Dog Pregnancy Calculator – When Is My Dog Due?
Enter the mating date for an estimated whelping date, the normal range either side, and what happens each week.
Call your vet straight away if
- She strains hard for 20–30 minutes with no puppy
- Over two hours pass between puppies
- There is green or bloody discharge before the first puppy
- She collapses, trembles or seems in severe pain
Estimated due date
24 November 2026
Normal range: 19 November 2026 to 29 November 2026 (58–68 days)
Day 0 of about 63 – week 1
Week by week
- Week 1 (from 22 September 2026): Fertilisation. No outward signs at all; carry on as normal.
- Week 2 (from 29 September 2026): Embryos travel to the uterus. Some dogs are a little quieter than usual.
- Week 3 (from 6 October 2026): Implantation. Mild morning sickness and a fussy appetite can appear.
- Week 4 (from 13 October 2026): Ultrasound can confirm pregnancy. Nipples become more obvious. Avoid rough play.
- Week 5 (from 20 October 2026): Puppies develop quickly. Start increasing food gradually and switch towards a growth diet.
- Week 6 (from 27 October 2026): Tummy visibly enlarges and weight gain speeds up. Smaller, more frequent meals help.
- Week 7 (from 3 November 2026): Puppy movement may be felt. Set up a quiet whelping box so she can settle into it.
- Week 8 (from 10 November 2026): An X-ray can count puppies. Milk may appear. Keep walks short and gentle.
- Week 9 (from 17 November 2026): Whelping is close. Take her temperature twice daily and keep the vet's number to hand.
How long is a dog pregnant?
The textbook figure is 63 days, which is nine weeks almost to the day. In practice, healthy litters arrive anywhere between 58 and 68 days after mating. That spread exists because dog sperm can survive in the reproductive tract for up to a week, so the date you saw a mating may not be the date conception happened. Vets who date pregnancies from ovulation, using progesterone blood testing, can usually predict whelping within a day or two.
Worked example
If your dog mated on 1 March, add 63 days for an estimated due date of 3 May. The realistic window runs from 28 April (58 days) to 8 May (68 days). Anything before day 58 counts as premature and needs a vet; going past day 68 also needs a call, because it can mean the dates were wrong or labour is not progressing.
Preparing for whelping
- Set up a whelping box in a quiet, warm room two weeks before the due date and let her sleep in it.
- Stock clean towels, a heat source for the puppies, digital scales and a notebook.
- Take her temperature twice a day from day 57 – a drop below about 37.2°C usually means labour within 24 hours.
- Save your vet's number and the out-of-hours number in your phone now, not on the night.
Feeding a pregnant dog
For the first five weeks she needs no extra food, just good quality food and a healthy body condition. From week five, increase gradually so that by whelping she is eating around one and a half times her usual amount, ideally as a puppy or growth formula that is higher in energy and calcium. Split it into three or four small meals, because there is very little room left for a full stomach. Never give calcium supplements during pregnancy without veterinary advice – they can actually increase the risk of milk fever.
When to call the vet
- Straining strongly for 20–30 minutes with no puppy produced.
- More than two hours between puppies when you know more are due.
- Green, black or bloody discharge before the first puppy arrives.
- Whelping before day 58 or not started by day 68.
- She is trembling, weak, collapsed, has a fever or seems in severe pain.
- Any puppy stuck in the birth canal – do not pull, ring the vet.
Frequently asked questions
How long are dogs pregnant?
About 63 days from mating, with a normal range of roughly 58 to 68 days. Dating from ovulation is more accurate than dating from mating, because sperm can survive for several days.
When will my dog start to show?
Usually around week five. Before that, the most reliable confirmation is an ultrasound scan from about day 25 to 30.
How can I tell how many puppies there are?
An X-ray from around day 45 to 55, once the puppies' skeletons have formed, gives the most reliable count and helps you know when the litter is complete.
What should a pregnant dog eat?
Normal amounts for the first five weeks, then gradually increasing to around one and a half times normal by whelping, usually by switching to a puppy or growth food. Feed smaller, more frequent meals as space gets tight.
What are the signs labour is starting?
A drop in body temperature below about 37.2°C in the 24 hours before, restlessness, nesting, refusing food, panting and shivering.
When should I call the vet during whelping?
Straight away if there is strong straining for 20–30 minutes with no puppy, more than two hours between puppies, green or bloody discharge before the first puppy, or if your dog seems exhausted, collapses or is in obvious distress.
Is it too late to stop a pregnancy?
If the mating was accidental, ring your vet as soon as possible – options are time-sensitive and should be discussed within days, not weeks.
Estimates only – not a substitute for advice from your vet.
Last reviewed: 22 September 2026