How long are dogs pregnant? Working out the due date

A dog’s pregnancy lasts about 63 days from ovulation. Counted from the day she was mated, it can be anywhere from about 56 to 72 days, because the mating date isn’t the day her eggs were fertilised.

Why the due date from mating varies

• Sperm can survive inside her for a week or more, so she can conceive days after the mating.
• Her eggs need another 2 to 3 days to mature after ovulation before they can be fertilised.
• If she was mated more than once, she could have conceived after any of the matings.

If your vet timed ovulation with progesterone tests, the due date is much more exact: about 63 days from ovulation, or 64 to 66 days from the LH surge (the first rise in progesterone).

Confirming she’s in pup

• Ultrasound: can pick up a pregnancy from about 3 weeks after mating, and 25 to 35 days is the best time. A scan before day 21 can miss it. Ultrasound also shows the puppies are alive.
• Blood test (relaxin): from about 22 to 27 days. Testing too early can give a false negative, and it may miss a toy breed carrying only one or two puppies.
• Feeling her belly (palpation): by a vet, from about 3 to 4 weeks. It gets harder after about day 35, and it can’t tell whether the puppies are alive.
• X-ray: the best way to count the puppies. Skeletons show from about day 45, and the count is most reliable after day 55.

When is she overdue?

Call your vet if she hasn’t started whelping by about 70 days after mating, or if her temperature dropped more than 24 hours ago and labour hasn’t started. If your vet timed ovulation, or she’s carrying only one or two puppies, call by her due date. Don’t wait at all if she seems unwell.

Due dates in WhelpHQ

1. 1Go to Breeding → Matings → Log Mating.
2. 2Pick the Female (Dam), the Mating Method and the Mating Date.
3. 3Add the sire. For a natural mating, type his name in Sire Name, or pick him from your own dogs or outside studs to link his pedigree. For AI, type his name in Stud / Sire Name. Add his microchip number in Sire Microchip (it fills in for you when the dog you pick has one on file).
4. 4Tap Log Mating.

WhelpHQ sets her due date 63 days after the mating date, with a window of 3 days either side. If your vet gave you a different date, enter the number of days in Custom Gestation (days).

It also creates a Birth due reminder, which starts notifying you 3 days before the due date. When she whelps, tick off that reminder in Reminders to log the litter.

Once a scan or palpation confirms she’s in pup, tap the mating on the Matings tab and set Confirmed.