Dog pregnancy: signs and symptoms

Updated 08/12/2023

Welcoming puppies into the world has to be one of the most rewarding journeys to be part of for any doggy parent (or granny to be, we should say!). But as you’ll know, breeding your pooch is a serious responsibility and shouldn’t be taken lightly or without proper research and prep. 

If you’re thinking about pairing prospective fur mamas and papas, you’ll need to get clued-up on the signs of dog pregnancy beforehand. You’ll also need to learn all about your pup’s breed standard, the breed health test recommendations before mate pairing, how to care for a pregnant pooch, and of course, the delivery and aftercare of newborn puppies and the new mama. 

To help you on your way, we’re here with the signs of pregnancy in dogs, along with diagnostic testing, the stages of dog pregnancy, labor and false pregnancies. And if you plan to welcome your own (human) babies into the world any time soon, check out our blog filled with tips on dogs and newborns. And now without any further ado, let’s get into the signs of puppy-shaped buns in the oven!

Gestation period: how long is a dog's pregnancy?

The dog gestation period is usually 63 days, give or take a few days, but your dog’s pregnancy length can’t always be determined by when the mating took place. Why? Well sperm can live inside the female for several days, while the female’s eggs stay fertile for up to 48 hours. This means that conception doesn’t always happen on the day of mating, making it difficult for you to determine an exact birth date without the help of a vet.

One way breeders often get a more accurate estimate of their fur mama’s due date is through the use of hormone measurements - these provide a more exact time frame (not exact date, necessarily) for gestation. These hormone measurements often come from vaginal smears and blood tests to check progesterone that tell us reproductive hormone levels. They can be used to let breeders know when is the best time to pair prospective fur mamas and papas for mating.

It’s super important to find out an estimated length of your dog’s gestation period - it’s a vital time for pregnant pooches, and it doesn’t last long. So, measure at home and get an estimation from your vet to be sure. That way, you can prepare for the big day, monitor your pup’s nutrition, and make veterinary appointments at the right times along the way.

How to tell if your dog is pregnant

Unfortunately, over the counter dog pregnancy tests don’t exist like they do for us humans, so we have to look out for early signs of dog pregnancy in other ways! According to the American Kennel Club, the best way to tell if your dog is pregnant is, surprise surprise, not through a canine pregnancy test, but is instead through diagnostic testing. Let’s get into the ways you can go about it…

• Ultrasound. If you’re not able to get a palpation booked in, you might opt for an ultrasound, which should be performed by a veterinarian between 25 and 30 days after mating. The ultrasound will be able to detect the pups’ heartbeats (which are adorably two to three times faster than the mama’s!).
• Palpation. At around 30 days after mating, your veterinarian can carry out an abdominal palpation (which is why it helps to roughly know the date that your pooch became pregnant). If you’re not sure what palpation is, it’s a pretty simple, non-invasive way to check for pregnancy. Your pup’s vet will feel around your dog’s abdomen, and if puppies are present, they’ll feel like little grapes or golf balls, depending on the dog breed. Your vet can feel for little fluid-filled sacks that surround the fetus, which lose their shape after around a month, so be sure to get the palpation booked in before it’s too late! It’s also super important not to perform this yourself, as you may damage or harm the little pups.
• Hormone test. Between 25 and 30 days of gestation, your veterinarian will be able to perform a hormone test to find out if your pooch is pregnant. This comes in the form of a blood test, and the hormone your vet will be looking out for is relaxin - it’s only produced during pregnancy.
• X-ray. X-rays are one of the most sure ways to detect dog pregnancy (as you can literally see the pups!). By nature, the x-ray will only work once the puppies’ skeletons are developed, at around 55 days or more. It’s super handy to get an x-ray before the birth, so that you can find out how many puppies your pooch is carrying. That way, you’ll know exactly when the delivery is over, and when your fur mama should start recovering.

Signs of pregnancy in dogs 

While diagnostic testing is the best way to detect dog pregnancy, there are other symptoms you can look out for after mating that’ll be tell-tale signs your dog is pregnant. Before we get into some of the early signs of pregnancy in dogs, it’s worth noting that some of these symptoms (including vomiting, weight gain, changes in appetite and a swollen abdomen) could be signs of other conditions. So, to be sure that your pooch isn’t experiencing any health issues rather than the symptoms of pregnancy, it’s important that you consult your veterinarian.

• Eating more than usual
• Weight gain
• Enlarged nipples
• Larger abdomen than usual
• Gets tired easily
• Nesting
• Affectionate and/or irritable
• Vomiting (in the first month of gestation)

Stages of dog pregnancy

If you’re thinking about breeding your female pooch, it’s super important to get to know the stages of pregnancy. With only around nine weeks in the womb, puppies develop rapidly, and they’re much more able once born than us humans. So, with no time to waste, let’s get into the stages of dog pregnancy week by week.

Month 1

After the first week of pregnancy, the embryos make their way to the uterine horns, where they embed themselves in the uterine lining by around day 16. Then by around day 22, the fetus starts to take shape. Then, by day 30, you’ll be able to take your pooch to the veterinarian to detect those little heartbeats with an ultrasound! Unlike many of us humans, signs of pregnancy in dogs don’t usually start until the second month of pregnancy. But if you’ve recently paired your pooch with a mate, they may have some of these symptoms…

• More affectionate than usual
• Sickness in the mornings
• Increased appetite
• Enlarged nipples
• Mild vaginal discharge (clear/mucous)

Month 2

In the second month of dog pregnancy, the pups develop pretty rapidly - by day 32, their eyelids form, by day 35 their toes have grown, with claws appearing by day 40, along with the coat and skeleton by around day 45. By day 58 of the pregnancy, your pregnant pooch will start looking for a place to nest - this will be a secluded, cozy spot that you can set up ahead of time. Consider investing or making a whelping box. Due to all of this amazing development, the signs of pregnancy in dogs are much more significant in month 2… 

• Increased appetite (even more than month one!)
• Increased urination
• Clear vaginal discharge
• Less energy
• Enlarged nipples/teats
• Weight gain of 20-50%
• Enlarged stomach (between days 45 and 50)
• Decrease in appetite (by day 45)
• Puppy movement (by day 50)
• Change in behavior (e.g. more clingy)

Month 3

Your pregnant pooch is ready for whelping (otherwise known as giving birth!) by month three. By around day 58, the litter will be almost fully developed (or at least, ready for birth). At this point, each puppy will move into the whelping position in the birth canal, ready and waiting over the last few days before their earthly debut! In the third month, your pregnant pooch will experience some of these symptoms (especially towards the end of gestation)...

• Loss of appetite between days 61 and 62.
• Milk production
• Licking her genital area
• Drop in body temperature around 12 to 24 hours before labor, which may be  accompanied by shivering or panting
• Restless behavior including panting, pacing, diverging, and even digging.
• Nesting behavior

How long are dogs in labor?

Getting prepared for your dog’s labor is a vital part of pet parenting a pregnant pooch. There are three key stages to your pooch’s labor which you’ll need to get familiar with before the time comes. Let’s get into it!

Stage one

The first stage of labor lasts between 12 and 24 hours, when your pregnant pooch will experience contractions in the muscular wall of the uterus. These will increase in frequency and strength throughout the first stage, but you won’t be able to see them. If you think your pooch might be in labor, here are the symptoms of labor in dogs you can look out for in those early stages…

• Restlessness
• Reclusive behavior
• Nesting
• Refusal of food
• Vomiting and panting
• Clear vaginal discharge

Stage two

The seriously exciting part - the puppies arrive during this stage, and it takes anywhere between one and 24 hours. Each pup arrives into the world one at a time, with each birth taking up to two hours and puppies arriving every half an hour to an hour. 

If more than two hours of rest pass between puppies, you should contact your veterinarian, as this could be  a sign of serious complications, with both the mother’s and pups’ lives potentially at risk. If your dog is actively pushing for more than 30 minutes with no sign of a puppy, contact your vet straight away. Once the mother is all done (which you’ll know if you found out how many puppies she was expecting), you should call your vet if you think she’s having trouble.

Stage three

Once all the puppies are welcomed into the world, stage three begins. Stage three of dog labor is centered around the delivery of the placentas (which also happens between birthing the pups). If the labor takes over 24 hours, contact your veterinarian, as this could be a sign that the mother or pups are having trouble. If your dog doesn’t pass the placentas or develops a foul smelling vaginal discharge, contact your vet. 

What is false pregnancy in dogs?

Once your female pooch has been through a heat cycle, there’s a high chance she will go through what’s called a ‘false pregnancy’, even if she hasn’t mated with another dog during that time. Whether your dog is pregnant or not, they’ll experience the same hormonal changes after their heat cycle, which can cause certain symptoms that, most of the time, aren’t anything to worry about. Behavioral signs to look out for are below…

• Nesting behaviors
• Restlessness
• Increased affection towards family members
• Affection and protectiveness towards toys 
• Less activity
• Abdominal licking

During the heat cycle, your pooch will continue to produce high levels of the hormone progesterone, which stimulates mammary development which can loosen joints, causing your pup’s ribs to widen, which can in fact make them look as well as act pregnant.

Once the heat cycle is over, your pooch’s levels of progesterone fall rapidly, while the hormone that enables milk production, prolactin, starts to rise. This can stimulate milk production and the start of whelping behaviors, meaning that your pooch is not only acting like they’re pregnant, but they’re also producing milk to feed puppies that aren’t there!

If you suspect a false pregnancy in your dog, make an appointment with your vet, where they can perform a palpation or ultrasound scan to confirm that she isn’t carrying. If the symptoms continue or your pooch keeps having false pregnancies after her heat cycles, it’s super important that you make an appointment with your vet for treatment. The clinical signs include…

• Mammary enlargement
• Lactation
• Weight gain
• Abdominal swelling
• Anorexia

Meet our veterinary expert, Aisling

This article has been checked by veterinarian Aisling O’Keeffe MVB CertSAM ISFMCertAdvFB. Aisling qualified as a vet 7 years ago from University College Dublin. She has worked in a mixture of UK small animal hospitals along with Irish practices. She worked for 3 years in a feline-only hospital where she further developed her feline medicine and surgery skills. She currently lives and works in a small animal hospital in Cork, Ireland.

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