Dog Pregnancy Calculator: When Will Your Dog Whelp?

Is your dog pregnant? First, let me congratulate you!

It can definitely be an exciting yet challenging time to take care of your pregnant dog and soon-to-be-born puppies.

Luckily, the gestation period in dogs is way shorter than in humans, so you won’t have to wait long for your dog to deliver her puppies.

Here’s a convenient calculator for you. It will give you a general sense of when your dog is due to deliver the little ones:

Let’s now go over some potential questions to may have about the result you just got.

How Do You Calculate a Dog’s Pregnancy?

Most dogs whelp 63 days after the conception date and not the breeding date (about 9 weeks in total). From breeding, the due date can vary from 58-72 days.

Since it’s tough to know the precise ovulation date unless you specifically test for it, the due dates are generally estimated from when the dog first bred.

To get the most accurate date range, you will need to perform hormone measurements. These are the more precise gestation lengths based on correct hormone measurements:

• From the initial rise in progesterone: 64-66 days
• From the first day of diestrus: 56-68 days

It’s been reported by some dog owners that their pregnant dogs have successfully gone into labor after 54-55 days, although that is relatively rare. Whelping after 54-55 days is a bit early and may indicate a problem.

Always consult your vet if you sense your dog is about to whelp too early or too late, or if you feel there is something wrong with the pregnancy.

Are Dog Due Dates Accurate?

Most other dog pregnancy calculators will give you the due date based on the breeding date plus 63 days. As stated earlier, this is inaccurate. The 63 day gestation period is only accurate from the ovulation date, not the breeding date.

The calculator you’ve used here will give you more accurate results based on the breeding date.

How Do You Know When a Pregnant Dog Is Ready to Give Birth?

If your dog’s gestation period is now within the date range, you need to be prepared for her to begin whelping soon.

When your dog’s temperature drops below 99F (~37C), she has a very high chance of delivering the puppies within 8-24 hours and may have a decreased appetite. It is recommended that you measure your dog’s temperature twice a day throughout the due date range or final week of pregnancy.

It’s worth noting that the temperature does not always drop before whelping. But when it does drop, it’s a very accurate sign that the labor is about to begin soon.