My bitch is 62 days she's been showing signs of labor for about 3 days now. There was a drop in temp to 98.9 Monday at 12pm but the temp has been steady at 99.6-99.7 since then. Puppies are hardly moving today where they looked like they were boxing yesterday. She's licking a lot and she hasn't been eating for days but today she's eating again. Lots of running around no other signs of labor. We take her to a quiet room every night for the past 3 nights. Any ideas?

I didn't leave my bitches past day 63 provided they were otherwise okay.   I don't go by temperature only - it will fluctuate during the final week but it's once it goes down, perhaps as low as 97, and stays down, that you can expect whelping to begin within 24 - 48 hours.   More accurate is to count from the first mating, given conception may not take place immediately, and by how the individual bitch is.   Bottom line - if you are not happy about what's going on, speak to your mentor/your vet.

My puppies almost always went 'quiet' 24 hours or so before being born.   Gave me heart attack with the first few litters, but then I realised it was 'normal' .... they are tending to move into line for the birth.

she should be sleeping in her whelping box/quarters for a week before the due date, which is when you should be in with her overnight to keep an eye on what's going on.

If your vet asks you to take her in, take a friend with you to watch your bitch and a box with a warm pad in it and your whelping gear - car trips can get things moving!   You'll have to be ready to pull over.   Good luck.

She kept me up hours last night digging at her blankets and licking, pacing. And now she's just laying here. This all started at 1230-1 and now its 9 am any one know what to do here for her?

Leave her... If she is not contracting and straining let her be. One of mine dug for 5 days before she whelped.First stage labour can last a few days

> Leave her... If she is not contracting and straining let her be. One of mine dug for 5 days before she whelped.First stage labour can last a few days

You could, but inertia isn't unknown in the bitch and I'd hate you to leave her to the point you lose her and the puppies.   I think you need professional advice, personally.

Certainly I'd never have left any of mine for 5 days over.

http://www.samoyedhealthfoundation.org/diseases/uterine-inertia

> One of mine dug for 5 days before she whelped

WOW!!!!
Surely this has got to be breed dependent.  If I left one of mine for 5 days I would have a dead bitch.

Yes I was worried Jean. I took her for an x Ray ,well actually had to demand it as vet was so unconcerned. All was fine and she went on to whelp normally. Yes, appreciate it may be breed dependant. Mine are medium Gundogs breed and tend to have usually long first stage then very quick once they start.

> . I took her for an x Ray ,well actually had to demand it as vet was so unconcerned

I know that one!  But whenever I've stood my ground and been insistent it has been the right choice.  While a vet has thought I was being fussy, each time I've been proved right.  I don't like arguing with a vet, but I know my own bitches, and I know my breed.  There is nothing that compares to experience with a specific breed.  It's something that vets don't get.

Went to the vet puppies are alive and vet said they haven't dropped. Maybe she was right then but I think she's dropped them now (4 hours later) the pups are very low whereas they were up closer to her ribs yesterday. Ultrasound only saw a couple but vet thinks there's a few more but not many.

Glad all is ok with pup hope she has them soon

Shes now 64 days and her temp is still 99.5-6 if she don't have them by 65 days they wanna induce or c section problem is the weekend vet is so expensive. So my next question is what can help her get labor started without going to the vet??

Have you tryed giving her nice walk I don't really now if work but just thinking of our pregnancy say can get u started hope she has them soon nicer for her naturally mine on day 61 glad u posted because wounded how long you could leave them finger crossed for you

I've had her out running the yard for hours lol I just wondered what else might help. We gotta get these pups coming. Also no movement in the last couple hours from the pups hoping that's good.

I'd seek advice from a vet, no movement may be a bad sign!  Also instead of running around outside she should be settled in a whelping box where she feels safe and secure to deliver pups.  Yes the weekend will be more expensive for vet visits but it may mean the difference between life and death for your girl and her pups.  I hope all goes well.

Its $150 up front which I just don't have at all. :/

Could you borrow it?  It is so important to plan for all eventualities when you breed.  You could loose your dog!

No I don't have any family around here. I heard about this angels for pet or something but can't find out how to get ahold of them. The difference in price from weekend to Monday is 150 and Monday is 35 huge difference. And when she went to the vet Tuesday she said everything was fine she just had a low temp and no labor

She may have been fine on Tuesday but it is now Saturday and she is overdue, has not been given the rest she needs and deserves and you are not detecting movement from her pups. It seems that no matter what anyone tells you, you will wait until Monday which may be too late.  I think I'd be on my knees begging for a vet to see her!

Excuse me it was Thursday not Tuesday and yes my dog has had plenty of rest that's all she's done this week is sleep. If you plan to be rude please don't reply we have taken very good care of her! Its been two days since she saw the vet and she was over due then.

No-one means to be rude but when you choose to breed you have to factor in the possibility of an out of hours C section and have suff8icient funds saved.

After all the rearing of the litter will cost a considerable amount, registration fees, feeding vet visits etc etc.

Based on UK costs the average price of one pup goes on the stud fee, another on food, a third on everything else, a fourth on parental health testing (Hips eyes, DNA tests), and if your unlucky between one and two pups price for a C section depending on hours.

Well I'll be done here now I was getting good advice and was doing week and now I'm being judged. Thanks for those who actually cared enough to advise me.

Hope everything ok this morning with pups and you have had movement

Most vets who know their client, would do what's necessary so their client has a nice healthy litter, and then expect to be paid once they are safely delivered, reared and off to their new home (sold).    Bottom line - YOU put the bitch in whelp (presumably) so it's up to you to provide the veterinary attention she needs, when she needs it.    It's high time those puppies came out - for every day over, they are still growing inside, making it more likely a C.Section will be needed ..... if you just let things sit, you will lose this litter, and probably mum too.   Do you want that to happen?

Perhaps the "problem" is that people do care! You say in one post that she has been "out running the yard for hours lol" and now you say that she has been sleeping all week. Sorry nobody could give you any amazing ideas on how to avoid a c section, the fact is if it is needed then it is needed, full stop. I will make no apology for being passionate about the welfare and sensible breeding of dogs.

This should be a word of warning to anyone considering breeding from their bitch, do not go down that road unless you can afford the unexpected.

Many times during my many years as a dog owner I have thought - oh she is so beautiful I would love to see her pups, or she is so caring I'm sure she would make a good mum etc etc but common sense has kicked in and I have no regrets about not breeding from any of my lovely dogs through the years as it would have been for selfish reasons. Breeding should be for a reason ( not making money - if only !) for breed improvement, for showing etc etc,

As someone who takes on other peoples throw outs ( abandoned dogs) many of which are badly bred versions of well known breeds, pups sold no doubt as the 'real deal' and then the bitch thrown out when their own breeding life is over, it horrifies me that members of the public keep these people going by buying these dogs at high prices when in actual fact there have been no health checks, no idea of temperament and possibly many years of vet bills ahead of them. Supply and demand keep these BYB in business.

I will get off my soapbox now !!!

It always amazes me how people don't want to be told that anything they've already done was wrong or less than ideal, in any way.  We frequently get people on here, who ask for advice and everything is lovely until someone disapproves of something they have done.  Then, instead of learning from that (for next time, if too late for this time), the OP just gets defensive and aggressive and leaves. 

I love CDs for the direct and uncompromising perspectives it gives, and for the moral compass everyone has here, which enables me to know what 'best practice' is.  On other forums which are deliberately not judgemental and where everyone is skippity doo dah "everything is lovely", I can see people's perspectives are just not adjusted and they finish a conversation not having any idea they have done something less than ideal because no one dares say anything. 

When there are different options for 'best practice' on CDs, that is usually clear from the different responses here too.  When everyone on CDs agrees that something is Not A Good Idea, then it really is best to accept that perspective and eat humble pie, IMO!

It is unfortunate that we are unlikely to discover if the poor bitch survived.

> Its $150 up front which I just don't have at all

In this country an out of hours C-section by a reputable vet, is over £1,000 and knowing that, all the responsible people have to save up this emergency fund prior to having their bitch mated.  You can shout all you like but it's a fact that you have not been responsible here. 

In the UK you would risk someone reporting you under The Animal Welfare Act if you refuse to act when an out of hours appointment is obviously on the cards.  If all this sounds harsh it's because you just won't listen, you just want airy fairy answers.  Well, you came to a responsible site.