How long is a Golden Retriever pregnant? Golden Retriever Parent Tips

Being an owner of the Golden Retriever, it becomes your responsibility to know all the characteristics of your dog. If you want to breed your Golden Retriever, then you must be having information related to your Golden Retriever’s pregnancy duration. 

The Golden Retrievers can be pregnant for (a period of) 63 days, making it 7 weeks. However, in some particular cases of the Golden Retrievers, it could be late or early than 63 days as well.

Common Symptoms of Dogs’ Pregnancy

There are some symptoms which could be illness as well. Therefore, to mark the difference, you should be having track of your Golden Retriever’s appetite, physical appearance followed by the level of activity. 

To confirm the symptoms of pregnancy in your dog, you need to keep an eye on the following things:

1. Enlarged Abdomen and Increase in Weight

With the growth of puppies, there is an increase in the abdomen of your dog. It is one of the best physical marks, indicating the presence of other life in your dog’s abdomen. Due to this reason, there is a sudden increase in weight in your dog. Whenever you notice a bulge in the abdomen of your dog, it is better to take your dog to the vet. 

2. Unusual Behavior

One of the symptoms of the pregnant Golden Retrievers is the change in her behavior. For example, she may want the affection of her owner more often. For gaining your extra attention, she might be spending more time in your company than usual days. 

But sometimes, you may notice depression and irritability in your pregnant dog as well. She may prefer to be alone sometimes rather than being in a company. She may even wish to be kept calm. 

3. Appetite Changes

A pregnant dog may have a lot of changes in her diet. It depends on the breed of the dog and the stage of her pregnancy. In the early days and midway of pregnancy, she may eat less than usual or even vomit on some occasions. 

On the other hand, her food intake may also increase than usual or she may even prove to be dissatisfied with her meals. All these changes are due to hormone changes.

4. Discoloring or Enlargement in Nipples

During normal days, the nipples of female Golden Retrievers are small. However, during pregnancy, the nipples tend to grow in their size. The areolas also change their shape from flat to round. The color of the nipples also changes from normal to a slightly darker red, indicating an increase in blood flow.

5. Nesting Behavior

As the final week of pregnancy in your Golden Retriever starts, you may start to notice shred bedding and other types of material in your dog. During these times, it is best to keep the small children out of her reach as she becomes irritable.

The gestation period of Golden Retrievers is said to be almost 63 days, far less as compared to humans. Therefore, it is necessary to act quickly as soon as the signs of pregnancy start to dominate. This will help in ensuring the increase in the comfort level of your pregnant golden retriever as well safe birth of new coming puppies.

Golden Retriever Pregnancy Stages

Early Stages

The early stages of pregnancy include the following things and they have been described in the up-mentioned portion as well:

• Morning Sickness:

Just like humans, pregnant dogs also go through morning sickness. During the early stages, you may experience a little vomiting in your dog. This is quite normal. However, if there is an increase in vomiting frequency, then it is necessary to visit your vet.

• Increase in size of nipples
• Laziness
• Hunger
• More Affection
• Behavior Changes
• Vaginal Discharge:

During pregnancy, it is quite normal to notice vaginal discharges in your Golden Retriever. Periodic mucus discharge is also said to be normal. If the discharge is having blood or pus, then it should be considered serious and you should take your dog to the vet.

After 1 Month

After 1 month of pregnancy, the following things start to develop:

• Less Appetite
• More Peeing
• Bulging in Belly 

A Few Days Before Giving Birth

Finally, few days before giving birth, you may notice some prominent things. Some of them are as follow:

• Drop-in temperature (usually 24 hours before delivery)
• Restlessness
• Further Decrease in Appetite 
• Movement of Puppy in the belly

First Heat Cycle in Golden Retriever

As the dogs reach their puberty age, they will have their first estrous (heat or reproductive) cycle. Each cycle has different stages and stage one is called estrus. It refers to the stage when the female dog can become pregnant. Dogs who are in the estrus stage are called to be in heat or in season.

The first heat cycle during the pregnancy of the Golden Retriever generally lasts for a duration of about 10 to 14 days, which can longer or shorter in some cases.

Things to do during the heat of Golden Retriever

During the heat of the Golden Retriever, there are certain things to take care of. Some of them are as listed below

• Never ever try to shout at your dog if she makes a bloody mess. Instead, try to keep her calm while cleaning it up.
• During the first heat cycle, your Golden Retriever needs to increase her nutrient and calories intake. It is better to feed her puppy food. You should make sure that she is having enough supply of food as well as enough water for drinking.
• It is better to take your Golden out for gentle walks. It should be made sure that she is not having any stressful activity during the first heat cycle.
• Offer some toys to her which is safe and can’t be chewed. This will increase a sense of security in her.
• Try to show more affection and specify some slots designated for your dog in which you can spend some time with her.
• Try to keep your dog away from the male dogs. Monitor her at the times when she is out for potty breaks. 
• Be vigilant in sensing any change in the health of your dog. If there is any, try to consult your vet as soon as possible.

Can Golden Retriever drink Milk during Pregnancy?

During the pregnancy of your Golden Retriever, it is recommended to feed her a high-quality, well-balanced diet throughout her gestation period. However, it is recommended to avoid feeding milk to your pregnant Golden Retriever in the cases. It is so due to the reason that feeding an excessive amount of calcium and Vitamin D can cause the hardening of the soft tissues of the fetus. This may lead to other birth defects. 

How many times a Golden Retriever can get pregnant?

Well, the Golden Retriever can get pregnant as many times as possible. There is no limit to that. However, it is recommended to breed two litters from the Golden Retriever. 

If the Golden Retriever is unable to give birth to litters after two attempts, then she is retired from this process and is spayed eventually. 

Due to the large number of dogs all around the world, it is said to be best to have at most 2 pups from one Golden Retriever. 

How long dog experience Labor?

The labor period begins as soon as the gestation period is over. To be more precise, there are three stages of Labor.

Stage-1

The first stage lasts for about 12 to 24 hours, but a little bit unnoticeable. There is an increase in the contractions in the muscular wall of the uterus throughout stage one. Following symptoms can be observed during stage-1 of labor.

• Behavioral change
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting
• Panting
• Whitish Vaginal Discharge
• Reclusive behavior

Stage-2

The delivery of the puppies occurs during stage-2. The span of this stage is from 1 hour to 24 hours and the dog delivers one puppy at a time. The time for each delivery should not exceed 2 hours.

Stage-3

The delivery of the placenta occurs during stage-3. Stage-2 and stage-3 occur simultaneously. However, the completion of stage three occurs when all the placentas have been delivered. This occurrence is usually right after stage two. 

If your dog’s labor is taking time more than 24 hours, or if more than 2 hours are taking for the delivery of each puppy, then it is better to consult your vet. This could be due to some serious and complex problem, which can be harmful to both, the parent dog and the unborn puppies.  

Conclusion

It is true that dogs will go through most of their pregnancy on their own. But, being an owner, you should be there during the pregnancy as well as labor times of your Golden Retriever for soothing words and affection. 

After the delivery, it is natural for the dog to find the spots which are quiet. It is better to help them in creating a nest in a warm as well as a private area.

The pregnancy of the dogs is a bit different compare to humans. So, it is better that you have enough knowledge as well as better communication with your vet. In this way, this process will be easy and smooth for your Golden Retriever as well as you.