When the Due Date Arrives: A Gentle Request From a Breeder
- Serge and Veronika
- May 8
- 4 min read
The waiting is one of the hardest and most exciting parts of bringing home a puppy.
Your breeder tells you that the mother is pregnant. The due date is tomorrow. Suddenly every hour feels important. You refresh social media. You keep your phone nearby. You wonder how many puppies will be born, whether there are boys or girls, and if one of them might become your puppy.
That excitement is real, and breeders understand it completely. Most of us feel that same anticipation ourselves. We have often spent months planning a litter, studying pedigrees, preparing whelping areas, monitoring temperatures, organizing supplies, and sleeping lightly for days waiting for labor to begin.
But when labor actually starts, something important changes.
At that moment, the focus is no longer on announcements, photos, updates, or social media.
The focus becomes survival, safety, and care.
Please Give Your Breeder Time
If your breeder shared a due date with you, one of the kindest things you can do is simply wait for them to contact you.
Please do not repeatedly text or call during labor or immediately afterward asking:
“Any puppies yet?”
“How many boys?”
“Can I see pictures?”
“Is there one for me?”
The breeder has not forgotten about you.
They are likely fully immersed in one of the most physically and emotionally intense parts of breeding dogs.
What Breeders Are Actually Doing During Labor
While families are refreshing Facebook waiting for photos, breeders are often:
Monitoring contractions for hours
Helping weak puppies breathe
Clearing fluids from airways
Rotating puppies through warming areas or incubators
Watching for signs of distress in the mother
Administering calcium or oxytocin when needed
Counting placentas and checking that labor is progressing safely
Cleaning blood, fluids, towels, and bedding
Preparing for emergency veterinary intervention or C-sections if complications arise
Sometimes everything goes smoothly.
Sometimes it does not.
A puppy may inhale fluid while exiting the birth canal and need immediate stimulation to breathe. A mother may begin bleeding heavily. A puppy may arrive weak. A breeder may spend hours fighting for the life of a newborn while simultaneously trying to protect the health of the mother.
These are not moments for social media performance.
These are moments that require complete presence.
The Side of Breeding Most People Never See
People often imagine puppy birth as adorable photos, tiny paws, and happy announcements.
And yes — there are beautiful moments.
But there are also exhausting ones.
There are nights spent awake for 24 hours straight. There are moments where your breeder has blood, fluids, and placentas literally on their skin and clothing. Sometimes the first thing they need after a successful delivery is not a camera or Facebook update.
Sometimes they simply need a shower, a meal, and a few hours of sleep.
Many breeders go directly from an all-night labor into a full workday because breeding is not their only responsibility. Most ethical breeders are balancing jobs, families, farms, kennels, veterinary appointments, and countless unseen tasks.
I once read that the average person remains in breeding for only a couple of years because of the emotional stress involved.
After experiencing difficult births, losses, emergencies, or heartbreak, many people realize how heavy this responsibility truly is.
Why Some Breeders Do Not Livestream Births
There are breeders who livestream births or post constant real-time updates throughout labor.
Every breeder does things differently, and that is their choice.
But personally, I cannot approach birth that way.
When one of my dogs is in labor, I am beside her with gloves on, lubricant nearby, scissors prepared, towels ready, and my attention fully focused on her needs.
I am not thinking about views, likes, or engagement.
I am thinking about the mother.
I am thinking about the puppies.
I am listening for breathing. Watching contractions. Monitoring temperatures. Checking color and strength and movement.
Those moments are sacred to me.
I do not take newborn photos while puppies are still wet and struggling to regulate body temperature. I wait until they are cleaned, dry, settled, warm, and safe.
That first priority will always be the well-being of the dogs — not social media.
Trust That Your Breeder Will Reach Out
Good breeders understand that families are excited.
We know you are waiting.
We know your heart is already invested in these puppies.
And we will update you.
But ethical breeding requires patience from everyone involved — including the waiting families.
So when the due date arrives, the best gift you can give your breeder is grace.
Wait for the phone call.
Wait for the email.
Wait for the photos once the puppies are safe and the mother is resting peacefully.
Because behind every healthy litter is usually someone exhausted, emotionally invested, physically drained, and doing everything possible to protect the lives entrusted to them.
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