My bitch whelped 5 pups late last night. Sadly one didn't survive, but the other four are doing great. At first she wasn't showing much interest in the pups, but she will stay with them and let them be latched on to her if I sit with her. A couple of times throughout the day she has carried them out of her whelping box and tried to get on the sofa with them, which is actually where she decided to give birth last night. I'm worried one of the pups is going to get hurt with her moving them around. Has anyone else had this behaviour before? This is her first litter so I'm not sure if thats got something to do with it. She was used to her whelping box well in advance and has even slept in it for the last few weeks.

You need to ensure that she cannot move them around.  What kind of whelping box do you have?

Is it covered and secure, like a den? that may make her feel its a safer place for them to be.

We kept a bitch that insisting in putting the pups on the sofa, we had to be with her 24- 7 until they were 8 weeks old, whats more annoying is that we had a specially made whelping box and she had slept in it for 2 weeks before the whelp and she gave birth in it.

They would have died if we hadn't found them as 1 went down the back of the sofa it was one of the other dogs in another room that alerted mum to what was happening as she was getting very upset and tried to drag mum back, (all this happened in the time it took mum to pop to the loo).

I think that some bitch's do, do this you will have to keep a special eye on her, we had to modify the box to this bitches needs.

sounds like she dont like it where she is ,like been said make it more den like so she feels safe .

The whelping box is a homemade one. Just a square with a drop down front made to the recommended size for her breed.
I have covered the top to make it like a den but it doesn't seem to have helped. I'm in the same room with her all the time so I'll just have to keep watching her.

Your bitch is telling you how unhappy she is with the arrangements that you have made for her pups.

Is she well away from any other dogs and people?  She needs to know that nobody but you will be with her.  You need to be with her 24/7 now, which I assume you already know.  Try having her in the quiet, in your bedroom, and give her a more denlike atmosphere.

We do have other dogs but not in the same room but she can still hear them, so that could be it. I'll make it quieter for her. Yes I am planning on being with her 24/7. I've got my camp bed all set up. Thank you for all the replies.

> I've got my camp bed all set up

   

Good!

But if she can hear the others, you may have it sussed.  She may just find it threatening.  One of my girls was even ratty with a daughter from her first litter.  They normally get on fantastic, but Suzie just found Sunshine to be one big threat as far as her pups were concerned.   If we think really hard about it, we can usually pinpoint the cause of their upset.  Fingers crossed that you can get her to settle.