Calendar
Printable dog whelping calendar
Updated October 2026 · Information only, not veterinary advice
Step 1
What do you know?
Puppies are due
- Earliest, day 56
- Nov 24, 2026
- Latest, day 70
- Dec 8, 2026
A 14-day window, based on the mating date. Sperm can survive 5–7 days, so conception may be later than the tie.
Day 14 of 63 · week 2
22%
Breed profile
Golden Retriever
large breed
- Average litter
- 8 puppies (6–10)
- C-section risk
- low
Worth knowing
- Regular veterinary palpation or ultrasound recommended around day 28-30 to verify healthy embryonic sac numbers
Temperature watch: take her temperature twice a day from day 56. A drop below 99.0°F (37.2°C) means labor within 12–24 hours.
Source: Borge et al., Theriogenology 2011 — 10,810 litters, 224 breeds.
Your calendar
Sixteen dates to put in the diary
What the calendar covers
The calendar counts from day 0 (ovulation or conception) and marks each step with a date, so nothing is booked too early or too late.
- Vet visits: the confirmation ultrasound, the X-ray puppy count and the overdue check.
- Preparation: diet change, whelping box introduction and supplies.
- Monitoring: twice-daily temperature checks from day 56.
- The due date and the earliest and latest realistic delivery dates.
The standard milestone schedule
Dates below are counted from ovulation (day 0). The calculator turns them into real dates for your dog.
| Day | Milestone | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Ovulation Confirmed | Canine conception window opens. Sperm fertilizes mature ova in oviducts. |
| Day 7 | Embryos Enter Uterus | Early dividing morulae migrate down the fallopian tubes into the uterine horns. |
| Day 16 | Implantation Begins | Blastocysts implant securely into the endometrium; embryonic placental membranes begin formation. |
| Day 21 | Morning Sickness Window | Hormonal surge (progesterone & relaxin) may cause mild appetite decrease or transient morning nausea. |
| Day 25 | Schedule Diagnostic Ultrasound | Gold-standard imaging window. Confirms viable gestational sacs and visible fetal heartbeats. |
| Day 28 | Veterinary Palpation Possible | Experienced veterinarians can gently palpate marble-sized ampullae in the uterine horns (days 28-35). |
| Day 35 | Transition to High-Energy Food | Gradually increase calories by 20-25% using a premium puppy or performance formula for fetal organogenesis. |
| Day 42 | Accelerated Fetal Growth | Fetal skeletons and features form. Dam abdominal enlargement becomes noticeable; mammary tissue swells. |
| Day 45 | Schedule Prenatal Radiograph | Book late-term radiograph with your veterinary clinic to evaluate pelvic spacing and puppy count. |
| Day 49 | Introduce the Whelping Box | Set up whelping box with pig rails in a quiet, temperature-controlled, draft-free room to acclimatize dam. |
| Day 50 | Diagnostic X-Ray (Puppy Count) | Optimal radiograph window. Fetal skulls and vertebral columns are fully mineralized for accurate litter count. |
| Day 55 | Sterilize Whelping Kit Supplies | Finalize supplies: aspirator bulb, sterile hemostats, dental floss, betadine, digital thermometers, scale. |
| Day 56 | Twice-Daily Rectal Temperature Log | Record morning and evening rectal temperatures. A sustained drop below 99°F (37.2°C) signals labor within 12-24 hours. |
| Day 58 | Earliest Viable Delivery Window | Fetal lungs have produced sufficient surfactant. Puppies born from this date forward are clinically viable. |
| Day 63 | Expected Delivery Date (Day 63) | Primary whelping target. Watch for Stage 1 labor: panting, restlessness, nesting, and cervical dilation. |
| Day 65 | Overdue Veterinary Consultation | If active labor has not commenced by day 65 from ovulation (or day 70 from mating), contact veterinary theriogenologist immediately. |
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does the whelping calendar include?
Sixteen dated milestones from conception to overdue: the ultrasound window, diet change, X-ray window, whelping box setup, temperature checks from day 56, the expected due date and the point to call your vet if she is overdue.
Can I add the dates to my phone calendar?
Yes. The Add to calendar button downloads a calendar file you can open in Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook. Each milestone becomes an event on its date.
Can I print it?
Yes. The PDF button creates a printable calendar for the fridge or the whelping room.
Is the calendar accurate if I only know the mating date?
It is a plan, not a guarantee. From a mating date the due date has a window of about two weeks. The calendar is most accurate when it is built from a confirmed ovulation date.
Keep reading