Whelping Checklist for Dogs (Printable)

Whelpday whelping checklist. Educational, not a veterinary protocol. Call a vet the same day if you are unsure.

0 of 0 ready

The place and the box

A quiet room the rest of the household can stay out of, including other pets.
A box she can stretch out in, with sides low enough for her to step over and a rail or rolled towel so a puppy cannot get trapped behind her.
Washable towels or pads. No thick fluffy bed a newborn can burrow under, and no slippery bare plastic.
A heat plan. A common target for the first few days is about 85–90°F (29–32°C) at puppy level, with a cooler spot they can crawl to. I will ask the clinic what they want, and I will not leave a heating pad on high under a puppy who cannot move off it.
A dim light for night checks, so I am not turning the room fully on for every look.

Numbers and records

The regular clinic number and the after-hours emergency hospital, written on the box.
A way to get there: a carrier or a box for her, and a person who can drive.
A notebook for temperatures, the time each puppy is born, color, and whether a placenta was seen.
A kitchen scale that reads small weights, in grams or ounces.

Supplies

A digital rectal thermometer and a water-based lubricant.
A stack of clean towels, more than I think I need.
Unscented wipes or warm damp cloths for faces and for her.
A bulb syringe for fluid at the nose and mouth. Squeeze it first, then release. I will not push it into the throat.
I know whether the vet wants cords tied. If nobody has shown me, I will leave cords to the mother or the clinic.
Unopened puppy milk replacer made for dogs, and a bottle, as a backup only. I will not use it unless a vet or an experienced attendant says a puppy needs it. Cow’s milk is not a substitute.
Soft temporary IDs in different colors, checked often so they do not tighten.
A phone charger in the room, and bags for soiled linen.

The week before

She has slept in the box for a few nights so it is not a new place during labor.
I know the x-ray’s puppy count, and I know an x-ray can still miss one. The useful window is about day 55 from ovulation or later.
Temperature checks have started, two or three times a day, written down. See how to read a drop.
I have read the “call now” list, and the emergency clinic knows she is due if they asked me to call ahead.

During labor

I will note the hour of any temperature drop.
I will note when hard straining starts, and I will call if it runs about 30 minutes with no puppy.
If she does not clean a puppy, I will dry it and put it back on a nipple. I will not swing it.
I will note placentas when I see them, and I will not pull on a cord.
I will weigh each puppy once she is calm, and write the time of birth.

The first day

Every puppy is warm and has nursed. A cold or limp puppy is a same-hour problem.
She is interested in them, drinking, and able to get up to go outside.
I know the warning signs: foul discharge, bleeding that soaks bedding, collapse, or trembling and stiffness that could be eclampsia.
A mother-and-puppy check is booked for the time the clinic recommended, often within a day or two.

Questions

When should the whelping box be ready?

About two weeks before the expected window, around days 49–52 from ovulation, so she can sleep in it before labor. If you only have mating dates, set it up when the calculator’s box milestone opens. Waiting until she is restless means building a box during stage 1.

Should I buy puppy formula before she delivers?

A sealed canine milk replacer is a reasonable backup. It is not the plan. Most litters should nurse. Use formula only if a veterinarian, or someone they have told you to trust with this litter, says a puppy is not getting enough. Do not substitute cow’s milk.