All About Dog Moms: 8 Facts About Dog Motherhood

I’m a dog mom, human mom, vet, and the founder of Sundays — so we never need an excuse to celebrate mothers here at Sundays!. But with Mother’s Day coming up, we wanted to celebrate the other kind of dog moms, the ones with four legs and puppies. 

Helping a pregnant dog, also known as a “dam”, successfully deliver a litter of little ones is one of the most rewarding and amazing experiences on the planet, let alone as a veterinary professional. To share in a little of the wonder, here are some interesting factoids to consider about dog motherhood. 

Dogs can become pregnant about twice a year

On average, most intact female dogs are able to get pregnant twice a year. After reaching sexual maturity around 6 months, female dogs will come into heat roughly every 6-7 months. The timing of first heat can vary widely in different dog breeds but is on average around six months of age. 

Gestation period for pregnant dogs is 9 weeks 

Dogs have a drastically shorter gestation period as compared to humans — just 63 days. Puppies are ready to be born just 9 weeks after conception, just over two months. 

The short gestation period means that puppies are born “altricial”, with eyes and ears closed and no sense of smell. Unlike some mammals, they are practically completely dependent on their mother’s care for survival.  

Pregnant dogs need more calories 

It won’t come as a surprise that to grow several puppies takes a bit more energy than needed just to sustain one dog, but there is some less known nuance to the timing of those extra needs. 

It’s only after the 40th day of gestation, or roughly five weeks into the pregnancy, that the energy requirements of the dam dramatically increase — to approximately 1.25-1.5x their usual needs. From this point, several meals a day are recommended. But many people begin feeding extra calories far earlier, and as they’re not needed by the body, they can lead to weight gain unrelated to the pregnancy. 

There are many types of food that can support a pregnant dog’s needs, but anything formulated for “all life stages” is suitable. 

Appetite can decrease in the immediate days leading up to labor, but energy needs remain high post-birth when the mother is nursing. On average, dams will need 1.5x their usual calories during the first week of lactation, 2x during their second week, and 2.5-3x during their third and fourth weeks. For this period, free feeding, or just leaving food out for the dog to eat their fill from, is often advised. 

Puppies can begin to eat solid food after 4 weeks, and mom’s needs and hyper-attentiveness will decrease accordingly.

Dogs like to make nests before they give birth 

Following a hormonal instinct that goes back to their wolf days, dams often signal they’re close to labor by building a cozy nesting spot to deliver the puppies in. Shredding paper or blankets to make a comfortable nook is common, typically in a quiet or secluded area if they can find one. In the days leading up to a dam’s due date, it is important to keep a close eye on them as they have been known to find a secluded secret spot and give birth if not watched closely!

Labor can last from 2-20 hours

The length of time a dog is in labor results from lots of factors, from how many puppies she has to if there are any complications. Puppies typically each take 30 minutes to 2 hours to be born — but mom won’t wait to finish that job before she begins caring for the birthed puppies! 

While still delivering more puppies in labor, which can last up to 20 hours, dams will begin cleaning and nursing the already-birthed puppies. She’ll instinctively bite through and sever the umbilical cord, then begin licking and cleaning them.

This care encourages the puppy to start breathing air, dries the puppy from the fluid it was born with, and begins to form the mother and puppy’s bond. Licking also stimulates urination and defecation — it’s a miraculous thing that puppies basically “come online” due to the first caring actions of their mothers! Most dogs are natural mothers but some — especially maiden (first time) mothers — can need some help and encouragement. 

Average litter is 5-6 puppies

The record for the largest litter of puppies was 24, birthed in 2004 by a Neapolitan mastiff in the UK named Tia! On average, most dogs have around 5-6 puppies in a litter, but this is influenced by many factors. Breed, size, nutrition, and age are the key ones, combined with overall genetics too. 

Nursing provides more than just milk

Feeding her puppies in the first few weeks is one of the most important jobs a new dog mother is responsible for. The colostrum present in her milk contains important growth hormones and antibodies that protect against infection in the puppies crucial first weeks. 

Nursing occurs almost constantly over the first few days post-birth, but another interesting tidbit is that mothers have been observed to change their preferred nursing positions, sometimes based on the time of day. A sitting position for nursing is more commonly observed throughout the day, while a laying position is more typical in the evenings (relatable!).

Most interestingly, the position a puppy is nursed in is suspected to have an influence on their development — though the research is still early. But studies indicated that guide dog puppies primarily nursed by a laying mother were less likely to be deemed suitable for training than those nursed by a mother in a sitting or standing position! 

Dog moms recognize their puppies even as adults 

To end on a happy note, even though moms and puppies rarely get to spend their lives together, their bond does last! 

A study found that 78% of dog mothers preferred a cloth that smelled like their biological puppies to one scented by other dogs. And the feeling was indeed mutual, 84% of puppies also preferred their mother’s scent! The recognition may not help the puppies call their mothers more often, but is proof that they recognize their relationship for life. 

Try Sundays today and discover pet food you can trust

For pregnant and nursing dogs, as well as their puppies, nutrition is vital. Sundays is formulated by veterinary nutritionists to be nutritionally complete and balanced for both mothers and weaned puppies needs — and the high quality, human-grade nutrition helps them build strong nutritional foundations. 

Our food provides all dogs with great nutrition all year round, and there’s something to suit everyone in our recipe selection. Just tell us a little about your dog, and we’ll help you get started feeding the healthiest, easiest pet food on the planet. And our team is always here to help if you have any questions!