How long is the Dog Gestation period?

Once bred: The average gestation period is 63 days. Some will deliver healthy pups a few days early, some will deliver a couple days late… but if she goes past the 65th day, you need to have a vet examine the dam to see if there is a problem. Days are counted from the first hook-up with a stud.
1st week
2 cell embryos are in the oviduct.
2nd week
Embryo will be 4 cell at start of week and 64 cell by end of week.
Embryo enters the uterus.
3rd week
Embryos implant along uterus wall.
The main organs begin to develop.
Morning sickness may occur.
4th week
Morning sickness should improve and appetite increase.
The dam may need twice the usual amount of nutrition from this point on.
Development of eyes and spinal cord and faces take shape.
Moms may begin to shed some belly fur and crave more attention than usual.
5th week
Vet may be able to detect pregnancy (85% accuracy) by feeling the abdomen.
You may be able to feel the little puppy heads
Development of toes, whisker buds, and claws.
Eyes now close and gender can be determined.
The puppies are now considered fully developed miniature dogs.
She may be showing… She may gain a little weight particularly if she is going to birth more than 1-2 puppies..
6th week
You may need to feed small meals several times a day.
We feed puppy food through the end of lactation (nursing) and have it available full time.
Increased water consumption.
Enlargement of mammary glands as nipples darken and enlarge. Diagnosis by x-rays is usually possible after 45 days (95% accuracy for determining the number of puppies).
7th week
She may shred papers, blankets or bedding in an attempt at “nest building” in the last weeks.
During the last 2 weeks, Mom may become irritable and should avoid contact with small children “just in case”.
Neither forced rest nor strenuous exercise is a good idea. Short periods of gentle play and short walks are good.
You may feel the puppies now but counting them may be difficult.
You may feel only a very big, hard stomach that gives few clues as to how many are inside.
There should be definite abdominal enlargement.
8th week
Dam begins to spend more time grooming herself.
Her breasts become swollen as her milk forms. She may leak milk as early as 9 days prior to delivery.
Nesting begins as she looks for a place to have her puppies… Make sure you have her birthing spot ready and start getting her comfortable with it.
Appetite may decrease as her belly can be too crowded with puppies to have room for big meals.
You can feel the puppies move now.
9th week
Dams are wormed again.
She may leak milk from her nipples.
Watch for her temperature to drop. You may take it rectally if you want, but she’s just plain old cool to the touch compared to what she has been the last 8 weeks.
She may also become restless, seek seclusion and in the last few days, or even soil in the house.
She will be ‘nesting’ .
Shortly before starting labor it’s common for a dam to have loose stools to clean her system out. She may throw up and refuse food. She should be drinking more water than usual to build up her milk supply. She will be tired and restless. Once she’s in active labor someone should monitor her in case she has complications even if she’s an experienced dam. Pups can get stuck in the birth canal or she may bleed profusely and need to see a vet. While birth is a natural event and it’s best to leave her to her own devices as much as possible, you also need to be aware if there are complications or you could lose your dam and the litter.
Delivery usually takes several hours. Most dogs do not seem to be in extreme pain during labor or delivery and instinctively know what to do.