It’s an exciting (and apprehensive) time when your female pet dog is expecting its new babies later in the year! Dogs have a fairly rigid pregnancy process, and a simple dog pregnancy calculator can help you to predict their due date and prepare for your new arrivals!
There’s a lot to be done when puppies are expected, so having an accurate idea of the delivery date can help you to prepare your home for the influx of adorable yet needy pups that are on the way.
In this article, we take a look at the best ways to tell if your dog is pregnant before demonstrating a simple yet effective dog pregnancy length calculator to predict the due date!
Is my dog pregnant?
It can often be difficult to know if your dog is pregnant or not. From the first mating date, there might not be any visible signs for several weeks – and it’s entirely possible that you won’t realize until just a few weeks before the puppies are actually due!
You can avoid the worst surprises by knowing what to look out for when your dog is pregnant. After all, the earlier you know in the dog pregnancy calendar, the sooner you can start preparing for the puppies.
Look out for the following signs:
- Sudden gain of weight and an increase in appetite
- Enlarged or discolored nipples
- Visibly swollen belly
- Morning sickness
- Low energy, lack of interest in activities
- Sudden changes in mood
- Attempts to build ‘nests’ or birthing areas
A female dog can give birth at any point in their life, but it’s more likely to happen when they are younger (roughly between the ages of 2 and 6 years old). If your dog falls within this age range, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for signs of pregnancy.
In addition, female dogs also go through a regular heat cycle. This occurs roughly once every six months. This is a three-week period when a female dog is most fertile, and pregnancy is likely to occur if male dogs are around. You might not know exactly when this is, but watch out for signs of activity, mate-seeking, or a pinkish discharge.
How long are dogs pregnant?
Dog pregnancy is always a stressful time (for both the female dog and for the owners), but you can somewhat alleviate the stress if you know when the puppies are expected. This is the basis of any due date calculator, so it’s important to be accurate.
So, how long is a dog pregnant?
The gestation period for dogs is approximately nine weeks or 63 days from the date she first mated. This gestation period can vary slightly but isn’t likely to be any less than 58 days or any more than 68 days.
It’s easy then to formulate a dog pregnancy due date calculator to predict the delivery date. But only, of course, if you know roughly when your dog first became pregnant.
