Dog Pregnancy Week by Week: All 9 Weeks
Nine weeks, 63 days, a complete transformation from a cluster of cells to a litter of puppies. This is the week-by-week reference for the whole journey — what is developing, what you will actually see at home, and the vet checkpoints that matter — with pictures for every week and a free printable chart.
The 63 days at a glance
A dog's pregnancy lasts about 63 days from ovulation — and because owners count from the mating date instead, real pregnancies land between day 58 and day 68. Day 1 in every week below is the day after the first mating. To turn this generic chart into your dog's dated calendar, run your mating date through the dog pregnancy calculator or the canine pregnancy calendar.
Dated example: for a first mating on Friday, August 14, 2026 — week 1 runs Aug 15–21, week 4 (ultrasound week) Sep 5–11, week 7 (X-ray count from Sep 28) Sep 26–Oct 2, and week 9 ends on the due date, Friday, October 16.
Week 1 — days 1–7
- Fertilization happens this week — after her eggs mature (about two days after ovulation), sperm that may have been waiting for days finally meet them.
- The fertilized eggs begin dividing as they travel down toward the uterus. By the end of the week each is a small cluster of cells.
What you might see: Absolutely nothing — and that is normal. She eats, plays and sleeps exactly as before. There is no test on earth that can confirm a pregnancy this early.
Week 2 — days 8–14
- The embryos reach the uterus and begin settling into its lining — implantation starts toward the end of this week.
- Hormonal changes are underway even though nothing is visible from the outside.
What you might see: Possibly a slightly reduced appetite for a few days, or a touch more tiredness. Most owners notice nothing at all.
Week 3 — days 15–21
- Implantation completes and the placenta forms around each embryo — the life-support system for the rest of the pregnancy.
- Organs begin to develop. The pregnancy hormone relaxin starts to rise; a vet's blood test can detect it from about day 21.
What you might see: The classic week for a few off-food, queasy “morning sickness” days. Keep meals small, plain and regular, and do not panic over a skipped breakfast or two.
Vet checkpoint: the relaxin blood test becomes reliable from about day 21–28 — the earliest confirmation available.
Week 4 — days 22–28
- Eyes and the spinal cord are forming; each embryo is roughly 14–15 mm long.
- Heartbeats can be seen on ultrasound from about day 25, and a vet may be able to feel the embryo swellings by palpation from about day 28.
What you might see: Nipples may look slightly larger and pinker (“pinking up”). Appetite usually returns to normal after the week-3 dip.
Vet checkpoint: ultrasound week — the most reliable early confirmation, and the visit to discuss feeding and deworming.
Week 5 — days 29–35
- The fetuses are now recognizably puppies: toes, claws and whisker buds form, and sex can be determined on ultrasound.
- Growth speeds up from here — this is the halfway point of the 63 days.
What you might see: Her belly starts to round and her nipples become more prominent. Begin the gradual switch to a high-quality puppy or performance food now, in small steps over a week.
Week 6 — days 36–42
- The puppies' skeletons begin to calcify (mineralize) toward the end of this week — the change that will later let an X-ray count them.
- Coat color and markings develop. She is visibly pregnant now.
What you might see: A clear round belly and a climbing appetite. Feed smaller meals more often — her stomach has competition for space. Keep exercise gentle: walks yes, rough play and jumping no. The full feeding, exercise and vet-visit timeline is in our pregnant dog care guide.
Week 7 — days 43–49
- Rapid growth: the puppies gain most of their remaining birth weight across weeks 7–9.
- Mammary glands develop. With skeletons calcified, an X-ray from day 45 counts the litter accurately.
What you might see: She may slow down on walks and look for quiet spots. Set up the whelping box now, in a warm, draft-free corner, and let her start sleeping in it.
Vet checkpoint: the X-ray puppy count — knowing exactly how many puppies to expect tells you when whelping is finished.
Week 8 — days 50–56
- The puppies are nearly fully formed and may be seen or felt moving through the belly wall.
- Nesting instinct switches on: digging, rearranging bedding, searching for a den. Milk may be present in the last days of the week.
What you might see: A restless, heavy dog who wants to be near you (or alone) more than usual. Finish every preparation this week — supplies, box, phone numbers.
Vet checkpoint: from day 56, take her rectal temperature morning and evening and write it down — you are watching for the drop.
Week 9 — days 57–63
- Full term. The puppies are ready; the only question left is the day.
- Her temperature will drop about 1–2 °F — typically below 99 °F (37.2 °C) — roughly 12–24 hours before labor begins.
What you might see: Restlessness, nesting, panting and a lost appetite in the final day or two. Stay within reach: the due date is day 63 and the normal window runs to day 68.
Call the vet if: day 68 passes with no labor, she strains 30–60 minutes with no puppy, or you see dark green discharge before the first puppy.
Print it: the free week-by-week PDF
All nine weeks on one page, with the whelping preparation checklist and space to write in your own vet dates. Print it and put it on the fridge.
Download the free PDF chartGet this chart with your dog's real dates
The chart above is the same for every dog. Yours is not: enter your first mating date in the dog pregnancy calculator and you get this exact timeline with your calendar dates, her current week highlighted, and a day-by-day view of all 63 days. The canine pregnancy calendar page is built entirely around that dated view.
Frequently asked questions
When can you first see puppies on ultrasound?
From about day 25 after mating. An ultrasound this early confirms the pregnancy and shows live heartbeats, which is the part that matters — but do not trust it for a puppy count, because small fetuses hide behind each other easily at this stage.
When can an X-ray count puppies?
From about day 45, once the fetal skeletons have calcified enough to show on the image. The X-ray count is the reliable one — and knowing the number matters, because it is how you know whelping is actually finished.
Which week does the belly show?
Usually weeks 6–7. Week 5 brings the first rounding and more prominent nipples, but the unmistakable pregnant belly — and the point where strangers start asking — is week 6 into week 7, when the puppies enter their rapid-growth phase.
Is the PDF the same as the calendar?
They are companions, not copies. The PDF is the generic nine-week chart — the same for every dog — with space to write your own vet dates in by hand. The canine pregnancy calendar takes your actual mating date and generates the calendar with real dates, week by week and day by day.