How To Tell If My Dog Is Pregnant

Question
My dog was left alone, while in heat, with a male. I am not sure if they locked. I have been told that they need to lock in order for her to get pregnant. Is this true? And how can I tell if she is without taking her to the vet.

Answer
Cheyenne-


No, dogs do not HAVE to tie to procreate, it certainly increases the chances of a successful breeding for them to tie, but any breeding at all can produce puppies.

If your bitch was left alone with an adult male while in heat, you should just assume she is pregnant.

At day 30, a competent breeder or vet can palpate the bitch to see if she feels pregnant. After that, the embiotic fluid is too thick and they can not feel the uterus. Without taking her to the vet for a palpation or an ultra sound, the only other thing you can do is wait and watch to see if her symptoms come up- gaining weight, mammary development, changes in behavior and feed, etc. HOWEVER, a bitch can have a false pregnancy and get ALL of those symptoms but still not be pregnant. So again, a vet is your best bet.

Here is a whelping calander. Put in the date your bitch was bred and it will tell you what to expect each week until the puppies are born.

http://www.debbiejensen.com/date.html