Breeding guide: how long are dogs pregnant
How Long Are Dogs Pregnant? A Week-by-Week Guide to Dog Pregnancy
How long are dogs pregnant? About 63 days from ovulation, or roughly nine weeks. That figure is an average, because the length can vary a little with breed and litter size. Below is what happens week by week, the signs to look for, and how to tell when puppies are close.
How long are dogs pregnant, and why is the due date hard to pin down?
The American Kennel Club puts a dog’s pregnancy at about two months, or an average of 63 days from ovulation (AKC). The catch is the word ovulation. A female can be bred several days before or after she ovulates, so counting from the mating date can be off by nearly a week.
For that reason, breeders who need an accurate due date work with a veterinarian to time ovulation with hormone tests. Counting from ovulation is far more reliable than counting from the day of breeding.
Dog pregnancy week by week
| Stage | What is happening | What you may notice |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 to 3 | Fertilized eggs travel to the uterus and implant | Usually nothing. Many dogs show no signs in the first three weeks. |
| Week 4 (around days 28 to 30) | A vet can see the pregnancy on ultrasound and may detect heartbeats | Mild appetite or behavior changes |
| Week 5 (days 32 to 35) | Eyelids form, then toes | Appetite increases, weight gain starts |
| Week 6 (around day 40) | Nails form | Belly begins to round |
| Week 7 (around day 45) | Coat and skeleton develop | Firm, enlarged abdomen |
| Week 8 (days 50 to 55) | Puppies are nearly complete. An X-ray after day 55 can count them. | You may see puppies moving |
| Week 9 (days 58 to 63) | Ready for birth | Nesting, restlessness, loss of appetite |
The milestones in this table come from the AKC’s guides to the canine reproductive cycle and dog pregnancy care.
Signs a dog is pregnant
Signs are easiest to see in the second month. The AKC lists these:
- A clearly bigger appetite and steady weight gain
- More frequent urination
- Changes in behavior, such as being more affectionate or more withdrawn
- A clear, odorless discharge
- A firm, enlarged abdomen from about day 45
- Visible puppy movement from about day 50
None of these confirms a pregnancy on its own. An ultrasound at around four weeks is the reliable way to know, and an X-ray late in pregnancy is the reliable way to count puppies. Knowing the count matters, because it tells you when labor is finished.
How to tell when labor is close
Cornell University’s Riney Canine Health Center describes the run-up to birth this way (Cornell):
- Temperature drop. Rectal temperature usually falls from the normal 100 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit to 99 degrees or lower about 8 to 24 hours before delivery.
- Stage one labor. Heavy nesting, panting and restlessness. This usually starts 6 to 12 hours before the first puppy, but it can last up to 24 to 36 hours.
- Stages two and three. Puppies are delivered, each followed by its placenta. In dogs these two stages happen together.
Call a veterinarian straight away if a dog strains hard without producing a puppy, seems to be in distress, or goes well past her due date. Have the clinic’s emergency number ready before the due week.
How long are dogs pregnant compared with how long puppies stay with mom?
Nine weeks of pregnancy is only the first half. Puppies then need at least eight more weeks with their mother and littermates before they go home. In other words, a litter is roughly a four-month commitment from breeding day to go-home day, and that is before the planning and health testing that come first.
See how we raise our litters, read about the dog heat cycle that comes before pregnancy, or check our upcoming litters.
Related guides
- The Dog Heat Cycle Explained: Stages, Signs and Timing
- How Many Puppies in a Litter? Averages by Dog Size
- Weaning Puppies: When It Starts and How It Works
- Puppy Development Stages: Week by Week From Birth to 12 Weeks
See all our puppy guides, read about our health testing, or meet our Havapoo puppies for sale and Goldendoodle puppies for sale.
Sources
- American Kennel Club, The Reproductive Cycle in Dogs: From Breeding to Birthing
- American Kennel Club, Dog Pregnancy: Signs, Care, and Preparing for Puppies
- Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, The Normal Whelping Process
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Whelping and Queening in Bitches and Queens
This article is general information and does not replace care from a veterinarian.
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