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Pregnant Dogs
Pregnant dogs show physical changes, although these may or may not be noticeable in the beginning. You may notice she is filling out a little more around the middle. A pregnant females teats will show changes, rather than lying flat will start to stand out more and begin filling with milk. You may feel her abdomen starting to get a little firmer and as time goes on she may get a little pouch or roundness. Behavior ChangesMost of the signs of pregnancy are in their behavior. In the beginning they may be a little more clingy or they could be more stand offish, depending on their normal pattern.They may go through a bout of what is called morning sickness, this will be noticed when feeding pregnant dogs they may not be eating as much or at least smaller amounts early on. They may even vomit after eating, although you need to watch this as it could be a sign of something other than pregnancy. Nesting Behaviors Seen
Pregnant dogs show nesting behavior and those are more apparent towards the end, these changes are due to some powerful hormones being released in her system. This is instinctive behavior as she is preparing for the arrival of her pups. She is actively looking for a safe place to birth and later to care for her puppies. This is part of the Nesting process and is a normal part of a healthy pregnancy. Female dogs exhibit nesting behavior within days of giving birth. A typical dog pregnancy term lasts as long as nine weeks with whelping starting on days 58 to 68. When preparing for the birth of her puppies female dogs will tear newspaper, rip blankets and gather toys in a designated area to create a safe nest and to fulfill a mothering instinct. She may even carry around those same toys when not in her nest, she may feel this is protecting her litter Excessive GroomingAnother sign common to pregnancy is excessive grooming before the birth of puppies. This is also a part of the nesting process. Anticipating the birth of her litter she constantly licks and cleans herself. She will pace and appear extremely anxious and uneasy, this is seen just prior to labor. She is looking for a private location away from other pets and people. Once she has settled on her location, the dog returns to her nest and prepares to birth (whelp) her pups Return from Pregnant Dogs to Chihuahua Breeder
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