My bitch is due any time this week and I've been checking her temperature an it's getting gradually lower as the days go on but today I seen the clear mucus for the first time. How long after seen that should I be expecting puppies? I've read on the Internet that it should be within 12-24 hrs for stage 2 labour to start but when I've spoken to other breeders they've said that there bitch can do that up to 4 days before stage 2 labour starts. Any advice would be greatly received

I have had a bitch losing mucous for a week before she finally went into labour.

Stage 2 of labour is when they are actually pushing and whelping, you have stage 1 to get through first, it is suppose to start 24 hrs after a significant drop in temp, this can either last a few hours or 24hrs or on rare occasions go totally unnoticed depending on how closely you are watching and how stoic the bitch is with the pain.

I don't have any success with temp taking so rely on watching and waiting.

And I think that a bitch has quite enough to cope with when in labour without a thermometer being repeatedly stuck up her rear end .

I'm with Jan on this one.  I have never found it necessary to use temp as a guide.  To be honest, it is experience that gets you to recognise the signs, and I agree that bitches can show no signs to the untrained eye.

My easiest way to know how far we're getting along, is to look into a bitches eyes.  If you are totally in tune with your bitches, it can speak volumes.  I think, for a novice, you need your mentor with you, to explain what is going on.  Many people learn from their bitches breeder.  It is the way most people learn.  It is only experience that will teach you to recognise things like inertia, and it's honestly best to have an experienced person with you at this important time.

I have used temperature taking on my last 2 litters, the first time I done it the temp went down to 98.3 at 8:00am first stage of labor started at midnight that night.Refused her tea earlier that evening. 1st stage of frantic digging, panting, staring into space with the odd sleep lasted 10 hours first pup born 26 hours after the temp drop.

My current litter (different breed) bitches temp was around 99 on the sunday evening. Around 10:30pm that night she took herself to her whelping box and didn't want to come out. Every hour or so she had a ruffle around in her bed with the odd dig but mostly slept (unlike me!) most of the night. Monday morning temp 98.7 and bitch still excited over food. Ate her breakfast, wandered around, had a five minute pant, then ate her lunch at 1:00pm when I took her temp again which was 98.2, I knew this was the drop but felt fairly certain that we still had a while to go. Ate her tea at 5:00pm went in her box and had another 5 minute pant with a little digging but nothing frantic just ruffling her bed with one paw then laid down to sleep. I sat there thinking it is going to be a long night, when she jumped up strained twice and out popped a pup!! it was 7:00pm Only 5 hours after the lowest temp drop. She free whelped 7 pups in 3hrs 40mins. So although there is clearly a temp drop before the bitch whelps there is still a wide time scale.

In all my litters my bitches have started loosing the plug up to 5 days early. The closer you get to whelping the heavier it becomes.

All bitches are different and although normally it is quite obvious a bitch is in the first stages as I found out with this last bitch... they don't always read the book!!! This bitch also ate quite happily in-between puppies. You need to stay with your bitch now, (make sure you have the match sticks handy!!) make sure you have everything you are going to need next to her whelping box. Also once your bitch does go into labor make sure she has regular toilet breaks but also make sure you take a torch (if she whelps in the middle of the night) and towels outside with you, we had a pup born in the garden after mum had been for a wee, luckily I was prepared and pup came to no harm.

Good luck I hope all goes well :)

She's been uncomfortable now for 2-3 days but today she's started shaking. I know it's hard to tell but would these be signs to say something could happen tonight?

I would stay with her tonight....a couple of times our bitches have not dug,panted or refused food.The only sign was subtle shaking,almost like a shiver and out pops a puppy!

Lots of luck!

She's been refusing food for a few days, panting today but not excessively but she hasn't dug or nested but the shakes started today but seem to have continued all day so I didn't know how long that lasted for. That's fine I'll definitely stay with her anyway just to make sure everything's ok. Thanks for the advice

If she hasn't eaten then you need to get some sort of energy booster into her, I use nutrodrops, loads of calories in a very small amount and calciboost too both every hour, they use so much energy in labour.

Vanilla icecream[not low calorie version] works if you don't have the other stuff, never known a dog to turn down icecream, desert spoonful every hour will be enough.

Here's to a safe and healthy whelping, keep us posted on progress and outcome.

I gave her vanilla ice cream and she loved it. No puppies over night but she's having contractions now so hopefully shouldn't be too much longer for her!

Told you vanilla icecream seems to have magical powers, the extra calcium will help with the contractions and the energy boost keep her going without tiring, give it often now she is in labour especially if that is all she is accepting.

How long into the contractions should I see the water sac? I know it's going to be different for each dog but if anyone has a rough guide that would be brilliant because I can't get hold of the breeder.

One of my girls started contracting at 8am, water sac 9.30pm and first pup 11.40pm, she relaxed and slept most of the time with the occasional shredding of newspaper when the pushing started

She's not really relaxing but she keeps shredding newspaper in between contractions. It's going to be along evening/ night by the sound of it

You just have to let nature take its course, some like to wait till everything goes quiet including the neighbours through the wall, nothing you can do to speed things up.

Keep calm so as not to worry her, suck a mint as your breath changes when you are anxious and she may pick up on this.

I'm trying to remember back as my more recent litters have not given much warning at all in the way of contractions but I do remember a bitch having mild contractions for six or eight hours before first puppy....not pushing or straining..i wouldn't personally  leave this to carry on for more than an hour...but mild contraction/shivering/shaking can go on for some time.

She will probably start sometime during the night...just as you think you cant keep your eyes open any longer..they normally do :-)

Just noticed your question about mucous..i have a bitch here due next Tuesday. She has been losing this discharge for the last 10 days so it doesn't always mean whelping is imminent.

1 boy so far

Great news...good luck

He's very vocal. He doesn't seem to be suckling.... When would u expect the pup to first suckle?

Mine often didn't suckle until whelping was finished.

They don't always suckle immediately.....make sure he is kept very warm, and keep giving him chance to suckle....some bitches let pups suckle inbetween whelps and this helps bring on contractions but some don't settle down to feeding until they have finished.....he will likely latch on soon,he sounds strong if he is vocal..just keep him very warm while mum is busy

Trust me he's very vocal and strong. He's on the heat pad and loving it haha

Glad she finally got down to business. Mine were vocal because Mum was licking them so much they couldn't latch on, in the end had to hold her head for peace to reign.

What is the latest count?

We have 5 big pups. 3 girls and 2 boys...... She seems to have started contracting again ......

Make that 6 big pups, 3 girls & 3 boys

This is like the programme called one born every minute only it's puppies not babies.  I have to keep coming back to see if there's anymore, good luck and let me know when alls finished :)

Congrats on the new arrivals, is she done now?

I love following whelping sagas

Yep she's all done! I now need to sleep. Haha

Hope you have someone to watch over them while you sleep

She now has 7. 4 boys and 3 girls! Good job I didn't go to bed!

Congratulations! could be more yet...I have had 8 hours after she's settled and another arrive and I know some people who have had longer.

I had 11 hours, totally caught me out, good job I was sitting watching her in the whelping box, so important to be there at all times :)