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After your beloved dog has been matched with a handsome stud and successfully bred, the 63 day countdown has begun. A mix of emotions pour over you, of course, lots of excitement but also bits of anxiety as this is the first dog you own to be expecting puppies. As a new owner of an expecting "doggie mom" there are lots of things to know and it is normal to feel slightly overwhelmed at first, but take a deep breath and relax as things will very likely go pretty smoothly as nature will take its course.

There are a few things though, that as an owner you must be aware of, mostly in order to not be caught unprepared or get hit by bouts of anxiety if you encounter situations you were not really prepared for. Below are some bits of information that may help you go through the whole 63 days without worrying excessively.

TO COUNTDOWN OR NOT TO COUNTDOWN?
First of all, even though your dog was in heat and was bred various times, there are still slight chances she may not be pregnant. Add the fact that some dogs are prone to "phantom pregnancies" and you have in your hands a recipe for doubt.
As you already may know, there are particular fertile days to watch for when scheduling a breeding. Most likely, if your bitch was bred during her estrus phase and you witnessed a "tie" where the male stud and your female bitch were "connected together" for some time, chances are pretty high that puppies will be on their way.

A LOOK INTO THE HEAT CYCLE
Here is a an explanation of the heat cycle, so you can better evaluate if your dog was bred at the

The third and final stage is the diestrus and is when the female again will be reluctant to mate, because she is no longer fertile. The male though may still try to mount.

The estrus phase therefore, is the crucial phase, it usually occurs between the 7th and 10th day after the bleeding has started. This is the time you will be looking for if you are planning to successfully breed.

However, there are really no reliable days to count on and this is why some professional breeders have their dog's hormones checked by a vet to ensure breeding on the most fertile day. Again, even this may not be sufficient therefore there is no way really to "grant" pregnancy, but by monitoring the phases you may be able to heighten the chances.

EARLY PREGNANCY SIGNS :THIRD">right time WEEK
Some bitches will develop typical morning sickness symptoms just as in humans (nausea, inappetence) around the end of the third week going into

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