Dog pregnancy calculator: every date from breeding to whelping

Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days (anywhere from 57 to 65 is normal) — but the due date is the least useful date on the list. What you actually need to schedule: the confirmation ultrasound in its day-25–35 window, the food change at week six, the litter-count X-ray after day 55, and the whelping box before she needs it. Enter the breeding date (plan forward) or a due date (plan backward) and get all of it as a checklist you can tick off as you go.

1 Which date do you know?

Week by week

Weeks 1–3: nothing visible; feed and exercise as normal. Relaxin — the pregnancy hormone — becomes detectable in blood around day 22–27. Weeks 4–5: the confirmation window. An ultrasound between days 25 and 35 shows heartbeats and confirms the pregnancy is viable; it's also the visit to plan diet and, for c-section-prone breeds, delivery. Week 6: begin increasing food gradually — smaller, more frequent meals, working toward about one-and-a-half times normal by the end. Weeks 8–9: the X-ray (skeletons calcify after day 55) gives the puppy count, the whelping box goes up, and twice-daily temperature checks begin — a drop below about 99°F usually means labor within 24 hours.

Breed-specific timelines — 100 breeds

Gestation doesn't vary by breed — but litter sizes, delivery risk, and whelping prep do, and c-section-prone breeds get extra planned-delivery milestones on their timeline. Pick your breed for specifics:

Verify with the official sources

Every date on this page is drawn from the sources below. Rules and fees change — check these directly for your own situation before you rely on any deadline here.

Sources last verified: 2026-07-16

Frequently asked questions

How long are dogs pregnant?

About 63 days from breeding on average, with a normal range of 57–65 days. Gestation length does not meaningfully differ by breed — a French Bulldog and a Great Dane carry for the same two months.

When can a vet confirm my dog is pregnant?

A relaxin blood test can confirm from roughly day 22–27 after breeding, and an ultrasound between days 25–35 shows fetal heartbeats. Early negatives can be false — recheck a week later.

When should I take an X-ray to count puppies?

After day 55, when fetal skeletons have calcified. The final-week X-ray gives a reliable count so you know when whelping is finished.

When should I increase my pregnant dog's food?

Keep normal rations for the first six weeks, then increase gradually — up to about 1.5× normal by the final weeks, fed as smaller, more frequent meals.

How do I know labor is starting?

Take her temperature twice daily through the last 10 days: normal is 100–102.5°F, and a drop below 99°F usually means labor within about 24 hours (not every dog shows it). Nesting, restlessness, and refusing food are the accompanying signs.

When should I call the vet during whelping?

Two hard rules: intense straining for more than 30 minutes without a puppy, or more than 2 hours between puppies when you know more are coming. Either one is a call-now situation. Also call if she goes past day 65–66 with no labor at all.

Moving with your dog? See theHawaii move timeline calculator — the pet import chain takes four-plus months.