After the temperature drop, stage I labor begins, characterized by restlessness and anxiety. You may notice panting, pacing, refusal of food and maybe vomiting. Nesting behavior begins. This is the time to place her in the whelping box (hopefully she is already accustomed to the box).

Make sure the puppies are warm and dry and receive some of the dog’s first milk within 24 hours. It’s a good idea to take your dog and her puppies to the veterinarian 5-6 hours after the birth for a check-up to ensure the whole litter and placentas have been delivered safely and all dogs are in good health.

Just like the third trimester of pregnancy, feeding during lactation is best accomplished using a highly digestible, high quality puppy food. Free-choice feeding during the first 3-4 weeks of lactation, unless she only has one or two puppies, provides many advantages.

Pregnancy in dogs, also called the gestation period, normally ranges from 57-65 days with an average of 63 days.

In order to prevent territorial aggression, find a neutral area to introduce the older dog to the new puppy. Put your older dog on a leash while another person holds the puppy on a leash. However, let them sniff and meet each other; there’s no need to hold them tightly to your side.

Loud, continuous growling and snarling; again, exaggerated. Play-growling may sound scarier than serious fighting. The dogs voluntarily make themselves vulnerable by “falling” down and exposing their bellies and allowing themselves to be caught when playing chase. They take turns chasing each other.

Puppy Play or Aggression?

1. Normal Puppy Play vs.
2. HOW CAN YOU TELL?
3. Puppies can play rough.
4. In normal play,a puppy may bow (lower its head and raise its hind end), present its front and side to the owner, wag its tail, dart back and forth, emit high pitched barks and growls, and spontaneously attack people or objects.