When are the puppies due?
Canine gestation is about 63 days — but counted from ovulation, not from mating. That difference is why so many litters arrive "early". Here is the date, the window, and what happens between now and then.
Puppies due around
—
—
- Day of pregnancy
- — —
- Days to go
- — until the due date
- Next milestone
- — —
Week by week
This is general information, not veterinary advice. It cannot examine your dog, and it does not know their history. For anything that concerns you, speak to a vet.
Why mating dates mislead
Canine gestation measured from ovulation is one of the most consistent figures in veterinary reproduction: 63 days, give or take a couple. Measured from mating it appears to swing wildly, and breeders conclude that some litters simply come early.
They usually have not. Sperm can remain viable in the reproductive tract for up to a week, and a bitch can be mated several days before she ovulates. A litter that arrives on "day 58" after a mating is very often exactly 63 days after the ovulation nobody measured. That is why progesterone timing is worth doing where the date matters.
The three stages of labour
Stage one: 6–12 hours
Restlessness, panting, shivering, nesting, refusing food, sometimes vomiting. The cervix is dilating and contractions are not yet visible. This stage can last up to 24 hours in a first-time mother.
Stage two: delivery
Visible straining, and a puppy usually within 30 minutes of it starting. Puppies then arrive anywhere from a few minutes to two hours apart. Half arrive tail-first, which is normal for dogs. Thirty minutes of hard straining without a puppy is the point to call.
Stage three: placentas
One placenta follows each puppy, though they interleave with later deliveries. Counting them matters — a retained placenta can cause infection.
When to call the vet immediately
Any one of these warrants a phone call now
- Strong contractions for 30 minutes with no puppy produced
- More than 2 hours between puppies when more are known to be due
- Longer than 24 hours after the temperature drop with no labour
- Green or black discharge before the first puppy arrives
- Fresh bleeding, or obvious pain and distress
- Past day 65 from ovulation with no sign of labour
- A puppy visible in the birth canal but not delivered within 10 minutes
Have your vet's out-of-hours number written down before the due date, along with the address of the nearest emergency clinic. Whelping rarely happens at a convenient hour, and looking up a number at 3am while a bitch is in trouble is not when you want to be doing it.
Common questions
How long are dogs pregnant?
About 63 days from ovulation, which is remarkably consistent. From a mating date it looks far more variable — anywhere from 57 to 65 days — but that is because sperm can survive for up to a week in the reproductive tract, so conception may happen days after the mating. If your vet timed ovulation with progesterone testing, the 63-day figure is accurate to a day or two.
When can a vet confirm the pregnancy?
Ultrasound from about day 25 will confirm pregnancy and check for heartbeats, though it is unreliable for counting. A blood test for relaxin works from around day 21–25. To know how many puppies to expect you need an X-ray from about day 45, once the skeletons have mineralised enough to see.
Why does the puppy count matter?
Because it tells you when whelping is finished. Without it, a bitch who has delivered four puppies with a fifth still inside can look like she is simply resting. Knowing the number is the difference between calling the vet at the right moment and finding out too late.
What does the temperature drop mean?
A bitch’s normal temperature is about 101–102.5°F (38.3–39.2°C). In the 12–24 hours before labour it usually drops below 100°F (37.8°C) as progesterone falls. Taking it twice daily from about a week before the due date is the most reliable home warning you get. If it drops and labour has not started within 24 hours, call your vet.
How do I know if something is going wrong?
Strong contractions for 30 minutes with no puppy, more than two hours between puppies when more are due, a green or black discharge before the first puppy, or going past day 65 from ovulation all warrant a call. Whelping problems escalate quickly, and vets would far rather hear from you early.
Should she be eating more?
Not much for the first five weeks — overfeeding early does not help. From around week six the demand climbs steeply, and most vets advise switching to a puppy or performance food fed in more frequent, smaller meals, because there is progressively less room for a full stomach. Nursing then places the highest energy demand of her life.