The whole breeding process could be very exhausting for both you and your dog. Above all, it could be very disheartening if, after all the efforts to breed your dog, it ends up unsuccessful. And if you are reading this post right now chances are you are as confused as most of us were a few years ago. if that’s your situation, read carefully as I will be sharing with you some quick and easy ways to confirm whether your dog is pregnant or not.
The quickest way to confirm that your dog’s pregnant is through an ultrasound. This should be carried out by your vet and would help you have a nice idea of the litter size and help you better prepare for their arrival. This ultrasound could be carried out anytime from day 25 to 30 after mating. This method is the best and most recommended way to know beyond all reasonable doubt that your dog is pregnant.
But depending on what part of the world you are in, this method may be just too expensive and something you just cannot afford. We will look at four other alternatives to the recommended suggestion above. It is important to note that though the other methods that will be listed are less expensive to carry out, it may require more concentration and understanding to carry out, and may not be completely accurate 80% of the time. So to understand when to carry out each of the tests in this post read first our post on German Shepherd pregnancy signs and stages, as this post will only focus on teaching you ways to test if your dog is pregnant.
Table of Contents
3 Easy Ways to Know If Your Dog is Pregnant (Helpful Tips)
Ask an Experienced Breeder
Being able to determine beyond all doubt that your dog is pregnant is a skill you will develop as you regularly practice breeding. So my very first suggestion will be to ask the help of an experienced breeder, or just someone who has experienced or practiced breeding before. If you are fortunate, this could likely be a friend. You could tell him your observations or even better, show your dog to him. Doing this is by far the easiest and cheapest suggestion in this post.
When Should You Ask? The best time would be during the second stage of gestation of your dog’s pregnancy. At this stage, it is very easy for anyone with enough experience to determine for sure how pregnant your dog is. Again to know more about the gestation periods of dog pregnancy, it would be best you read our post on German Shepherd Pregnancy stages linked above.
Observe Behavioral Changes
Now using this method to determine your dog’s pregnancy will require a lot of focus and careful studying of your dog’s behavior. If you are an owner that is well acquainted with your dog’s normal behavior, noticing a change in behavior will be very easy. But if unfortunately, you don’t pay much attention to your dog, you would have to put in a little more effort.
Normally, pregnant dogs experience morning sickness, fatigue, restlessness, vomiting, and sometimes, mood swings. These signs often occur during the early stage of pregnancy. Your dog could experience either one of these signs at a time, or all of these signs at once.
Other physical signs of pregnancy may appear at a much later stage of pregnancy, preferably during the second stage of gestation. These signs include weight gain, enlarged nipples, and the traditional belly bump. You will also notice your dog exhibiting nesting behaviors ( preparing a place to give birth).
If you want to know more about helping your dog deliver her puppies and just what to expect, please check out our post on Understanding dog labor complications.
Noticing these signs could help you confirm early signs of pregnancy, but note that though this is a very effective way of determining your dog’s pregnancy it can be inaccurate 40% of the time, most especially if you are inexperienced with the whole pregnancy thing.
Try Palpating
Palpating to confirm pregnancy in dogs is a technique that should be performed by a veterinarian or a trained professional, as it requires a certain level of expertise to avoid causing harm to the developing puppies or the mother.
Palpation should typically be done around 21 to 35 days after mating, as the fetuses can be felt in the uterine horns at this stage. Here are the basic steps you, or an experienced vet might follow:
- Prepare the environment: ideally, you want a very comfortable space that is familiar to your dog to safely carry out this process. Remove as many distractions as possible, and this also involves people. One or two people are fine as long as your dog is comfortable with them around. Also, ensure one experienced person carries out the process.
- Positioning: Your dog could either be positioned in a standing position or lying on her back. Just ensure that whatever position you choose is one that is comfortable for you and your dog and will cause as little stress as possible.
- Gentle touch: You or your veterinarian should use gentle, yet firm, pressure to palpate the dog’s abdomen. They will feel for the presence of small, grape-sized swellings in the uterine horns. Each swelling corresponds to an individual fetus. We recommend carrying out this process early in the morning or late in the evening before mealtime to ensure no food is crowding the area of the abdomen where you want to feel.
- Experience: Palpating accurately requires experience and a good understanding of the dog’s anatomy. It’s not always easy to distinguish between pregnancy and other conditions such as a false pregnancy (pseudopregnancy).
Remember, attempting to palpate for pregnancy without the proper knowledge and experience can be risky and may cause harm to the developing puppies or the mother. If you suspect your dog is pregnant, it is best to consult with a veterinarian.
They can perform the necessary examinations, such as ultrasound or radiography, to confirm pregnancy and monitor the health of both the mother and the developing puppies. If you must carry out this process on your own we recommend someone else who has experience with the process is present most preferably the breeder who sold you your dog.
Final thoughts
Detecting puppy pregnancy without knowledge could be almost impossible. This is why we thought it very nice to write this post. Hope you found the thoughts shared very helpful. For a quick recap, you could confirm your dog’s pregnancy through these four methods..
- X-ray or Ultrasound.
- Observing her behavior.
- Asking an experienced breeder
- palpating .
For more info on how to handle palpating please watch carefully the video above as a professional demonstrates how palpating should work in case you have in mind trying it out.
