Hi there, my bitch is 7 and half weeks pregnant and still insists on climbing the stairs and jumping onto the sofa, should I be trying to stop het doing this? Could she be causing harm to the pups, or will she stop when her body naturally tells hers to.

This is my first time so don't know what to expect.

Maria

My lot only have short legs so by about 7 weeks their belly is too big to do the stairs so I tuck them under my arm and carry them up and down.

Dogs with longer legs will slow down as the time gets closer but have heard of dogs jumping gates/fences right up to whelping.

My girls are a medium size gundog breed and are normally kennelled but come in about ten days before their due date. They take full advantage of this by spending most of the time sprawled on the sofa and have never come to any harm jumping up and down. I would not have thought stairs would be a worry either as long as they are not slippy so your bitch doesn't slip and bang her tummy.

Good luck

Ali

Thank you for your replies, I won't worry.  She is young, nearly 3, and always been very agile so I am sure she will slow down when she needs to.  Her walks are slower and shorter now.

Only 9 days to go so I am very excited.