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May 30, 2023

Do puppies stop moving before birth? 

Yes, absolutely puppies often do stop moving before birth. Later in pregnancy, puppies are likely to move more to get into the proper position for delivery. After that, puppies usually settle and stop moving. 

Preparing for the birth of new puppies can be as challenging as it is exciting. You know there’ll be cuteness in abundance, but you also know you need to learn a lot and prepare well for the delivery. 

Do puppies stop moving before birth

In this post, I’ll explore the question of whether puppies stop moving before birth and why it happens. To understand puppies’ movements, I’ll look at the different stages of labour in dogs. Later, we’ll even discover whether you can feel puppies move in the later stages of pregnancy.  

Read “Does birth order matter in puppies?” to find out more about the early stages of a pup’s life.  

Let’s dive in. 

Table of Contents

The Stages of Labour in Dogs

Stage 1 

A loss of appetite is a clue that labour is imminent. At this stage, your dog may spend lots of time sleeping due to lethargy, and she might vomit.  

In this early stage of labour, your dog will likely experience mild contractions which are infrequent. If your dog is a first-time mum, she may be confused. 

She may also: 

  • Pant. 
  • Be restless.  
  • Cry or whimper for no visible reason.  

Your job as the owner is to keep her as relaxed and calm as you can. This stage should not go on for more than 8 hours. If you see no signs of the labour progressing after this period, you should seek help.  

Stage 2 

When entering this stage, your dog will become more alert, and you will see the contractions. She will also start to pant more heavily. 

When these contractions start, your dog should birth a pup ever quarter hour.  

The pups will emerge in slimy sacs of a blue-grey colour. It usually takes a few contractions for the pup to be fully born. After every pup is born, your dog will pass the placenta during the afterbirth. Typically, she’ll tear the birthing sac and eat the placenta.  

Eating the placenta is an instinctual behaviour and is something the mother does to protect her pups from predators. This shouldn’t harm her, but some vets do warn of the danger of diarrhoea and possible intestinal obstruction in rare cases. Ultimately, it’s your choice whether you let your dog eat them or not, but you must make sure one is expelled for each pup born.  

If the sac fails to tear open on its own, then you should help by ripping it open. It will not be able to breathe otherwise.

The number of pups you can expect will depend largely on the breed. You can find out how many pups Dalmatians can have in our post.   

Stage 3 

The conclusion of the birthing process and is much easier to spot in smaller dogs than in larger breeds. 

The mother will expel any remaining placentas. If they stay inside her, it could set of a life-threatening condition. 

To prevent this from happening, your vet can do an x-ray when your dog is pregnant. You can do an ultrasound on dogs, but this does not allow for your vet to count the puppies, as an x-ray does.  So, if your dog has an x-ray, you’ll know how will be born and how many placentas she will have to pass.   

I would recommend you read my post, “Do puppies lose weight after birth?” you will find it very useful.

Why would puppies stop moving before birth?

Puppies move a lot in the womb in later in pregnancy. The puppies move a lot to get into the correct position for birth. Before labour starts the pups must move down the mother’s uterus to enable easy whelping.  

When they are in position, they won’t move as much, and may stop moving at all. 

If you’re worried, you can ask your vet to do an ultrasound on the mother to check the puppies’ vital signs, like the heartrates to ensure everything is as it should be. 

Next, let’s find out if you can feel puppies move during pregnancy. 

When a dog is pregnant can you feel the puppies move?

It’s possible to feel the puppies moving around in the mother’s belly at any time after 6 weeks of pregnancy. If you want to feel them lay the palm of your hand gently on your dog’s stomach and wait for the puppies to move. Don’t try to make them move through palpitation, as too much palpitation can harm the pups.  

If your dog doesn’t like you touching her belly, leave her be until she’s ready to accept the touch.  

What if puppies stop moving before birth?

It’s not a bad thing if puppies don’t move shortly before birth. Remember, it can be hard to feel and see the movement of pups inside a dog’s belly, especially in larger dogs. 

If the puppies appear to stop moving and there are no signs of imminent labour, it’s a good idea to take the mother to the vet. 

You should seek veterinary advice if: 

  • No puppies are born more than 24 hours after the mother’s temperature drops. 
  • If the first part of labour goes on for longer than 8 hours. 
  • If your dog ejects lots of greenish brown fluid without a puppy appearing.  
  • You can see contractions, but no puppies are born for more than a couple of hours. 
  • The mother doesn’t go into labour after more than 63 days of pregnancy.  

Wrapping up of: Do puppies stop moving before birth?

Yes, puppies may stop moving before birth, after they have shifted into the proper position. It’s important to watch the mother closely and address any concerns to ensure both the mother and puppies remain safe and healthy. If you’re attentive and provide proper care, your dog will likely have a successful pregnancy and delivery, and you’ll have a happy mum with her pile of cute, healthy pups.  

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