I have never done this but has anybody ever trimmed the fur around the hind quarters to prepare for whelping. I thought taht it may make things easier for the whelping process.

Yes, I trimmed Ellie both times, I used thinning scissors as our breed is supposed to be untrimmed, and that seemed to work nicely - I made it short enough that the discharge afterwards didn't make her too dirty, but it looked fairly natural as it regrew, rather than having a sharp outline, so I could start showing her again. :-)

I do take some of the trousers off in those with particularly dense pantaloons, as they can get quite messy.  They never want to be removed from pups for a shampoo, and only get distressed, so it suits me to trim up.

Thanks. I'l give her mud flaps a trim tomorrow.

Most of it comes out anyway so chop away!

It broke my heart to cut the coat off my new champion bitch but I know that she will drop her coat down to the skin after nursing....so I gritted my teeth and off it came :-)

Mud flaps lol!! :-D