Hi all, thanks for reading.  I am posting mainly because I've driven everyone in my house insane with asking, "What do you think, are they pregnant?"
Long story short, I have 2 females, they were both bred 62 and 57 days ago, with two ties each.
The older female (62 days), has had physiological changes of weight gain and nipples enlargement with milk expression, as well as behavioural changes of becoming needy, sleeping all day and night and eating double her normal amount.  However, she is still bouncing around and able to go for our regular 1.5km walk, as well as showing signs of enlargement only in the lower rib area, with no detection of puppy movement.  She has had previous littler with another owner, and her milk bags are very saggy.
The younger female (57 days), is fit as a fiddle, runs like the wind, shows no discernible nipple change, and no milk expression. She has slight enlargement around lower rib cage, but no puppy movement, and also has been eating double and sleeping all day.  This would be her first litter.

Does anyone want to talk with me about this?  I'm pretty pitiful at the moment
Cheers

I'd prefer to see puppies moving around by week 7 but if they only have small litters and are (still) keeping them up under their ribcages, you may not see anything.    I'd not leave them for longer than 2 days over their due date without involving your vet but that's my experience with my bitches, who tended to go to secondary inertia when the puppies needed to come out.   And there's no doubt that for every extra day, they will be continuing to grow, perhaps making a C.Section more likely to be needed.

If both are happy and active, so much the better - they don't need extra food until the puppies are born and you can see how many they have to cater for.   Just like us, lean and trim should aid whelping - bitches in the wild don't put on tons of weight after all   But I'd be careful not to allow either bitch to become over-tired (walks) and certain not to risk being knocked.

Whatever you shouldn't do is milk either of them - that encourages lactation which isn't needed UNTIL the puppies are born.   Newborn puppies don't need lashings of milk and if too much comes down too soon, they could run into mastitis if the puppies can't draw of milk from the big back teats.

Just try to stop stressing which is going to do neither of them any good.   If you are concerned at all (lethargy/nasty discharge) then you need a vet involved - and if either goes over by more than 2 days, then personally I'd have my vets check.   But that's up to you.   If one of these bitches has produced a litter before, why not contact her previous owner - I do think you need a mentor to hold your hand.

Thanks for your reply :). I didn't know that about milking!  I won't do it again!  What do you think about the nipples not changing?  There is conflicting info about puppy movement, saying that larger breeds might not have movements?  I am taking temps 2x per day, remaining steady at 38.1.  Great suggestion about calling the previous owners, however they are in the middle of crisis, which is why I ended up with 2 of their dogs from their backyard operation. Dogs don't deserve human drama I will be getting them spayed asap.  When you say two days after due date, does that mean 2 days after the second tie due date?
Thanks for chatting, I feel better already.  What will be will be and their health is the main thing.  They are great dogs and I got very lucky to have them.
Cheers

I counted from the first mating, although as others will tell you, conception may not take place immediately so again, I can only tell what I have done with our girls and because there was a good chance mine would go into inertia, secondary usually (they'd start but not progress - with Bassets, it's ouch mum.... give up).     Very much 'you put them there - now you get them out'!

By this point in their pregnancy, I would expect to see more pronounced teats.    As for moving around - the info. is probably right about a big breed 'hiding' their puppies, especially if there are only a few, until labour starts!!    Again and you have to consider whether the stress of going to a vet (plus the risk of infection) is worse than holding off and doing nothing, I'd give it a few days past the due date, and then contact your vet who will probably tell you to wait.   But whether you should or not, is up to you --  your bitches after all.   Bassets have long, well-sprung ribcages and early on can carry up under the ribs BUT I saw movement when they were lying on their side, napping.

I've never bothered with temperature taking but it can be a good clue about when whelping may start - the temperature does fluctuate, but when it drops and stays down, you can reckon on whelping to begin within 48 hours.

Can you get someone around to scan them? You will know one way or another if they are pregnant or not. Then you really can prepare but don't let the bitch who is due any day if she is pregnant go over too long either.

I can say my girl did deepen, her nipples didn't really grow but were more pronounced but she was enlarged around them.
I didn't see pups moving but I did feel them a few times. She is a substantial large breed bitch and gave birth to a lot more than I expected. The scanner was right about numbers however she kept them very well hidden.

I’d be very surprised if you couldn’t see/feel pups moving around at this late stage, or see that the bitch was carrying.  I have a large breed and it is usually fairly apparent from 5-6 weeks.  Unless maybe there is a singleton....

Hi, thinks for replying :). Yes, I’m starting to resign myself to the reality that neither dog caught.  It will be a shame for the registered male (he was young and untried) as his owner was really counting on this as she is struggling and hoped that this would be a business for her. The odds that both girls didn’t catch could mean he isn’t a viable breeder.
The things that keep me hoping:
The older girl has gained weight, her nipples have changed, she has milk and her demeanour changed significantly after breeding (homebody now whereas she used to roam), and she is eating and sleeping so heavily now.
The younger girl has a rib spread and her nipples has turned a wee bit darker, and she is also eating and sleeping heavily.

However, it could be they are just fat and lazy ;)

May I ask if you shaved your dogs pre-whelp?  My girls are long hair, plush coat so it might be cleaner if they are shaved?

Cheers

You are very kind to have replied.    At times I am sure they are preggers, and at others I am sure they are phantom/ non existent.  Only time will tell, and I wouldn’t be surprised either way.  I will contact a vet if she goes over 65 days from first mating.  Gosh, that’s still 5 days from now…. !
I can try to sleep now ;). I will keep in touch and let you know how it all works out.   
Cheers from Australia,
Sher

This is like Christmas for adults!  But I can't peek at the gifts!  As she lays here by my feet and I watch her resting tummy my imagination plays with me and hold my breath, straining to see any unusual rippling.  Haha, I'm a tragic atm.  Perhaps its because they have such long hair that I can't see?
Oh Lord how my studies have suffered due to the amount of googling I do.  Haha. Too bad I can't attach a photo, as she is laying on her side and I can clearly see a round bulge which I am hoping is a ball of puppies ;)
Time, time, time.... we are all pushing time ahead in waiting, and then we wonder where all the time has gone.
Thanks for reading, cheers.

Just to say you do NOT need to shave her around her teats.   Nature will make sure her coat drops a bit there.   I'd imagine a shave would make her very sore/itchy and not nice for the puppies either.   You could, IF needed, tidy up around the 'rear end', for hygiene reasons.

Is there any reason you aren't going to get them ultrasound scanned? Someone who can pop by your home with a mobile scanner? You won't have to have this are they aren't they and will know one way or another straight away. Makes sense to at this stage because you will know if they are how many they are carrying.

At this stage if the bitch is lying quietly on her side then with a hand flat on top of the abdomen and the other flat under it you may be able to feel puppies if you very gently "roll" the belly between the 2 hands, don't persevere if she doesn't like it and it won't be long now before you know for sure when and if they whelp. The "belly sandwich" is also pretty reliable for detecting a puppy if labour slows and you aren't sure if there are any more pups, the heads feel like hard lumps, practice is the best for this technique.

If they are that close to whelping, why not, with your vet's agreement, go for x-ray which is far more accurate, and will tell you whether the puppies are likely to be able to be whelped naturally.  I'd not x-ray during the pregnancy but I would, and have, had this done once they are on, or past their due date.

I'd not try to poke around, unless you are experienced, and know what you are doing.   It is possible that you'd do more harm than good.  Into the final week especially, provided there isn't a huge litter (with no room for the puppies to move around individually!) you should see little legs lifting poor mum's tummy area.

I'm way out in whoop whoop so going into the vet for scans of two dogs that really don't look pregnant is a waste, I think.  I'm keeping temperature records and a close eye on them, so I'll wait it out.  My gut feeling is that neither dog took.  The good news is that this whole experience has ended the tendency of the dogs to roam.  They sit quietly by my feet all day now, where as 2 months ago they were constantly running away to chase roos.

Thanks for the tip :). I gave it a go and she really didn't like it so I'll just have to continue to wait.... At this point I think I look more pregnant than the dogs

Thanks for that, I'll wait until I get the all important temperature drop, and then I'll fly into high gear with the clippers

> I'll fly into high gear with the clippers <img title="grin" class="fsm fsm_grin" alt="" src="/images/epx.png" />

????

Why would you need clippers???

UPDATE. Hi all, thanks for your replies, I really appreciate your help.  Unfortunately, the dogs are NOT pregnant, as confirmed by palpation by the vet.  Of course I'm sad (everyone loves puppies!), but I'm glad the anxious questioning can now end.
Carry on with the great support that you give to others!
Cheers

Sad, but probably for the best really.   Just make sure you don't leave them unattended around their due dates, just in case - after having spent a night (literally) in my then vet's office, I was 'discharged' with mum and her then 4 puppies, only to arrive home, that morning, go to the loo leaving hubby in charge, and be called urgently - 'she's just had a 5th puppy'.    The vet had palpated and felt and said she was empty before he sent us home  .......to the point he didn't bother to x-ray.   She must have had this puppy, a much-wanted female, tucked up too far from him to feel her or palpate her.     The reason for being at the vet's office all night () was because he was a distance away, (we lived out in the 'sticks' in Canada), he lived in a flat over the practice and my bitch needed a shot to produce EVERY puppy!!  So I'd let her go long enough between deliveries and call him down if I felt it had been long enough.  Needless to say that was her first and only litter!