Yesterday one of our Yorkshire terriers or Yorkies had a litter of puppies. Everything went well and she had two girls and two boys. My wife and I always sit with moms when they give birth. We help deliver and are there in case of problems. I’d like to outline a few things you can do to help with labor.
Keep an eye on the behavior of the mother dog to know when she is about to give birth. Careful records of breeding dates will help you generally know when to expect puppies to be born. A mother dog will behave differently just before she starts having her puppies. It is possible that she tries to hide from other dogs. This is why many outdoor dogs get under houses, while indoor dogs only have to get under a sofa or other furniture. They are also not good places to keep her puppies. A couple of days before the expected delivery, she must provide him with a place isolated from other animals for him to rest. A quiet place that feels safe is what she needs. The pups will need to be kept warm for about 10 to 14 days until they can regulate their own body temperature. A small heating pad designed for puppies is best.
Considering the size of the mother, a box with no bottom, constructed of 4 equal pieces of 1″x12″ wood, is best for the mother and her babies to sleep in for the first 3-4 weeks. For a Yorkie, I build the box about 28 square inches. For larger breeds, please resize accordingly. Sand down any rough edges that could cause injury. Just lay a couple layers of old towels on the floor and place the box on top of them. Just use larger towels and you will find that the box uses its own weight to hold the towels. Easy to keep clean, and the setup prevents puppies from tangling around puppies. We use disposable medical pads as a top layer over towels. Easy to maintain.
So now you have the bed ready for the mother and the puppies. How to help with delivery? Start with a large, sturdy box or basket for the mother to use to give birth. Line it with disposable pads. Have a few things on hand. Lots of paper towels and a couple of old cloth towels. The towels are there to keep the puppies warm while they are born. Have a roll of dental floss handy along with sharp scissors and a small suction bulb. In addition, you will need a pack of bed protectors that are sold to cover the beds of people with incontinence. They are superior to puppy pads.
The mother dog will get quite restless as the time approaches. She may choose to run back and forth and appear confused. Her instincts will almost always take over and she will eventually stretch out and start contractions. Contractions can last about an hour before the first baby arrives. The pup will, in most cases, begin to appear and will need a few more contractions to fully emerge. Assuring the mother dog that she is okay and that she is in a safe place helps her resume contractions. The pup is usually born with a sac or membrane that encloses most, if not all, of her little body. Break the membrane and clean the puppies nostrils and mouth so she can start breathing. Very carefully, pinch the umbilical cord close to the puppy’s body, then cut it to about 3/4 inch from the puppy’s body. Continuing to tighten the cord, tie a piece of dental floss around the remaining cord attached to the pup. This is to prevent bleeding. If the cord is not bleeding, you may be able to control it for a few minutes. You will be quite busy, stop any bleeding and make sure the pup is breathing on its own.
If breathing is difficult, there may be some mucus blocking the nostrils. Use a small suction bulb to clear the nostrils and rub the pup to stimulate breathing. In most cases, the pup will be breathing normally within moments. A non-breathing puppy may require you to place the puppy’s nose and mouth in your own mouth to give it artificial resuscitation. Just be nice, he has a very small lung capacity.
Place each pup on a clean, warm towel along with their partners as each is born. Between contractions, it is good to place them with their mother. She will lick them to stimulate circulation and breathing. Keep an eye on the bedding in case the puppies start bleeding from the umbilical cords again. Tie another piece of dental floss to the short umbilical cord if it bleeds. Some bitches aggravate the bleeding if they lick too much.
Give the bitch some water periodically during the whelping process. Keep bedding clean and dispose of placentas and other fluids that are expelled. Your dog will do most of the work himself. You are there to support and reassure her. Other breeders may have their own procedures for helping mother dogs give birth, but these guidelines have given us excellent results over the last 10 years of breeding Yorkies.