[fannie]

It certainly could be that she's not ready yet. However, I have a couple girls that are ready as early as day 7 and some that aren't ready until day 15 or so. It depends on the particular dog. And yes, the liquid is quite normal.

Depending on the size and fitness level of your female, the time will vary on when you'll be able to tell if she is bred or not. As in, visibly showing. Usually around 4 - 6 weeks as a general rule. Some you can see within a couple weeks looking a bit swollen. And then there are some that you can't even tell that they are bred at all.

Since this is her first litter (and your's as well), it's a good idea to take her for an x-ray about 1 week before she is due. Then you will have a general idea of how big the puppies are, how they are situated and how many she'll have. I say general because x-rays aren't 100% correct. I've never had one right about the number of puppies they were having. And, they can change their position before they are whelped. They definitely do help if you aren't sure if she's bred or not. You have to wait until atleast 10 days before they are due so they will show up on the x-ray.