So the time has come for your bulldog to be bred. Your bitch is sound, her temperament is excellent and she is worthy of the breed. Your thoughts should also have been given to the correct selection of a proper stud. A mating should take place after careful consideration of bloodlines, health, age and how many previous litters.
Countdown
Count 60-63 days before the puppies are likely to be born making sure everything necessary for their arrival will be in order by that time. Note; semen can hold in the bitch for up to 3 days, so be careful not to expect them too early. Example: If she has passed 63 days and you have no puppies she may have not “taken” the day you thought she did. It could be a few more days.
Labor
A normal gestation is about 63 days. A week before the puppies are due, alert your veterinarian and start observing the bitch for signs of labor. She will generally stop eating 24 hours before whelping.
Nesting
As much as a week before, she will begin “nesting”. The bitch should be given a whelping box with layers of newspaper (black and white only) to make her nest. She will dig more and more as birth approaches. Temperatures can also be taken often but are not always reliable. Don’t be lead into a false security with that alone. Even with a c-section planned it is a good thing to let her nest!
Arrival
A sudden gush of green fluid from the bitch indicates the water surrounding the pups has “broken”. When the water breaks, birth of the first puppy is imminent. The first puppies are usually born within minutes to half an hour of each other, but a couple of hours is not uncommon. If you notice the bitch straining constantly without producing a puppy, it is cause for concern.