Canine pregnancy typically lasts about three months from the date of conception. This varies from breed to breed, but is generally true of most medium-sized dogs, such as the German Shepherd. Mark the expected date of birth on your calendar. The litter may not necessarily be born on this exact date, but it should serve as a good reference for when to start preparing for whelping. One to two weeks before the litter is expected, your dog should be noticeably pregnant, with an enlarged abdomen. You should being taking your dog’s temperature regularly during this time, as changes in body temperature will mark the first signs of labor.

Labor typically begins between 24 and 48 hours before birth. The first stages may not be immediately noticeable, but the temperature of your dog will begin to drop from its regular temperature of about 99-101°F. As her temperature drops, she will begin to pant heavily. She may vomit, or begin shaking, and will likely need to urinate frequently. Her temperature should bottom out at about 98°F, at which point she will begin giving birth within 2-12 hours, depending on whether or not it is her first litter. At this point, your dog will be in her second stage of labor, and will be visibly straining with contractions. Newborn German Shepherd puppies will not be far behind, so be sure not to leave her side during this period.

Of course, having your veterinarian on speed-dial is a necessity during whelping. Complications in whelping can risk the life of the pups as well as the bitch. Be prepared to transport your dog to a veterinary hospital if the need arises. Hopefully, all will go well, and your female German Shepherd will have successfully whelped a healthy litter of German Shepherd puppies.

If no problems occur, the puppies will be pushed out one by one. They will be contained within an amniotic sac which the mother will break open. She should then bite the umbilical cord in half, and start licking the puppy to help it breath.

The first problem that can occur is if the mother has trouble pushing the puppy out. The mother should not have to spend more than about 10-15 minutes per puppy. If a puppy gets stuck during birthing, it can endanger not only the life of that puppy, but that of the entire litter. If the mother spends too long pushing on a stuck puppy, you will have to help her before she exhausts herself and endangers the rest of the litter. Having some form of non-toxic lubricant on hand can help. Watered-down dish soup may suffice as a last resort. Pull on the puppy gently to help release it. If the mother exhausts herself before the rest of the pups are born, her contractions may stop. If this occurs, an emergency c-section will have to be performed by your veterinarian, or at an animal hospital.

After each puppy is born, the mother may not release the puppies, cut the umbilical cords, or lick the puppies to help them breath. If the mother fails to do any of these, it is up to you to them for her. Keep a disinfected pair of scissors nearby as well as some iodine. Releasing the puppies from their sacs should be fairly easy. However, cutting the umbilical cord requires more of a crushing cut than a clean cut in order to minimize the amount of bleeding. You should cut the cords about a half-inch from the puppy’s abdomen. You may have to tie off the ends using clean string. Dental floss works well for this. Finally, have clean towels nearby to dry off the pups and remove mucous from around nose and mouth. Try to encourage the mother to lick puppy by placing it in front of her, but be prepared to towel down the puppy yourself. If the puppy isn’t breathing, your will have to remove mucous from the puppy’s mouth yourself. Open the pup’s mouth and use a clean medicine dropper to suck out any mucous. Rubbing the puppy with the towel whilst cleaning it also helps to promote circulation.

Finally, you should keep track of the number of placenta after whelping. It is normal for the mother to eat the placenta, but you should not let her eat more than a couple, as it could upset her stomach. If the placenta does not come out along with the pup, you should remove it yourself to prevent it from interfering with the next pup.

Whether they are German Shepherd puppies, Belgian Malinois puppies or Dutch Shepherd puppies, the above steps can help to overcome the most common problems that occur during whelping. However, be on the lookout for large amounts of blood or green-black discharge before whelping. This could indicate a more serious problem that requires the attention of your veterinarian. Always have a phone near by for you to call your vet for advise, or in the case of an emergency.