor. The big four categories. If it's been more than two hours between a puppy. So she's had one, and it's been more than two hours; you need to put it on your radar that there might be a complication. If she's actively been pushing and it's been more than 30 minutes and a puppy hasn't come out. So that's not just laying there and hanging out—that's actively pushing. She should produce a puppy within 30 minutes of that; otherwise, again, it could be a complication. Black discharge at any point is concerning. Green discharge before the first puppy, or if it's excessive, can be concerning. And then blood. Birthing in dogs is actually not a bloody process. So if you see just straight blood, then that should be something you're watching out for.

Yeah. So if you set up a whelping box, then it's best to do it about a week or so before so they can start getting used to it. You can put food in there and make it a happy place so that they take advantage of your efforts instead of setting up their own shop.

So things you would look out for would be nesting behavior—the mama dog trying to find a quiet corner and make an area for her to have puppies. You'll also start to know you're toward the end when she balloons out and the puppies are taking up space in her abdomen. And then another way to check is to have a thermometer and check her temperature twice a day, starting about a week before you expect her to be due. It's not foolproof, but if there's a drop in temperature, usually about one degree, it'll go to 97 or 98, then 24 hours after that is about when you would expect her to start whelping.

So usually, they don't start showing until the last trimester, so that's the last two to three weeks. So if you're at that point and she's ballooning out a bit, then you should be on alert that they may be coming soon. Bring her to a vet, so we know how many to expect.

Also, at about a week before the due date, if you start taking the temperature twice a day, you can look for a drop in temperature, usually about one degree from her baseline, and it will get you around 97 or 98. It doesn't always happen. But if it does happen, usually about 24 hours later is when you'd expect her to start having the puppies.

Yes, you can feel the puppies move in the mother’s belly. Just like human babies moving in mom's stomach, you can start to feel the puppies move as they get bigger and more “cooked” in the belly.