A dog pregnancy lasts about 63 days (nine weeks) from ovulation. Put in the date of the first mating, or the ovulation or LH surge date from your vet’s tests, and you’ll get an estimated due date, the normal delivery window and a week-by-week calendar.
How long are dogs pregnant?
Gestation in dogs runs about 63 days from ovulation. Most dogs deliver between day 61 and 65. The mating date is a looser starting point. Sperm can survive inside her for several days, and the eggs still need time to mature after ovulation. So from a single mating, puppies can show up anywhere from about 58 to 68 days later.
| Date you know | Due date | Normal range | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|
| First mating / breeding | Day 63 | Days 58–68 | ± 5 days |
| Ovulation (progesterone testing) | Day 63 | Days 61–65 | ± 1–2 days |
| LH surge (blood testing) | Day 65 | Days 63–67 | ± 1 day |
Mated more than once? Go with the first date, and keep a close eye on her from about day 57.
Dog pregnancy week by week
Weeks 1–3: fertilization and implantation
The eggs get fertilized in the first few days after mating. The embryos then move down to the uterus and implant at around days 16–22. Nothing shows yet. Stick with her usual food and her usual walks.
Week 4: pregnancy can be confirmed
From about day 25, your vet can confirm the pregnancy by ultrasound and may even pick up heartbeats. A relaxin blood test becomes reliable around days 25–30. Some dogs go off their food for a few days around now, a bit like mild morning sickness.
Weeks 5–6: visible changes
This is when you start to notice. Her belly rounds out, her nipples get bigger and darker, and the scale creeps up. She’ll be hungrier too. Many vets suggest a gradual switch to a good puppy (growth) food at this point, with portions going up by roughly 10% a week.
Week 7: preparing for birth
The puppies’ skeletons show up on X-ray from about day 45. Now’s the time to set up a whelping box somewhere quiet and warm, and let her get used to sleeping in it. Skip rough play and jumping.
Weeks 8–9: nearly there
From around day 55, an X-ray can count the puppies. That count matters, because it tells you when she’s actually done. Start taking her rectal temperature twice a day from about day 57. Normal is 100.5–102.5°F (38–39°C). A drop below about 99°F (37.2°C) usually means labor will start within 24 hours. You may also see her stop eating, pant, shiver, dig or nest.
Signs of labor in dogs
- Stage 1 (6–12 hours, sometimes up to 24): restlessness, panting, nesting, shivering, turning down food, sometimes vomiting. The cervix is opening, but you won’t see contractions yet.
- Stage 2 (delivery): visible contractions and pushing. Puppies usually arrive every 30–60 minutes, though a gap of up to 2 hours between puppies can still be normal.
- Stage 3: a placenta comes out after each puppy. Count them. You want one per puppy.
Call your vet if she has strong contractions for 30–60 minutes and no puppy appears, if she rests for more than 2–4 hours when you know more puppies are still inside, or if there’s green or bloody discharge before the first puppy. Also call if she’s past day 68 from the first mating with no signs of labor.
How the calculator works
It adds 63 days to the mating or ovulation date (65 days to an LH surge date) to get the due date. Then it lays out the key milestones based on published canine reproduction guidelines. Everything runs in your browser, so you can bookmark the page and come back to see which stage she’s in. Today’s stage is highlighted in the table.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my dog is pregnant?
You can’t be sure without a vet check. Early signs are subtle: a slightly smaller appetite around week 3–4, then bigger nipples, weight gain and a growing belly from week 5. Your vet can confirm it with an ultrasound from about day 25, a relaxin blood test from about day 25–30, or an X-ray after day 45.
Can a dog have puppies at 58 days?
Yes, counting from the mating date that’s still normal. Conception may have happened days after the mating. Puppies born before about day 58 from ovulation, though, are likely premature and need a vet’s help.
How many puppies will my dog have?
It mostly comes down to breed, plus the mother’s size and age. Toy breeds often have 1–4 puppies, medium breeds 4–7, and large breeds 6–10 or more. For an accurate count, get an X-ray after day 55.
What do you feed a pregnant dog?
Her normal balanced diet is fine for the first month. From about week 5, most vets recommend a puppy or all-life-stages food, with portions going up gradually until she’s eating roughly 25–50% more than usual by delivery. Don’t give calcium supplements unless your vet prescribes them.
How accurate is a dog pregnancy calculator?
Within a day or two, if you have an ovulation or LH surge date from blood tests. With only the mating date, expect it to be off by up to about five days either way.