Dog Pregnancy Calculator

Find your dog’s due date from the mating date, and see what happens each week of the roughly nine-week pregnancy.

Mating date

If there were several matings, use the first; the due date may run a few days later.

Dog gestation in brief

Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days from ovulation. Because a female can mate a few days before ovulation and sperm survive up to a week, the delivery date counted from mating ranges from about day 58 to day 68 (Merck Veterinary Manual; Concannon, Journal of Reproduction and Fertility).

Litter size depends mostly on breed size: toy breeds often have 1–4 puppies, large breeds 7–10 or more.

Get help now if she strains hard for 30–60 minutes without a puppy, rests over 2 hours between puppies, or has green-black discharge before the first puppy.

Dog pregnancy timeline

  1. Day 0
    Mating

    Sperm can survive several days, so fertilisation may happen up to a few days after mating.

  2. Day 16
    Embryos implant

    Embryos attach to the uterine wall around days 16–22. Nothing is visible yet; some dogs have mild morning sickness.

  3. Day 25
    Ultrasound can confirm

    From about day 25 a vet can confirm pregnancy by ultrasound and see heartbeats. A relaxin blood test works from about day 28.

  4. Day 35
    Belly and appetite grow

    Weight gain becomes noticeable. Start moving gradually to a puppy or growth food over the next weeks, as WSAVA and most vets advise.

  5. Day 45
    X-ray to count puppies

    Puppy skeletons show on X-ray from about day 45. Counting them tells you how many to expect during whelping.

  6. Day 55
    Set up the whelping box

    Introduce a quiet, warm whelping box. Start taking her rectal temperature twice daily.

  7. Day 61
    Labour is close

    A drop in temperature below about 99°F (37.2°C) usually means labour within 24 hours. Nesting, panting and refusing food are common.

  8. Day 63
    Average due date

    Most dogs whelp 62–64 days after ovulation. Call your vet if she strains for 30–60 minutes without a puppy, or goes over 2 hours between puppies.

Questions owners ask

How long are dogs pregnant?
About 63 days (9 weeks) from ovulation. Counted from mating, a normal range is roughly 58–68 days, because sperm can live for days and mating does not always coincide with ovulation.
How accurate is a due date from the mating date?
Within a few days. If your vet measured progesterone to pinpoint ovulation, the due date is very precise: 63 ± 1 days from the LH surge + 2 days. From mating alone, expect a window of about 10 days.
How can I tell if my dog is pregnant?
Early signs are subtle: slight appetite changes, tiredness, swollen nipples around week 3–4. A vet can confirm by ultrasound from about day 25 or with a relaxin blood test from about day 28.
What should I feed a pregnant dog?
Her normal diet for the first 5 weeks, then a gradual switch to a complete puppy (growth) food. Energy needs rise to about 3 × RER in the last three weeks and higher while nursing; our dog food calculator has both settings.
When should I call the vet during whelping?
If there is strong straining for 30–60 minutes with no puppy, more than 2 hours between puppies, green-black discharge before the first puppy, or if she is past day 68 from mating with no signs of labour.

Sources: Merck Veterinary Manual, “Breeding Management of Dogs”; Concannon P. W., “Reproductive cycles of the domestic bitch”, Animal Reproduction Science 2011; WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines.

Keep going

Cat pregnancy calculatorKitten due date and what happens when.Puppy weight calculatorHow big your puppy will get, from weight and age.Dog food calculatorDaily calories, cups and grams for your dog.