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Dog pregnancy calculator

Enter the date your dog was first mated to see when her puppies are due and when to have the whelping box ready.

Use the first date if she was mated more than once.

Enter the mating date and the due date appears here.

How long dogs are pregnant

Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days (nine weeks) from mating. PDSA gives a normal range of 56 to 72 days, which is why this calculator shows a window as well as a due date. PDSA's whelping guide gives a slightly narrower 57 to 71 days; the calculator uses the wider range so you start watching her in good time.

How this is calculated

The due date is the first mating date plus 63 days. The earliest date is the mating date plus 56 days and the latest is plus 72 days. Days are counted in whole calendar days, so a leap year makes no difference to the count.

Dog pregnancy milestones counted from the first mating
Days after matingWhat happens
From day 25A vet can confirm pregnancy with an ultrasound scan or blood test
Week 5 onwardsHer mammary glands develop and milk may appear
Second halfShe gains weight, gets a firm rounded belly and is hungrier
Day 56 to 72Normal whelping window, centred on day 63

Worked example

Bramble, a Labrador, was mated on 1 October 2026 and again on 3 October. Counting from the first mating, her due date is Thursday 3 December 2026. Her whelping window runs from 26 November to 12 December, and a scan could confirm the pregnancy from 26 October.

Getting ready for the birth

PDSA suggests setting up the whelping box well before she is due, in a quiet room kept at around 22°C. Line it with washable bedding, make it big enough for her to stretch out, with sides she can step over but puppies can't climb, and rails inside so puppies can't be squashed against the walls. Save your vet's daytime and out-of-hours numbers in your phone.

Most litters arrive within about six hours of the start of straining. PDSA says the whole birth usually takes 3 to 12 hours and should never take longer than 24.

Call your vet straight away if

  • she strains for 20 to 30 minutes without producing a puppy
  • there is thick green discharge and no puppy follows
  • she loses more than a few drops of blood
  • a puppy is stuck partway out (don't pull it)
  • she seems exhausted and has stopped straining, or is "not herself"
  • she drools, goes stiff or wobbly, twitches or has a fit (possible eclampsia)
  • there is no sign of labour a few days after the due date

This list comes from PDSA's whelping guide. It is not a substitute for your own vet's advice.

Questions people ask

How long is a dog pregnant?

About 63 days, or nine weeks, from mating. PDSA says it can vary between 56 and 72 days, so treat the due date as the middle of a window rather than a fixed day.

Should I count from the first or the last mating?

Count from the first mating, as this calculator does. If your vet has given you an ovulation date from progesterone testing, ask them which date to count from.

When can a vet confirm my dog is pregnant?

PDSA says a scan or a blood test can confirm pregnancy from around 25 days after mating. A vet feeling her belly between three and five weeks is less reliable.

What are the signs my dog is about to give birth?

PDSA lists restlessness, hiding away, panting, eating less and sometimes vomiting, then nesting: digging, pacing and circling the whelping box. She may pass a small amount of red or brown mucus. Just before the first puppy she usually settles down.

What if my dog goes past her due date?

Call your vet if there is no sign of labour a few days after the due date. PDSA puts this at roughly 70 to 72 days after mating.

Sources

  1. PDSA: Pregnancy in dogs
  2. PDSA: Whelping, a guide to your dog giving birth (PDF)

Figures checked on 25 October 2026. Read how we calculate for the rounding and assumptions behind every tool.