yesterday the temp dropped at 10:30am, i gave the vet the heads up.... at 8pm she started being restless... then panting, she got very restless and panting, pacing around, took herself up to the whelping area and began digging and moving things around. i went up to bed around 11pm and she was still at it then but having a quick rest for 10 minuets then getting up and having a dig and moving around the room and a bit pant. so i was lying in my bed right beside the whelping area and she didnt seam too troubled... i fell asleep and woke up at 12:30am and she was pacing around the room, i sat on the floor and i could not see or feel contractions, her mucus was still just clear (which has been for weeks) so i sat there with her and she got into her box... and fell asleep. its 4:30am now and shes up and about wandering around but no more panting, shivering, pacing or digging since 12:30am. her temp is now 37.0, where as it was 36.6 last night. so i called my vet who said to give her a few more hours and to call them at 8am and let them know whats happening. i have never had this happen before.... has anyone else out there?

Morning, it all sounds like it is going in the right direction, any pups yet?  At least you know you can pop her into the Vets today if you are at all worried - the temperature does come back up before hard labour starts - don't leave her for a second!

I have although not with my bitch that has puppies now. It was quick and all text book.
I've had all the false alarms. Gone on for days. Now I do worry that as I have disturbance from the other dogs that if they were not there the process would not be held up and whether it could cause a problem.
My experience is that provided there is no problem with size and passage of the puppies, eventually they have to come and she gets on with it.
This last whelping though was the only one where all the pups arrived perfectly in their bag and so  think that sometimes long, long delays are not ideal so as you say, get your vet to check her later.

Yes I had it with my girl, her temperature dropped, she started shivering/panting/digging in the afternoon, did this on and off all night and then the next morning (day 63) seemed like nothing had happened and was snoozing, so much so I told her breeder not to rush over and while I was still on the phone she  sat in her whelping box and started lifting her tail, and then it all began. Good luck.

we are still in the early stages... its been almost 14 hours now. my vet is happy for this to carry on. i thought it would all be over with by now. she keeps doing the signs.. digging and panting, then has a snooze but is still breathing heavy during the snooze. hopefully it will be sometime today

Hate this stage but just keep on duty LOL

the whelping box is no longer where she has decided to nest, shes been hunting around upstairs in the wardrobes then into my clean washing pile and puked! this is becoming a very long day lol

These waiting hours are the worst - no doubt.   But how many days is she at now?    I'd go more by that than by her temperature to be honest.   Sometimes mine went into secondary inertia (Bassets!) so if they went over by more than 2 days, I was off to the vet, bearing in mind that sometimes a car trip can kick-start things (so take a box with a warm pad in it and your whelping gear - and a friend to watch your bitch while you drive.  And be ready to pull over!!  It's great going into looking after a litter knackered!!

still not into stage2! shes lying in her new whelping area and hardly budged, keeps coming out for the loo. shes pooped about 4 times today

also we are onto day 58 now

So did she produce overnight?    At day 58, I'd not panic.   Much as I have learnt here that some breeds can be expected to whelp that long before the norm!!   If mine were on day 58, and not contracting or in obvious other distress (other than the obvious discomfort due to size and the extra weight!!) I'd not yet be onto the vet.   Your can see her, we can't however.

with it being her first litter, and being a chi, i had decided to contact the vet, i was concerned something wasnt right and wanted to put my mind at rest, so the vet came out around 5pm yesterday and checked her, she was dilated, her temp was on its way back up, there was heartbeats, so she said if there are no pups by morning i need to be seen again.... thankfully she went into full blown labour at 12:45am and had delivered 5 pups by 5am... sadly two did not make it

Nikki - I only just spotted your later post re your lost puppies.   I'm so sorry but this can happen.    I wish those people out there (on another forum) who want to breed their pet bitches could read this.   Likewise those who want their kids to see the 'miracle of birth'.   If only they knew.    It hurts to lose even one but it happens.  At least you don't have to deal with a mum with no puppies ...... as well as your own grief, that's horrible.

ps   How about 4 survivors out of 9 originally?    All the result of me placing trust where it wasn't warranted.   I took my bitch in for a 'Section.   The vet I normally used at the practice was on holiday (sods law) and I wasn't told the Senior Partner avoided doing surgery.   He left it for the locum, who was on duty all night had she been called, to sort out the next morning (I know, why did I leave her in there ..... something I don't have an answer for other than I trust(ed) vets and this is something that still haunts me).   One puppy was delivered by her unaided, during the night after which the next one was born dead.  When the locum opened her up she found 7 more, only 4 of which survived, plus the first live one.  5 puppies.  The staff started bottling them (why?) but by the time we got them all home, one had milk coming down his nose (too weak to swallow the milk which went down into his lungs).    I tried everything to sort him out, but he died at home, that evening, leaving the 4 survivors.   My Champion bitch (mated to a visiting American Champion male who had gone back to the States)? - couldn't risk putting her in whelp again (supported one being spayed - one side of her uterus was shot).   We sued successfully.    I kept 2 of the 4, a dog and a bitch and she took a RCC before I retired her as she really wasn't enjoying showing.  The other two I sold to a fellow breeder who put a CC on the other sister (she had the other bitch and a brother) before both were sent to Holland to yet another breeder, without me knowing until afterwards - and I had a stud agreement on the male too.  Stuff happens.