by Sarah E. Sanuth

Created on: May 21, 2008

Gestation refers to the actual time period in which a bitch, a female dog, is pregnant. Just like in humans, all pregnancies vary a little, with the average gestation period lasting 9 weeks, or 63 days.

Whether you want your dog to have puppies, or it happens because she got loose; there are certain things one needs to know to ensure that the pregnancy is a happy and healthy one for your "best friend."

If planning the pregnancy is right for you, you need to understand what takes place before a pregnancy can actually happen.
The Estrous Cycle ("In Heat")

A bitch goes through these cycles twice a year, with each lasting about 6 months. The average dog will go into each cycle once in the spring and once in the fall. But with everything, there are exceptions, some dogs will have 3 cycles and some will have 1. Each 6 month period is broken up into 4 periods.

Pro-Estrous

This is the time at the beginning of the "heat" cycles when the dog will start to go in "heat." Lasting approximately 7 days, the bitch will show signs of bleeding and swelling from the vaginal area. She will not mate during this time, but a male dog will show interest in her at this time.

Estrous

During this time period, which also last on average 7 days, your bitch will be able to breed. Bleeding will still occur, but should slow down at this point. The male dog will "court" her a little. This is simply done by "sniffing" the vulva.

Diestrous

This period again, lasts on average of 7 days. Your dog will not want to breed at this point either; she is coming out of "heat." If your bitch has had the opportunity to mate, she may exhibit signs that she has become pregnant, even if she has not.

Anestrous

This is the period that lasts until the next time that your bitch will start to go into heat. She will not mate or exhibit any of the above signs of going into or being in "heat."
Once this has all taken place your bitch may or may not be pregnant. Where there is no blood test that is conclusive as to whether or not your bitch has become pregnant, the most reliable methods for "testing" are to simply have your veterinarian feel the abdomen, which can take place as early as 26 days after conception. Another method is to have an x-ray performed; this can take place as early as 45 days after conception. An x-ray is about 95% accurate in determining the number of puppies in the litter.

Physical Changes

Like humans, your dog will exhibit common physical changes such as weight gain, and of course the larger the litter the

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