Learning all about your dog’s behavior and how to best care for them is a rewarding part of pet ownership. If you have a female dog to care for, there may come a time where your dog becomes pregnant. Knowing how to spot the signs of a pregnant dog can help you not only understand…
Question: Delivering Your Own Puppies “My Irish Setter is going to have puppies. I’ve heard that Irish Setters have many puppies and that they die easily. I would like to deliver these puppies at my home but with this risk should I take her to the veterinarian when she is ready to give birth?” Answer:…
Unusual behavior following a heat cycle (estrus) in the non-pregnant female dog is a common occurrence. This condition is termed false pregnancy (hyperluteoidism, pseudocyesis, pseudo-pregnancy). It is a hormonal imbalance and may cause a wide range of clinical signs. Let’s have a brief review of a normal estrous cycle on the female dog in order…
Building a whelping box helps you prepare for dog birth. At least 4′ wide by 6′ long by 1′ high, will give the dam a place to feel comfortable and enclosed and keep newborn pups from wandering the first two weeks. Lining the bottom with newspapers over plastic will make for easy cleanup. About 12-24…
When your female dog, called a dam or bitch, is about to give birth there are frequently clear signs. These signals can help you know when to put her in the whelping area, near the instruments. Oh, you don’t have one? You haven’t any instruments? Oops… better back up and prepare. Gestation for dogs lasts…
