The final days of dog pregnancy can be nerve-wracking, especially for first-time breeders. Your dog is due "soon," but when exactly? How do you know when labor is actually starting — and when something is wrong enough to call the vet? These eight signs, in rough order of when they appear, give you a practical framework for the hours leading up to whelping.
If you haven't confirmed your dog's due date yet, use the dog gestation calculator and start taking rectal temperature twice daily from day 58 onward.
Sign 1 — Temperature Drop Below 99°F
This is the single most reliable pre-labor indicator available to home breeders. A dog's normal rectal temperature sits between 101°F and 102.5°F (38.3–39.2°C). In the 12–24 hours before labor begins, progesterone levels drop sharply, which causes the dog's body temperature to fall below 99°F (37.2°C) — often dropping to 98°F or even lower briefly.
The key is to take temperature consistently (twice daily, same times each day, starting at day 58) so you have a baseline and can detect the drop when it happens. A single low reading that returns to normal isn't meaningful — the drop you're watching for is a sustained reading below 99°F. When you see it, prepare for whelping within a day.
Sign 2 — Loss of Appetite
Many pregnant dogs eat enthusiastically through most of the pregnancy, then stop eating 12–24 hours before labor. Some will refuse their meal entirely; others will pick at food but show no real interest. This isn't cause for concern at this stage — it's a normal pre-labor shift. The dog's digestive system slows as the body focuses on labor preparation.
Sign 3 — Nesting and Restlessness
Nesting behavior often starts a week before whelping, but it intensifies dramatically in the 24 hours immediately beforehand. The dog may spend hours rearranging her bedding, digging at floors, going in and out of the whelping box, and moving from room to room looking for the "right" spot. She may seem unable to settle.
If you haven't introduced the whelping box by this point, do it now — but don't be surprised if she's not interested and would rather whelp in your closet. Some dogs have strong ideas about where they want to deliver.
Sign 4 — Panting and Shivering
Panting and mild shivering or trembling are signs of early stage 1 labor, when the cervix is beginning to dilate. The dog isn't in severe pain — stage 1 is uncomfortable but not intensely so — but she's clearly unsettled. Panting is also a response to the progesterone drop that caused the temperature fall. Both signs are normal and expected.
Sign 5 — Vaginal Discharge Changes
During pregnancy, the cervical mucus plug maintains a seal over the cervix. As labor approaches and the cervix begins to soften and dilate, discharge increases. Pre-labor discharge is typically clear to slightly cloudy and mucus-like. This is normal. Green, black, or heavily bloody discharge before any puppy has been delivered is abnormal and warrants an immediate vet call.
Sign 6 — Frequent Urination and Vomiting
Some dogs urinate frequently in the hours before and during early labor. The puppies shifting position in the uterus puts pressure on the bladder. A few dogs also vomit during stage 1 labor — this is a stress response and generally not a cause for concern on its own, as long as it's not severe.
Sign 7 — Visible Contractions
When stage 2 labor begins, you'll start to see visible abdominal contractions — the dog's abdomen tightens and relaxes rhythmically. She may strain and grunt with each contraction. The first puppy should arrive within 30–60 minutes of strong, sustained contractions. A puppy in the birth canal will be visible as a fluid-filled sac at the vulva. Most puppies arrive head-first, though breech (tail-first) deliveries account for about 40% of normal whelping.
Sign 8 — The Interval Between Puppies
Once delivery starts, each puppy should arrive within 15–60 minutes of the last. The dog may rest between deliveries, nurse the puppies already born, and pause for up to 2 hours if she's not actively straining. Note the time of each delivery and each placenta. Each puppy should be accompanied by its own placenta, typically delivered within 5–15 minutes of the puppy. Keep count — retained placentas can cause infection.
Call your vet if more than 4 hours pass between puppies and you know additional puppies remain. This is the threshold for veterinary intervention in most whelping protocols.
Sources & References
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Canine whelping and dystocia
- American Kennel Club — Dog labor and whelping
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — Canine parturition