The basilar things to be able to do

Labor

After around two months of pregnancy the expected moment of the birth comes. To know the stages characterizing the normal carrying out can be of help either to facilitate this moment to the bitch, either to race immediately to the shelters if something would be going wrong. Some day before the birth the rectal temperature of the bitch drops under 38°C, she starts to prepare a 'nest', becomes restless and/or try to hide herself in a quiet place, can refuse the food, from nipples can begin to drip some milk. From the vulva can trickle a whitish liquid... and then begin the contractions...

How to Help Whelping?

... the pup is going out:

in this case the head is foremost (it happens 60% of times). If the pup is partially still thought in the channel of the birth because the bitch has exhausted her strengths and 2 - 3 minutes are already passed from the moment you started to see the head of the puppy, grab him with a small clean towel...
Then   ... carefully pick him up.

With a delicate traction grasping at the level of shoulders or on the skin of the back (not on the head!), trying of to be in coincidence with the pushes of the bitch, pull him down and toward the dam’s feet.
If the presentation is back and you can see the back legs out from the channel of birth, grab them gently, always with an a small clean towel, and pull out and low waiting for the contractions. You don’t need the towel for hygiene (of sure you are wearing latex gloves or/and your hands are perfecty cleaned), but facilitates the more important thing of the moment: the taking.

Isn’t the mother immediately taking care of the newborn?

 
... once that the pup has gone out the bitch couldn’t be able to take care immediately, especially if tired =>

Wrap the puppy in a clean cloth still closed in his/her fetal wraps, it have served during the pregnancy but now shall be removed immediately =>
 
- to remove the fetal wraps:

... the fetal wraps break usually during the birth, otherwise is the bitch that normally provides to set free the puppy licking and biting the sac. If this doesn't happen, easy it over the puppy’s body starting from the head (it’s not difficult to do). The membrane that you feel on the fingers is elastic, thick and receding, you should grasp and tear it, don't frighten to do.
-attention to the umbilical cord:

continue in this delicate operation until all the wraps are enterily removed from the body. You will arrive so doing to umbilical cord, on which you don't have to practice violent tractions (risk of bleeding).
To cut the umbilical cord:

if the umbilical cord didn’t break during the birth or the bitch hadn’t crushed it, you have to do. Use an hemostat to clamp it at around 1 inch. from the newborn’s abdomen, and tie up it in a thread of silk or cotton previously soaked in an antiseptic solution.

then cut it with a pair of sterilized blunt-end between the knot and the placenta.
 

 
Now that’s born can we relax?
  => on the contrary, these are moments in which we shall pay all our attention to the newborn!
 
To remove the amniotic fluids: keep ready a rubber pediatric bulb syringe.
... puppies frequenlty born with amniotic fluid present in their lungs, useful during the pregnancy but now over. Hold the pup with the face down, gently open the mouth and insert the tube while depressing the bulbe. Slowly release the bulb to withdraw fluid from the puppy’s mouth. Repeat with the nostrils.
If amniotic fluid is present, you may have to repeat this procedure two or more times.

To stimulate the circolation:

after cleaned mouth and nostrils, is useful to stimulate circolation. Briskly rub him with toweling on the whole body. This brisk stimulation cause the pup take deep life giving breaths.

 
-if still the puppy doesn't breath and the skin tend to assume a bluish color, quick remedial steps are necessary:

... pick him up in the palm of a hand sustaining the head between your fingers. The other hand need to hold the body of the pup firmly. See the figure: the head is in a down position and you swing enphatically your hands several times. This manoeuvre serves to free the lungs and to stimulate the respiraton. The newborn has to react beginning to cry and to move, he 'shall' cry!

... therefore, hold him in your hands and rub his body with a cloth; few time and he will attempt to wriggle out, and a sonorous weeping will point out that he's alive with, a dog who can begin to conduct an autonomous life under the thoughtful cares of his mother.