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What are the signs my pregnant German Shepherd is about to give birth?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | 2 years and 10 months old

How can I tell that my pregnant female shepherd is in her finals week or days of pregnancy?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on February 15th, 2017

Great question! A dog's normal gestation is 58-68 days in length. If you know when Samantha mated, this will tell you how far along she is in her pregnancy. If you aren't sure about a mating date, I would have her seen by a vet for x-rays and ultrasound. The vet can give you an idea of how far along she is in her pregnancy. When she gets into her last week of pregnancy, you can start taking her temperature rectally twice a day. A dog's normal temperature is 101-102.5F. Once it drops below 100F, she will give birth to the puppies in 24 hours. If she does not, she will need to see a vet immediately.

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How can I tell how far along my pregnant dog is in gestation?

The best way to tell how far along she is in her pregnancy is to take her into your vet for an exam. The vet can do a blood test looking for the hormone relaxin that is produced at 22 days gestation or later. Further along in her pregnancy, x-rays and an ultrasound can be done to better pinpoint at which point she is at in her gestation. Regular vet care is very important for a pregnant dog, so I would take her into the vet sometime this week for an exam.

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My dog is 7 weeks pregnant. When will she deliver and what signs?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Dogs are pregnant for on average 63 days from the breeding date. So if she is currently 7 weeks or 49 days, you have anywhere from 10-14 days. In 9 days starting taking her temperature rectally the same time each day. They usually go in to stage 1 labor with in 24 hours of a temperature drop below 99F. But some don’t follow the rules. Stage 1 labor consists of nesting, pacing and panting. Good luck!

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Pregnant dog due date passed, no labor signs. Is this normal?

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My dog is 51 days pregnant. When should I expect her to whelp?

At 51 days you still have a week of anticipation. Gestation in dogs is 56 to 68, in rarest cases 70 days. The average is 63 to 65 days, which means most dogs will whelp between 63 and 65 days. Do keep your appointment with the vet as you may want some x-rays done to know how many puppies your dog will have. This will take a lot of worrying away as you know when whelping is done. Do not rely on temperatures, it works in some dogs and does not in others.

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My pregnant dog is making milk. Is she about to have puppies?

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This temperature isn't enough of a drop for me to think labor is occurring. It would be down around 99-98F. At 56 days, yes it is still a little early, but because a due date isn't an exact science, more of a guesstimate, it could happen. A dog's normal gestation length is 58-68 days, and if 68 days pass without a sign of labor, I would take Sissy into the vet.

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I feel puppies in my dog's belly. How soon will she give birth?

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Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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