A bitch is usually ready for mating from around day 12 of her season to day 14.  We usually start trying to mate her from day 10 and every day thereafter till a mating takes place.  Once a mating has been achieved, we generally try again every second day till the bitch refuses the dog, or until the dog is no longer interested.  There are times when  a bitch becomes pregnant with the first mating and she can go off immediately and refuse any further matings.

It is advisable to bed the bitch down in her whelping box around 7 to 10 days before the pups are due to enable her to settle into her new surroundings before the added stress of a new litter.  Because the pups have no way of regulating their body temperature, a heated whelping box, or a heated pad is necessary for the first few weeks of life.

Early signs of imminent whelping are a sudden drop in the bitch's temperature.  Start taking her temperature around 3 or 4 days before she is due to whelp.  A drop of around 2 degrees will indicate that whelping should commence within 24 hours.

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