How many days until you can tell if a dog is pregnant?

When a dog is 20-25 days into the pregnancy, you can see the physical signs as well as can confirm it by vet checkup, ultrasound and bloodtest.

Can i give my dog a pregnancy test?

No, you cannot use a human pregnancy test on dogs as they detect different hormones in humans. Although you can use canine test kit or visit vet for confirmation.

What dog breeds have difficult pregnancies?

Mostly brachycephalic breeds and small, toy breeds like bulldogs, pugs, chihuahuas, etc, experience difficult pregnancies due to their difficult anatomy (large head and narrow birth canals), often requiring c-sections.

Dog Pregnancy: The Signs And What You Should Do

Bhoomi Kagra | Dec 25, 2025, 12:00 IST

Dog Pregnancy: Timeline and Key Changes

Image credit : Freepik

In this article we talk about dog pregnancy, whole gestation period and the signs. It covers early signs like lethargy, appetite changes, behaviour changes and nipple changes to later signs like bigger belly, engorge nipples, increased food intake and nesting behaviour. This article also covers things to do like vet checkups, feeding nutritious diets, gentle exercising, avoiding stressing them and isolating for disease prevention to the unborn.

Owning a female dog is different, they tend to be more independent, become mature earlier, are more calm and serious than the males. Female dogs also go through pregnancy or gestation period just like humans and need same care, nutrition and love as humans do. A dog pregnancy lasts almost around 2 months or 63 days and an average dog litter has about 4 to 6 puppies but can vary from 1 to 12 in many dogs depending on a dog’s breed, health, age, etc. We bring you signs of dog pregnancy so here’s how to know if your dog is expecting:

Early Signs To Look For:

Eating less or more is normal during early dog pregnancy

Image credit : Unsplash

1. Lethargy:

Less activeness, more sleeping or getting tired easily is a common first sign of dog pregnancy along with morning sickness.

2. Appetite change:

Some dogs lose appetite, some eat more and vomiting can be common due to hormonal and gastric changes.

3. Behaviour change:

Some dogs become more clingy to their owners and some want to be left alone or act conversely.

4. Nipple changes:

When a dog is pregnant, their nipples become large in size and more pink in colour, especially in the first time mothers.

Later Signs That Appear:

Pregnant dogs seek comfort and nest before delivery

Image credit : Freepik

1. Bigger belly:

A dog’s belly would grow noticeably big, she will gain weight and her stomach would look swollen in the later phase of the pregnancy.

2. Nipples engorge:

The dog’s nipples would begin to produce and leak milk in the final weeks of the pregnancy.

3. Increased food intake:

The dog would increase it’s appetite due to more energy loss in the pregnancy.

4. Nesting behaviour:

In the final weeks of pregnancy, a dog would drag blankets, clothes or dig in beddings, carpet or somewhere cozy to make themselves comfortable and warm.

Apart from these signs, a vet checkup would confirm the pregnancy by checking through ultrasound, hormonal test, palpations and x-ray.

What You Should Do:

Get them checked by the vet to confirm the pregnancy
Feed them nutrition rich and vet approved diet.
Make them exercise gently and often.
Avoid stressing them or overexercising.
Isolate them from the other dogs as to prevent any harmful disease or flu, that can be fatal to the newborns.

So, these were the signs and the measures you should take for dog’s pregnancy, hope you found this article helpful and interesting.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

How many days until you can tell if a dog is pregnant?
When a dog is 20-25 days into the pregnancy, you can see the physical signs as well as can confirm it by vet checkup, ultrasound and bloodtest.
Can i give my dog a pregnancy test?
No, you cannot use a human pregnancy test on dogs as they detect different hormones in humans. Although you can use canine test kit or visit vet for confirmation.
What dog breeds have difficult pregnancies?
Mostly brachycephalic breeds and small, toy breeds like bulldogs, pugs, chihuahuas, etc, experience difficult pregnancies due to their difficult anatomy (large head and narrow birth canals), often requiring c-sections.