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Can I leave my dog and new puppies alone to sleep or shower?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Samoyed | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 9 months old | 45 lbs

Hello, my dog is expecting in a about a week. I am reading that I need to watch her and the puppies 24/7 for about 2 weeks. I do plan to be with them for that period of time but want to understand if this is truly necessary and reasonable. Do I need to get someone else to watch them when I need to shower, eat, sleep? Thank you

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Answered By Shaneez Wallani, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 18th, 2019

Monitoring throughout the 8 week period until the puppies are weaned is recommended, yes, although it may be difficult while you are sleeping. Having the mom and pups in your room and setting an alarm to check on them a few times a night is reasonable. If you are able to get someone to watch them that's great. Otherwise minimize the amount of time they are left alone as much as possible, and try to get a dog sitter if you will be gone more than an hour. Breeding dogs is a lot of work, and it is important to keep track of the mom and pups' progress by checking on them frequently. Here is some more information on birthing puppies

https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951546
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