Count 59-63 days before the puppies are likely to be born. Make sure everything necessary for their arrival will be in order by that time. Note; semen can hold in the girl dog for up to 7 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. A bitch is not considered "overdue" until 70 days after the first mating.

Alert your veterinarian a week before the puppies are due and start observing the girl dog for signs of labor. She will generally stop eating 24 hours before whelping.

Remember that as much as a week before, she will begin "nesting". The girl dog 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!

Remember that sudden gush of green fluid from the girl dog 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 girl dog straining constantly without producing a puppy, it is cause for concern.

Set up your C-Section with your vet well in advance of delivery. It may be best to allow the girl dog to start or get real close to going into labor before doing this to avoid a C-Section too early which can have dangerous complications. This will also depend on your vet and how close his office is to you as well as if he is able to do a 3 AM C-Section. If you do a C-Section just because the Bulldog has reached her 62-63 day, the puppies could still be a few days early as semen can live in the dog for up to 7 days before it takes sometimes. If the girl dog should go on into labor on her own even if she is planned for a C-Section, get her to the vet right away. Her cervix may fail to dilate or there may be torsion of the uterus. A dead puppy, water puppy or a sideways puppy could be blocking the cervix. No matter what the cause, get the dog to the vet immediately

Remember that tests can also be done to get a date for C-Section in advance and during a safe and normal hour so chances of problems will be reduced

Keep in mind that after the surgery, when the dog is home in her whelping box, she may nurse the pups under your supervision. Bulldogs are commonly C-Sectioned (about 95%) due to their size (head and shoulders), exhaustion, failure to progress in labor, over-heating, and other reasons. Plan on visiting with your vet about when you will likely do a C-Section well in advance of delivery!!! Puppies should be allowed to nurse on bitch the first couple of days at all costs, as this is very important in their development unless she is running a fever. Milk will usually come down within 2 days of birth, real true milk.

Remember that free-whelping Bulldogs is starting to be more common than it used to be, however free-whelping is a very tricky situation even for those with a great deal of experience in doing it. Never should you attempt a free-whelp without a great deal of experience, a good vet, the ability to understand when a problem may be starting, and a backup plan to aid you if needed. Be safe, not sorry!

Acknowledge that C-Sections for Bulldogs are very common. The reasons for C-Sections were discussed earlier. In recent years, more Bulldogs are free-whelping and it is improving the breed (anything that could be done without surgery is a major improvement). However C-Sections are still common and done far more than free-whelps, like 95% of the time. You should plan on a c-section for your bitch unless she has been cleared by a vet for free-whelping, then plan on letting her deliver at the vet clinic. This is one reason breeding Bulldogs should be left to those with a great deal of experience. (Extreme caution must be taken when a Bulldog is free-whelping, even under perfect conditions.). C-Section of a Bulldog is the most preferred way and the safest! Do NOT attempt a free-whelp.