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Taking care of a pregnant dog first requires recognizing whether or not the dog should have been bred in the first place. And for sure, that is a hard question to answer as anyone with a favorite dog thinks that dog should be shared with the entire world. Little things like a bad background, a grandmother with hip dysplasia, a severe under-bite or over-bite, bad eyesight, or hearing difficulties are paled in comparison to the owner's perfect pet. But, truth be known, a good vet exam should be done first with a good look at the background of the mother dog, or "bitch" as they are referred to is in breeder's language. This is how it usually is done for a high quality puppy line before the breeding ever takes place. But let us say the dog ends up pregnant "accidentally". What then? Unfortunately, many dog owners in this situation lack very little information on caring for the pregnant mother, which will greatly influence the outcome of the puppies and their birthing. It is best to know what breed or size the father is, as too big of a father will cause the mother to die or a C-section to be done. If nobody knows, have an laser test done after a month to see how many puppies she is carrying and how big they are to better prepare for the big event. Once the mother is pregnant, she needs to be on a pretty good diet and get plenty of exercise or the puppies will begin "pulling on her" and causing her to loose weight. She will also need wormed by Pyrantel or some similar worming regime to remove roundworms, as they are transmitted to the puppies when she is carrying them and through the milk once they are born. She should need wormed at breeding or as soon as she shows – which is usually around five weeks into the pregnancy. If she has not had a steady working schedule, she will need to be wormed again in two weeks two more times (six weeks total with three wormings completed) from the time when she has been bred. Puppies take about eight weeks to be born from the time of breeding, and she should be wormed two weeks prior to whelping (name of the birthing event) so do the math. About two weeks before the puppies are due, or when she is beginning to belly down, the mother should be placed on a good quality puppy food beginning small amounts at a time first mixed with the adult with all the cool clean water she desires. Some good puppy foods are Science Diet, Beneful, or Royal Canin. The vet will advise Science Diet as it has the best vitamin plan around, but as long as food is high in 20%+ protein and a good puppy food, it is better than the usual adult food which will not be nutritious enough. She needs to stay on this for as long as she is carrying and afterwards until the puppies begin to wean. Once they are weaned, feed her half puppy and half adult for about a week or two, then lower the quantity of puppy gradually until she is on full adult, or she will develop serious diarrhea. If the mother dog has not been kept up on her adult shots, this is a good time to have her taken to the vet or she may pass something on to her puppies. The puppies are not a concern until after they are born, as they will be wormed at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age (puppies are not given away or sold until they are over eight weeks) and the shots are given at 5 and 7 weeks or 6 and 8 weeks of age. The mother will sleep more and more as she gets closer to her birthing time, needing a quiet place to 'get away from it all. She will need a warm and draft free place, as this is where she will whelp. She probably will need a couple of small towels or a blanket cut up onto fourths. The reason for this is too large of a blanket will smother or loose the puppies when they are born. Puppies are born with the eyes closed and cannot hear -- once their eyes open around 10 to 14 days of age, they will also begin to hear at the same time. Meanwhile, they will move around based on their need for warmth and instinct. The smaller blankets and towels you prepare for the mother beforehand will allow the puppies later on to move around better.