It’s a question asked by many. We endeavor to discover how long the gestation period is for a Goldendoodle and whether it differs from other dogs. We also look at how pregnancy is confirmed, the average litter size, and the practicalities of caring for your pregnant Goldendoodle.
The gestation period in a Goldendoodle is calculated from the day that they ovulate. It will be possible to confirm the pregnancy 21 days later. The Goldendoodle will then carry her puppies until between day 61 and day 64 when she will give birth to her litter.
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Does the Gestation Period Differ from Other Dogs?
Let’s take a look at the gestation period of the Goldendoodle. This is a subject close to my heart as a breeder of Doodles and a former breeder of Labrador Retrievers.
The gestation period is counted from the first day of ovulation rather than the first day of mating as these two dates can differ somewhat. While it used to be believed that a bitch would only mate on the days she was ovulating we now know, thanks to the help of the tools available to us today, that this is not always the case. We can test our bitch’s progesterone levels these days using a simple blood test carried out by a vet to tell us exactly when the bitch will be ovulating.
I have found through my own experience that the gestation period does indeed vary from breed to breed and my Goldendoodle girls have what I like to call ‘short cycles’. This means that they ovulate earlier during their heat period than some other breeds and also give birth slightly earlier.
Most breeds usually ovulate and are ready to be mated from approximately the fourteenth day of being in heat (the first day of the heat period is counted as the first day you see bleeding) but I have found with my Goldendoodle girls that they ovulate as early as day 10. With that in mind, in the early days of my breeding career, before progesterone testing was readily available, if I had used the fourteen-day rule of thumb I may actually have missed my girls ovulating.
A bitch doesn’t only ovulate on one day, unlike humans who usually only release one or two eggs, she drops her eggs in ‘clutches’. This means that mating slightly too late does not necessarily mean she will not become pregnant but that she may have a smaller than optimum sized litter. For this reason, we do not allow our bitches to be mated only once – it is important to repeat the mating again 48 hours later meaning a minimum of two matings.
If you are taking your girl out to stud, rather than using your own in-house stud, it is particularly important to know when she is ovulating to avoid a wasted journey or wasted mating. Some bitches will stand to be mated slightly before and after ovulating, so allowing the dog to mate her is not indicative of ovulation on its own.
I have found this to be especially true of my Goldendoodle girls who always seem keen to mate early in their heat periods. In addition to ovulating early in their cycle, I have also found that my girls give birth earlier than other breeds, generally giving birth on day 61 of their pregnancy rather than day 63 or 64 when my bitches of other breeds delivered their litters. I have found this to be true not only of my own Goldendoodle bitches but also of the bitches that have been brought in to be mated by my stud dogs.
How Long After Being Tied is Pregnancy Confirmed?
There are several ways we can confirm pregnancy in our Goldendoodle bitch starting from day 21 after ovulation. Experienced breeders can often tell just by looking at the bitch’s gums which appear paler on day 21. Many breeders also report a clear mucous discharge from the vulva at around this time.
Your vet can also carry out a blood test to measure hormones at approximately day 21 but this is not 100% reliable. From day 28 you can have an ultrasound examination to confirm pregnancy however this is not a reliable way to ascertain litter size and bitches can also reabsorb fetuses even after this point.
From roughly the fifth week after mating, however, you should be able to tell just by looking that your girl is indeed pregnant. I always notice that her rib cage looks wider when viewed from above at this stage. You will often find that her appetite increases around this time too.
During the last two weeks of gestation, your vet can carry out an x-ray to check the number of pups that your bitch is expecting. This is more accurate at this point as calcification will have occurred and a good radiographer (and often an experienced breeder) can count the number of skulls and spines seen.
What Pre Natal-Checks Are Required?
Before even considering breeding from your Goldendoodle bitch there are a number of checks that should be carried out. You should have her hip scored, special x-ray’s taken by a vet, and sent to a veterinary panel for assessment, eye tested for hereditary eye conditions (again by a specialist vet) and DNA tested for genetic diseases. No vet is needed for genetic testing as this is done via cheek swabs which are sent away to a laboratory; however, this takes several weeks.
Assuming all these checks are OK before actually mating you must ensure that your girl is up to date with vaccinations, worming, and flea treatment and have her checked over by a vet to confirm that she is in perfect health and fit for breeding.
Once she is actually pregnant apart from the confirmation of pregnancy, she should need no further pre-natal checks.
Average Litter Size of a Goldendoodle
Like most large breeds, Goldendoodles do tend to have large litters. The average litter size is 8 to 11 puppies. In my own personal experience, this has proved to be true with my smallest litter being ten pups and my largest thirteen. Goldendoodles are generally great mums and my girls have raised their litters beautifully and I have not had to assist with feeding, even with my largest litter.
Can There Be Any Outside Impacts on Gestation Period
Generally, if a bitch is having a smaller litter of four or fewer pups, she is more likely to give birth later than expected compared with a bitch having a larger litter. However, usually not by more than a day or two. Pups born seven days or more before their due date have a very low chance of survival, but this is thankfully a rare occurrence.
If a bitch experiences trauma or contracts an infection during her pregnancy this can also cause early onset of labor or even abortion, so it is important to protect the pregnancy by ensuring the bitch is in optimum health and kept in suitably clean conditions. It is wise to avoid any unnecessary veterinary drugs or exposure to chemicals during her pregnancy. Your bitch will need to be wormed during pregnancy but make sure to use products specifically for use during pregnancy to avoid damage to the unborn pups.
What is the Average Whelping Time?
This takes us back to the age-old question ‘how long is a piece of string’. However, I have found that for a normal-sized litter (8 to 11 pups) it usually takes on average around 8 – 10 hours for all pups to be born.
Usually, once pushing starts the first few pups are born in relatively quick succession, but this slows down somewhat towards the end of delivery. This is caused by several things. Firstly, the bitch will naturally be becoming tired as labor is hard work and secondly without the pressure of so many other pups behind them, the pups’ journey down the birth canal takes a little longer.
There is no need to panic so long as the bitch is not distressed or actively pushing for over an hour without delivering a pup.
How Do You Know When Your Goldendoodle is in Labor?
There is a very reliable way to tell when your Goldendoodle will go into labor and that’s by taking her temperature morning and evening during the last week of her pregnancy. The normal temperature is 101 to 102.5 degrees Fahrenheit and twenty-four hours before labor starts your bitch’s temperature will drop to between 96 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit, before starting to rise again just before the onset of labor. Once you observe this temperature drop it is vital to stay by her side.
As labor progresses the bitch will pant and become restless often becoming stressed if you leave her even to pop to the toilet. She will start to dig, especially out in the yard so make sure you accompany her on toilet breaks. She may also have diarrhea or vomit. This is the time to encourage her to move to her whelping box.
Tips on Caring for Your Goldendoodle During the Gestation Period
During the gestation period, it is important that your Goldendoodle is kept in the very best of health. Make sure she has plenty of high-quality food, puppy food, or a complete raw diet are best and let her eat as much as she likes. She may be growing many pups inside her, so rather than ‘eating for two’ as we say when humans are pregnant, she might be eating for twelve.
Exercise is also important as a fit bitch will have an easier delivery. My own girls usually continue their daily walks right up until the day before delivery. Don’t allow her to play rough too much though during the later stages to avoid the risk of her harming herself or her unborn puppies.
Start worming the bitch on day 40 of her pregnancy with a pregnancy-safe product at the correct dose for her weight and continue this until two days post whelp.