My pregnant dog is in labor and hiding outside. What should I do?

She may just want to go outside because it seems more comfortable, but I agree that's not ideal. If you do not have a whelping box set up for her inside I would make sure she has a comfy spot. She may prefer to be left alone - you could partially shut to door to a room so you can still supervise her and make sure everything is going okay. If she is actively pushing for more than 30 minutes or if she goes more than 4 hours between puppies I would recommend seeing a veterinarian to make sure everything is okay.

A feral/stray dog may hide to have their puppies if they were close to labor, however if she is completely lost she may also have gotten injured, or the puppies injured if she is out in the wild. It would be best to keep searching for her, and to let local authorities know that she is missing.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sounds like Liberty may be getting close to giving birth- I would encourage her now if possible. Dogs, when they are close to whelping, do seek out nesting areas on their own without assistance most times. She may have found underneath your deck a safe spot to give birth, but if it is cold out at all, I would try and keep her inside the house if possible. When taking her outside to potty, you may want to leash walk her out so she doesn't hide underneath the deck or other places that may be a less than ideal area for her. I hope this helps and good luck with the new pups!

That definitely sounds like Coco is close. If you haven't already, it would be best to prepare an indoor whelping box for her so she can safely have the puppies, you can observe them, and they are out of the elements.

I strongly recommend veterinary assistance as it is possible there is a pup stuck causing such a degree of pain, especially if no pup is born within 15-30mins. Contact your local humane society for advice on emergency shelters

I would set up a shelter as best you can around Lola and her puppies. It's extremely important that she and the puppies are warm, and I would try to put blankets in the hole, and covering the ground. Try to protect her and the puppies by setting up a tent over the area to protect them from the elements. In the morning, I would try to get her and the puppies out of the hole and into the home where it's warm and protected.

A dog in active labour should be monitored very closely, a minimum of every 30-60mins to check for any signs of distress in mother or puppies and to ensure she is feeding and cleaning them. An ultrasound exam after delivery is recommended to confirm all puppies have been born