To prepare for whelping, they are put in stalls that contain plastic wading pools lined with newspapers. The stalls are warmed with radiant heating coils in the floor, and are equipped with closed-circuit cameras that allow the kennel staff to monitor the dogs’ activities from afar (they can keep an eye on the expectant moms from the kennel kitchen during normal hours and from an on-campus studio apartment after hours).
Births can occur as early as five days before the official due date. When the time is near, the females start to “nest”—tearing the newspapers into small pieces and settling into the pools.
During birth, the kennel staff will assist when needed. This assistance may involve resuscitating newborn puppies, clamping bleeding umbilical cords, and feeding females tired from a long whelp. (From Guide Dogs for the Blind)