Table 1.

Survey structure and main content.

Section 1: General information	Contact details of the breeder (country, type of activity—professional or familiar) Number of breeding bitches and litters per year Dog types and specific breeds Animal housing systems Level of interaction with humans.
Section 2: Breeding practices	Specific techniques to manage reproduction Changes in housing system and exercise schedule of the bitch around parturition.
Section 3: Parturition	Timing parturition Whelping monitoring Signs of maternal stress Peripartum stress management.
Section 4: After parturition	Exercise schedule Maternal behaviour in peripartum Signs of poor maternal care Methods used to reduce the stress and improve maternal care Observation of inappropriate maternal behaviour.
Section 5: Generalities	General thoughts about maternal behaviour Time that the dam and puppies stay together Potential behaviour differences among breeds.