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Pulled from real UK breeder community discussions — the questions that came up most across 185 posts in one week, ranked by recurrence. Tap any to expand.
Source: scan of the UK's biggest whelping community · 67.6K members · 26 April–3 May 2026
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Around 3 weeks old, when their eyes are open and they're starting to mouth at things. Begin with a thin slurry: warmed puppy milk replacer mixed with soaked puppy kibble or weaning paste, blended smooth. Offer twice a day on a flat tray so they can lap. Keep mum out during the meal so they have to figure it out. By 5–6 weeks they should be fully on solids.
Soaked kibble is the gentlest start — warm water over a quality puppy kibble (Royal Canin Mini Starter, Beta Puppy, James Wellbeloved are popular UK choices) for 10 minutes until porridge-textured. From 6–7 weeks, gradually leave it drier. Raw works fine if mum's already raw-fed — transition slowly with a complete puppy raw, not just tripe.
Four meals a day from week 4 to week 8 — roughly breakfast, lunch, mid-afternoon, and evening. Tiny pup tummies fill fast and empty fast. By 8 weeks you can drop to three meals. Keep weighing daily; if any pup's falling behind, add an extra feed for that one specifically.
First half of pregnancy: her normal adult food in normal amounts. Last 3 weeks: switch to a quality puppy food (higher calorie, higher protein) and feed her 25–50% more. During lactation she'll need 2–3× her normal intake — feed her unlimited puppy food, several times a day. She'll lose condition fast on a big litter even with good feeding; that's normal.
Top up with puppy milk replacer (Royal Canin Babydog, Lactol, Welpi) every 2 hours through a soft syringe — never squirt, drip slowly. Weigh every pup before and after they nurse to see who's getting milk. Keep them warm — cold pups can't latch. If mum has no milk by 12 hours post-whelp, ring the vet — sometimes oxytocin or other meds can help let-down.
Stage 1 (12–24 hours before): off her food, panting heavily, shivering, digging at her bedding, hiding away. Temperature drops below 37°C in the 24 hours before stage 2 — take it twice a day from day 56 onwards.
Stage 2 (active labour): she begins strong straining. First pup should arrive within 30 minutes of strong contractions. Beyond that without progress, ring the vet now.
Test from day 5–7 of season. Mate when progesterone hits 5 ng/ml — that's ovulation. Peak fertility is 5–8 ng/ml; from there pups arrive ~63 days later. For giant breeds, follow your vet's advice — some recommend slightly later mating. Tests are £40–£80 each at most UK vets — call ahead, not all clinics run them in-house. The number, not the day, is what matters.
Day 25–28 from mating is the sweet spot for ultrasound — too early and the foetal sacs are too small to count. Most ultrasounds confirm pregnancy and give a rough number (often missing 1–2 hidden behind the spine). For an exact head count, X-ray at day 55+ — by then bones have calcified and they're countable.
Phantom pregnancy (false symptoms, no real pups): your vet can prescribe Galastop or Finilac to dry up milk; otherwise it self-resolves in 2–3 weeks. Accidental tie: the "mismating injection" (alizin) works up to day 45 if you don't want the litter — book a vet appointment within days, not weeks. Day 2 or 3 of season ties rarely take, but don't bet on it.
Don't give calcium during pregnancy — it suppresses her own calcium regulation and increases eclampsia risk later. Once she's whelping and during lactation, oral calcium (e.g. Oral Cal Plus) at the start of each pup arriving can support contractions — vets vary in their advice, ask yours. Raspberry leaf is fine from week 4 of pregnancy and may help muscle tone for delivery. Wheatgerm oil is a vitamin E source — useful if her diet is low in it.
Size: roughly 1.5× mum's length each way, so she can stretch out without crushing pups against the wall. Pig rails (a raised lip 8cm in from the wall) save lives — they stop mum squashing pups against the side. Floor: vet bed or fleece on top of newspaper; both wick moisture and grip well. Place in a quiet room you can heat to 26–28°C for the first week — your living room often beats a cold utility room.
Pig rails are the single best fix — install them before whelping. Set a 30-minute alarm if you're sleeping near the box for the first 3 days. Once pups are 10 days old and starting to wriggle, the squash risk drops sharply. By 3 weeks you can usually go back to your own bed; baby monitors with sound triggers work brilliantly.
First 48 hours: restlessness, panting, occasional shaking are normal — she's exhausted and her hormones are crashing. Leaving pups for short stretches to wee/drink/eat is fine.
Persistent shaking, staring, stiffness, or collapse is eclampsia and a vet emergency (calcium crash). Won't eat at all for 24+ hours, refusing the pups, or aggression toward them — vet call. Have someone drive you, bring the pups warm.
Anaesthesia takes 12–24 hours to fully clear; she may seem confused or uninterested at first. Keep pups latching (help them on if needed) — milk-let-down stimulates bonding. If she's growling at them, supervise every feed for the first 2–3 days; never leave them alone with her until you trust her. Sometimes she just needs a calm room with you nearby. By 72 hours most C-section mums settle in.
Weigh every 6 hours for the first 3 days, every 12 hours for the next week. A healthy pup gains 5–10% of birth weight each day; 2 days of no gain is a vet call. Top up with milk replacer if mum's milk supply favours the bigger ones. Keep the runt extra warm — they can't generate body heat as well. Singletons need extra stimulation: handle them more, talk to them, mimic the rough-and-tumble they'd get from siblings.
UK norm: first vacc at 8 weeks (DHPPi+L), second at 10–12 weeks. Some breeders give a 6-week starter (DHPP only, no Lepto) — mostly relevant for early-leaving litters or high-risk environments. Best practice: give the first jab yourself before they leave, hand the new owner the vaccination card, and let their own vet do the booster. That way the timing isn't disrupted by the move.
Pregnant bitch: Panacur 25 (fenbendazole) daily from day 40 of pregnancy through to day 2 post-whelp — this kills off worms passed through the placenta and milk. Pups: every 2 weeks from age 2 weeks (so 2, 4, 6, 8 weeks) with Panacur paste at the right dose for their weight. Switch to a broader wormer (e.g. Drontal Puppy) at 8 weeks. Keep a written log — new owners often ask for it.
Yellow soft poo around weaning is normal as their gut adjusts to solids — usually settles within a week. Mucus, blood, or visible worms — vet sample. Scooting after pooing is usually irritation from a sticky bottom; clean with warm damp cotton wool. Persistent scooting in older pups (12+ weeks) might be anal glands — vet check. Bring a fresh sample if you go.
Eyes opening at 10–14 days; if one stays closed past day 16 with discharge, your vet may need to gently prise it (don't try yourself). Mild weeping after eyes open: bathe gently with cooled boiled water on cotton wool. Persistent discharge, pus, swelling, or visible cloudiness — vet within 24 hours. Microphthalmia (small eye) is congenital and usually visible from eye-opening — that's a permanent condition, not a treatable one.
Pink-pigmented ears, noses and bellies (especially merles, dapples, and very pale-coloured pups) burn fast. Pet-safe sun cream (zinc-free, fragrance-free) on exposed skin from week 6 if they're outside in sun. Scurfy skin in newborns is often dry environment — humidity around 55% in the whelping room helps. One pup with persistent scurf and the rest fine — vet check, could be ringworm.
Newspaper is the cheapest and what most breeders use — pups instinctively move away from where they sleep to wee. Real-grass turf sets them up for going outside later — best long-term. Pads work but pups eat them, which can cause blockages, so watch closely. Pellets (cat-litter style) are messy in our experience. Whichever you pick, place it well away from the sleeping area from week 3 onwards.
Maiden studs often need a quiet room, no audience, and a willing experienced bitch the first time — get an older bitch to "show him" if you can. Won't tie? Try again 24–48 hours later when the bitch's standing heat may be more pronounced. AI / TCI is excellent for difficult studs or long-distance breedings — most repro vets do it. Frozen semen requires surgical TCI but lets you breed to dogs across the world.
Split season: she'll come in, stop, then come back into full heat 2–4 weeks later. Don't mate on the first half — the second half is the true season. Silent heat: no visible bleeding but she's still receptive; you'll only catch it via progesterone testing every 5–7 days. More than 2 seasons a year: check for ovarian cysts via ultrasound. Pre-season milk / phantom signs without a litter — see the phantom pregnancy answer above.
Two weeks of the food they're already on (enough buffer for the change of home), a blanket smelling of mum and littermates, a chew/toy they know, a copy of the vaccination + worming log, microchip paperwork, and a printed care sheet (feeding schedule, current weight, do's and don'ts). Add a small bag of treats they're used to. Some breeders include a Snuggle Puppy (heartbeat plush) — worth every penny for the first night.
Pre-vaccine viewings (4–6 weeks): only with strict hygiene — clean shoes, hand sanitiser, no contact if visitor's been around other dogs. Most breeders allow viewings from week 5 once eyes are bright and they're moving well. List from 4–5 weeks if you want time to interview buyers; some breeders prefer 6+ weeks to avoid pressure. UK law: pups can leave from 8 weeks minimum, must be microchipped before leaving.
Photograph the harder-to-sell pups in their best light and lead with their personalities in your listing. Honest descriptions sell better than generic ones. Drop the price slightly rather than holding out — cost of feeding for an extra month often outweighs the discount. Network: post in breed-specific groups, reach back out to families on your waiting list who said "either", and consider a sibling deal for the right home.
Always have a written contract from day one stating return terms — most breeders take the pup back at any age, but the new owner usually doesn't get a full refund (covers your re-homing costs). For a return within 1 week, full refund minus a small admin fee is fair. Always ask why — sometimes it's fixable (e.g. a poop-eating puppy is a feeding/management issue, not a defective pup). Take the pup back rather than risk them being abandoned.
Keeping one puppy back is great if you're set up for it. Keeping two from the same litter is tough — they bond more to each other than to you and become harder to train ("littermate syndrome"). If you do keep two: separate training, separate walks, separate beds for the first 6 months. A dam + pup is the easiest pairing — different ages, different needs, less competition.
Separate whelping rooms ideally — disease cross-over and dam aggression are real risks. Strict shoe/hand hygiene between rooms. Stagger feeding times so you can give each mum your full attention. A baby monitor in each room means you don't have to be in two places at once. Don't run more litters than you can sleep through — exhaustion is when squashes happen.
Registration window: most breeders register at 4–6 weeks. Litter must be registered before any individual pup goes to a new home if buyers want KC papers. Late registration (after the cut-off): possible up to 12 months but each pup needs an individual application + vet check. Microchip-then-register is the standard order — you need the chip number for the pedigree. UK law: all pups must be chipped by 8 weeks before they leave you.
To Ireland: pups need an Animal Health Certificate (or pet passport for older), rabies vaccination at least 21 days old (so pup must be 12 weeks+), and tapeworm treatment. Within UK mainland: drive or use a licensed pet courier. Nanny flights overseas: use a DEFRA-approved transporter — they handle the paperwork. Allow 4+ weeks for international paperwork; rabies timing is the most common bottleneck.
UK C-section costs vary wildly: £1,500 (rural practice, daytime) to £4,500+ (out-of-hours emergency at a 24h hospital). Get quotes from 3 vets in your area in advance — many breeders register with a "C-section friendly" vet specifically. VDS claims for vet negligence: keep all records, get a second opinion fast, and act within the time limits. Pet insurance won't cover whelping — but a few breeder-specific policies exist.
Tulip fields and gardens: ingesting tulip bulbs causes severe vomiting; even chewing leaves can irritate. Louping ill: tick-borne virus, mostly Scotland and northern England — keep tick prevention current April–October. Daily garden hazards: lily of the valley, foxglove, slug pellets (metaldehyde), grapes/raisins, xylitol (in chewing gum). Antifreeze is the most lethal — sweet-tasting, kidney failure within hours. Vet immediately if any ingestion suspected.
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Clear the membrane from the face quickly so they can breathe, rub them with a towel against the grain to stimulate, check for breathing, then put them on the dam to nurse. Keep them warm — under 35°C they fade fast. Tie or break the cord an inch from the belly with clean fingers. Weigh, log, photo for ID, and on to the next one.
Anywhere from ten minutes to two hours is normal. Beyond two hours of rest with the next pup not arriving, especially if she's straining without progress, that's when you ring the vet. Have a notepad — track time of birth for each pup so you've got a clear timeline if you need to call.
Don't restrain them, don't put your hands near their mouth — they're not in control. Time it. Move furniture out of the way, dim the lights, talk gently. Most fits last under two minutes. Anything over five minutes, or back-to-back fits, is a vet emergency now. Even a single short fit needs a vet appointment within twenty-four hours.
Puppy biting is how they learn about the world. When teeth touch skin, give a sharp little yelp and step away for thirty seconds — you're teaching them that biting ends the fun. Redirect to a toy when they're gentle. Never smack or shout. If you're consistent, it settles by four months.
Most pups are reliably house trained by four to six months. Take them out every hour, after every meal, nap, and playtime, and always first thing and last thing. Reward heavily when they go outside. Accidents indoors are normal — they're not being naughty.
Start with the food packet's guideline for their weight and age — it's a starting point, not gospel. You should feel their ribs easily but not see them. If they're gaining weight, feed less; if their waist disappears, feed less. Your vet nurse will do a free weight check any time.
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