Hello,
My lovely little dog is on day 40 of her first pregnancy. I have everything ready for D day apart from the heat source for the pups. I've read and been told so many facts about what's the best, heat lamp or pad....im officially boggled. Please help advise, from all the seasoned pros, which would you recommend? Im leaning more towards the pad for logistical reasons but jist want the absolute best for the new pups. Also ANY whelping tips you have feel free to bombard me

In a home environment a pad every time. It also is more comfortable for a bitch who can become very hot under a lamp.

With my own thick coated breed I use an A4 size pad, that pups while they can't regulate their temperature can gravitate too, but there is plenty of room in whelping box for the bitch to lie away from it.

We used a brood lamp hanging over the single (4 X 4) portion of the whelping box.   And yes, if it's too low, the dam can become too hot - we have often had to drape a sheet over the very back, so she could get under that.   We found the lamp kept the area dryer.   And actually having a red bulb in the lamp gave us some light, during the night.   Each to their own!!!

I would always use a heat pad under part of the bed, with plenty of room for the bitch (and pups) to move off it if they get too warm. Heat lamps make the whole nest warm and tend to make the environment too dry which can lead to skin problems, especially if the 'den' is enclosed (with a roof and sides to avoid draughts). A child's nightlight in the room provides plenty of light during the night time.

A friend always uses a heat pad. I went with a lamp when we had my litter.

The pad is best because the pups can choose to lie on it or to move away from it.

You may not need either though - heat sources can sometimes create problems because puppies are heat-seeking - they will look for and seek out heat. In nature, that would be their mother. So they would then nurse whilst lying with their mother and littermates.

What you see a lot these days, is puppies scattered over the whelping box by themselves because they are too hot OR puppies 'losing' their mum because they sought out heat on a heat pad and didn't find their mum there to nurse from. It can confuse things.

So just be aware of these problems. Whilst I always have a heat pad at the ready if I need it, I have never needed it - but I do have summer litters.

Ah, I always try to have cold weather litters, as rearing then has over the years helped avoid neighbour issues, when living in a Suburban house.

Puppies once they reach 4 weeks plus can be very noisy at intervals during the day, and wake with the birds, lol