What are the signs of labour?

my cairn terrier dog we think is in labour but what are the signs it is her first pregnancy

hi and welcome

...oh..so i take it this wasnt planned?

...lots of panting is one of the main signs.

hi
you might want to put this in another section.
I would also recommend you run out and buy The Book of the Bitch
and / or phone your vet
and / or contact an experienced breeder urgently.
Do you know what to do if anything goes wrong?

Signs of pre-labour (or 1st stage labour) are restlessness, nesting (digging up bedding, shredding newspaper), going off food if eating well previously or being sick after eating, panting, this can go on for a couple of days. Temperature drops by 1 degree C about 24 hours before 2nd stage labour begins, contractions, then puppies.

The problem is the signs above are the norm but bitches vary. Only 2 of my bitches have gone off their food, while one actually demanded food between each puppy. I've had bitches who didn't scatch up & nest & others who did it for two weeks before the puppies were born. Have also had one bitch who if the puppies hadn't been born in the sack I'd have sworn they walked out as she didn't pant & showed less signs of pushing than when toiletting. Good luck.