Days 1–21: fertilisation and implantation
Embryos travel to the uterine horns and implant around days 16 to 18. There are usually no visible signs. Keep feeding as normal and avoid unnecessary medication.
Dog Gestation Period: How Long Is a Dog Pregnant?
A dog is pregnant for about 63 days, roughly 2 months. Normal whelping happens between 58 and 68 days, and a typical litter is 1-12 puppies.
How long is a dog pregnant?
A dog carries her puppy for an average of 63 days, or about 2 months. Counting from the breeding date, whelping is normal anywhere from day 58 to day 68.
Key checkpoints across the 63-day dog gestation, measured in days from breeding:
Dog gestation stages, month by month
Days 22–35: organ development
Ultrasound from about day 25 confirms pregnancy and heartbeats. Mild morning sickness and reduced appetite are common. The nipples begin to enlarge and pinken.
Days 36–50: rapid foetal growth
Abdomen enlargement becomes obvious and weight gain accelerates. Increase food gradually towards about 1.5 times maintenance by the end of pregnancy, ideally on a puppy or all-life-stages diet.
Days 51–63: pre-whelping
Skeletons are mineralised so an X-ray from about day 55 gives an accurate puppy count. Introduce the whelping box, restrict strenuous exercise and take rectal temperatures twice daily from day 58.
Week 1
What's happening: Fertilisation occurs in the oviducts; the embryos are single cells dividing as they travel.
What to do: Continue normal feeding and exercise. Avoid medications not cleared by your vet.
Week 2
What's happening: Embryos reach the uterus and begin to space themselves along both horns.
What to do: No change needed. Do not palpate the abdomen roughly.
Week 3
What's happening: Implantation around days 16 to 18; nipples may start to pinken.
What to do: Keep stress low. Book an ultrasound appointment for next week.
Week 4
What's happening: Heartbeats are detectable; eyes and spinal cord form. Appetite may dip.
What to do: Ultrasound from day 25 to confirm pregnancy. Offer smaller, more frequent meals.
Week 5
What's happening: Organ development finishes and the foetuses gain weight quickly.
What to do: Begin increasing food gradually. Switch to a growth or all-life-stages diet.
Week 6
What's happening: Pigment appears on the coat; the abdomen is visibly larger.
What to do: Feed three to four smaller meals a day as stomach space shrinks.
Week 7
What's happening: Skeletons mineralise; the bitch may shed belly hair.
What to do: X-ray from day 55 for an accurate puppy count. Introduce the whelping box.
Week 8
What's happening: Milk may be expressible; puppy movement is visible from outside.
What to do: Restrict strenuous activity and contact with unfamiliar dogs. Prepare whelping supplies.
Week 9
What's happening: Puppies move into position; the temperature drops below 37.2 °C before labour.
What to do: Take rectal temperature twice daily. Keep the vet's out-of-hours number to hand.
Signs a dog is pregnant
- Nipples enlarging and turning pink from around day 21
- Reduced appetite or mild nausea in weeks three and four
- Ultrasound confirmation from about day 25
- Clear, odourless vaginal discharge in mid pregnancy
Signs of approaching whelping
- Visible abdominal enlargement and weight gain from week five
- Nesting behaviour, restlessness and a temperature drop in the final 24 hours
- Contact your vet if labour stalls, if the animal strains without progress, or if there is abnormal discharge before whelping begins.
What affects dog gestation length
- Counted from ovulation, canine gestation is remarkably consistent at 63 days plus or minus one. Counted from mating it can appear to range from 58 to 68 days.
- A bitch's eggs are ovulated immature and need two to three days to become fertilisable, and sperm can survive up to a week in the reproductive tract.
- A drop in rectal temperature below about 37.2 °C usually means whelping will start within 24 hours.
- Litter size affects timing: very large litters often arrive a day or two early, singleton litters may go slightly over.
Estimate your dog's whelping date
Enter the breeding date for an estimated whelping date at 63 days.
Estimate a dog due date
Estimated whelping date
Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Earliest
25 Sept 2026
Latest
5 Oct 2026