Signs your Dog Could be Pregnant

After my dogs mated, I was unaware she was pregnant. We only suspected she could be pregnant at week 6. Before taking her for a scan, I was still unconvinced and searched the internet for assistance. I wanted to know what signs and symptoms to look for, what might indicate that my poochon was pregnant. Every website seemed to be giving different signs and different advice.

One website we did find that was incredibly useful was Purina. They gave a detailed rundown of lots of different symptoms to look out for and were also a really informative source when the puppies were born.

We decided we would write this post to help others who, perhaps in the same boat as us, are looking for signs their poochon, or any other breed of dog could be pregnant. We are basing this post on the signs and symptoms our poochon experienced which indicated that she might be pregnant. Ultimately, you’ll need an ultrasound scan to confirm your dog is pregnant. But if you’re wondering whether it is worth the money to confirm the pregnancy, then here are some signs our poochon gave that made us think she could be pregnant!

Weight Gain

This was the giveaway for us. Our poochon showed no signs of pregnancy until week 6 when she (literally overnight) appeared to have gained a lot of weight. Her stomach was rounded and swollen. Being a smaller breed dog, she is a slender little thing and the weight gain was visible to all by week 6.

I did weigh Biscuit as much as possible throughout the pregnancy (but she absolutely hated stepping on the scales!). She did gain a few pounds during her pregnancy but because she is a small breed dog, the scales did not really reflect the size of the bulging stomach!

Increased Appetite

Obviously linked to weight gain is an increased appetite. Biscuit isn’t food motivated whatsoever. However, around week 6, she began searching for food in the kitchen at every opportunity. Unlike her, she would finish her meals too. She scanned the floor for crumbs and would frequently try to break into the treats cupboard! The increase in appetite continued from week 6 until birth (she didn’t even slow down the day she gave birth).

Discharge

This sign was the biggest indicator for me confirming my suspicions my poochon was pregnant. Biscuit started to emit a clear/white mucus from her vulva at 6 weeks. There wasn’t lots of this but it was visible even though she is a hairy dog! It would be stuck to her fur when she had been to the toilet. The emission of this mucus has stopped by week 7 and did not appear again until around 5 days before she went into labour.

Tiredness

Again, from week 6, Biscuit would tire very easily. Her usual walks became incredibly exhausting for her and she would pant which was unusual for her. During her walks, Biscuit would often sit down or lie down, again unusual behaviour for her.

The games she would play at home, such as fetch were also exhausting for her. Biscuit began taking frequent naps throughout the day from week 7 and seemed to have little energy to do much.

Enlarged Nipples

We didn’t really notice this symptom until around week 8, but Biscuit’s nipples did increase in size. We didn’t notice any fluid leaking from her nipples, this was a symptom I had read online from quite a few sources.

Clinginess

Biscuit became very clingy towards me from week 6. She has always been an affectionate dog, but this behaviour increased. Biscuit would follow me around the kitchen when I was cooking. Follow me to the toilet. Sleep next to me at night. When we went out for a walk she would stay close by my side and would not venture far even when given the opportunity.

Shyness Around Other Dogs

Biscuit lives with the father of her puppies, her behaviour changed little towards him. However if we did meet other dogs on our walks, even dogs she knew well, Biscuit would become withdrawn. Often she would sit on the floor, seemingly protecting her private parts from the sniffing of other dogs. Whereas before she quite often be the instigator of trouble, barking and lunging when feeling threatened by other dogs, during pregnancy she would pull away from any possible confrontation. When I look back now with hindsight, she exhibited such behaviour early on in the pregnancy, and this behaviour increased as the pregnancy developed.

Nesting

I read lots of posts regarding nesting behaviour and for this reason, I have included this point in the post. Some dogs seem to search for a nest from the early days of pregnancy. Biscuit only exhibited nesting behaviour a few hours before she went into labour. We set up a whelping box for her in our bedroom, a quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of the home. She rarely entered the box and only did so as part of her ‘morning rounds’ in which she would sniff all around the home.

What I came to learn was that not all dogs exhibit the same sorts of behaviours or give the same signs they are pregnant. There is no set checklist. In hindsight, the best thing to do is to look for behavioural changes in your own dog who you know better than anyone.

For us, the biggest signs our poochon was pregnant were discharge, weight gain and increased appetite. We know our dog and could tell something was different about her. Some of these changes were very subtle though and on their own might not have raised any concerns. However, taken together, we knew she was expecting!

Follow our pregnant poochon story! Check out our post We Have a Pregnant Poochon for more information on this topic.

Have you had a pregnant dog? What were the signs and symptoms you could advice others to look for? Please let us know in the comments below.