Is it necessary to exercise a pregnant bitch?
By Ralph Gillum, BraceBeagling Columnist
March 09, 2006

No, it it is not usually necessary to exercise a pregnant bitch in order for her to have a healthy litter and to whelp without complications. This is probably due to the fact that Mother Nature provides for success in perpetuating the species even under less than ideal conditions. Even though exercise is not usually necessary, exercising your bitch while in whelp will definitely increase the odds that the pregnancy, whelping and beyond will go well for her and her pups.

Moderate exercise three or four days a week will help maintain the bitch's strength for her delivery, help control her weight gain and to some extent the size of her pups. It also results in better overall physical health after delivery and aids in better milk production, nursing and care of the pups. Moderate exercise also decreases the likelyhood of the bitch developing gestational diabetes and perhaps aids in preventing that rare bitch from developing hypothyroidism after the trauma of pregnancy, whelping and pup rearing.

So, while many bitches will have a successful pregnancy with no exercise,the short and long term advantages of moderate exercise makes it well worth the effort.