Things You'll Need
- Cardboard box
- Scissors
- Clean cloths
- Iodine/hydrogen peroxide
- Rubber bands
- Heating pad
Instructions
Set out a time line for the impending birth when you find out that your boxer is pregnant. A boxer's gestation period is between 63 and 65 days from breeding. Use a calendar to plan when you are going to start looking for signs of labor. This is important for both your readiness and your dog's safety.
Prepare a whelping box and your supplies in advance. A whelping box should be large enough for the mother dog to comfortably lay down and nurse her puppies without laying on them or pushing them out. Cut the side of the box out to make an open door but leave a lip at the bottom of the open side so that that puppies are contained within the box. Supply the box with blankets and put it in place ahead of time so your boxer knows where it is and has made her nest.
Watch for the first stage of labor to begin. Your boxer will become restless or clingy and begin digging in her whelping box. This is nesting behavior and means that she is starting to feel contractions. At this time, remove any other animals from the area and gather your supplies.
Watch for the next signs of labor. These include panting, digging and pacing. The boxer may turn to look at her rear end and lick her vulva. At this point you may begin to see contractions in the boxer's abdomen.
Watch for the third stage of labor. The boxer's water will break and her panting and contractions will become stronger. The boxer will start to actively push at this point. You should see the first amniotic sac appear under her tail within an hour after the water breaking.
Monitor the birthing process. Your boxer will probably pace while she is giving birth, so keep her in an enclosed room during the process. She should break the amniotic sac, chew off the umbilical cord and clean the puppy as soon as it is born. If she does not, you will need to carefully break the sac open so the puppy can breath, remove the pup from the sac and cut the cord yourself. Always clean the scissors with alcohol before and after use on each puppy. Cut the cord 3 inches from the puppy's navel, clean it with iodine or hydrogen peroxide and tie it off with a rubber band. Clean and rub the puppy with one of your cloths to encourage it to breathe.
Place the puppies in the whelping box with a covered heating pad so that they're out of the way and warm until the boxer has finished giving birth. Once she's done and has crawled into the whelping box, help the puppies toward her nipples so that they'll start nursing.