How long is a dog pregnant?
About two months. Cornell's Riney Canine Health Center puts the average at 63 days from ovulation. The trouble is that most people know the breeding date, not the ovulation date, and the two can be days apart.
Sperm can survive in the female tract for several days, and the egg needs two to three days to mature after ovulation before it can be fertilised. A bitch may accept the male for days before and after she ovulates. That is why Cornell gives 63 days plus or minus 7 from the first breeding, and the Merck Veterinary Manual gives 58 to 72 days from the first accepted breeding.
Three ways to date it, from loosest to tightest
| If you know | Expect whelping | Precision |
|---|---|---|
| First day she accepted breeding | 58 to 72 days later, most around 63 | Wide window |
| Ovulation date from progesterone tests | 63 days, give or take 1 to 2 | Tight |
| LH surge or first progesterone rise | 64 to 66 days later | Tight |
If you're planning a litter, progesterone testing around the heat is how breeders and vets get the tight dates. If the mating was unplanned, an ultrasound about halfway through can estimate gestational age from the size of the puppies, and X-rays later count them.
What the calculator gives you
From a breeding date it shows a full range (day 58 to 72), a likely window (day 60 to 66) and a most-likely date (day 63). From an ovulation or LH date it shows a much narrower window. It also tells you which week of pregnancy she's in and what usually happens then. None of that replaces a vet who has examined her.
When to call your vet
- She goes past the end of the window, or past day 70 from breeding, without signs of labour.
- Green or bloody discharge before the first puppy, or strong straining for 30 to 60 minutes with no puppy.
- More than two hours between puppies. Cornell says up to two hours is normal, and longer needs a call.
- She's lethargic, vomiting, or has a fever during pregnancy.
Keep the number and opening hours of a 24-hour emergency vet where you can see them before the due date, not during labour.
Once the puppies arrive
Weigh each puppy at birth and then daily for the first two weeks. The Merck Veterinary Manual says healthy newborn puppies gain 5 to 10% of their body weight a day, and a small dip on day one aside, any loss is a reason to call a vet. The PupCurve Litter Pass gives you a daily weigh-in sheet with a weight-loss warning for each pup, a whelping checklist and a go-home packet for buyers.
How to use it, step by step
- Choose the date you know. First accepted breeding, ovulation, or LH surge.
- Enter the date. Use the first day she stood for the male if there were several matings.
- Read the window. Look at the full range, the likely window and the most likely date.
- Plan ahead. Set up the whelping box by week 8 and save your emergency vet's number.
Questions people ask
How many days is a dog pregnant?
On average 63 days from ovulation. From the first breeding the range is wider, 58 to 72 days, with 63 plus or minus 7 as the figure Cornell gives.
Can I predict whelping to the day?
Only with timed ovulation, and even then to within a day or two. From a breeding date alone, treat it as a week-long window.
When can a vet confirm a dog is pregnant?
Ultrasound can detect pregnancy from about day 25 to 30. X-ray later in pregnancy (around day 45 on) shows skeletons and gives a puppy count.
What are the signs a dog is about to give birth?
Restlessness, nesting, panting and refusing food, often 6 to 12 hours before, and sometimes up to 24 to 36 hours. A temperature drop to about 99 F (37.2 C) or lower often comes within a day of labour.
How often should newborn puppies be weighed?
At birth, then daily for the first two weeks. Healthy newborns gain steadily from the first day.
Last reviewed October 31, 2026. General information, not veterinary advice. Growth curves are PupCurve's analysis of data from Salt et al. 2017 (CC BY 4.0). How it works.