How Long is a French Bulldog Pregnant For

Humans selectively bred french bulldogs until they were unable to breed naturally. Artificial insemination is the most common method of getting a French bulldog pregnant. How long can they stay pregnant after being successful?

French bulldogs are just like other breeds of dogs when it comes to gestation. A Frenchie’s pregnancy can last anywhere from 58 to 68 days. The average length of a Frenchie’s pregnancy is 63 days from conception to birth.

French Bulldog pregnancy calendar

Week 1 (days 0 and 7)

You can successfully fertilize the Frenchie female by exercising and eating as usual.

You might notice a slight pink discharge from your Frenchie’s mouth. This is normal and not something to be worried about.

Week 2 (days 7-14)

The French Bulldog pregnancy calendar shows that the cells are beginning to grow, and the embryos begin to move into the uterus.

You don’t have to change your dog’s exercise or diet as you did in week 1.

Week 3 (days 14-21)

The fetuses of small Frenchie puppies are now developing properly. They measure only 1 cm in height.

Similar to weeks 1 and 2, no changes need to be made to her exercise and diet. It would be best to be vigilant as some dogs may want more.

Week 4 (days 21-28)

This is the time when the puppies begin to form more. Your vet might be able to detect them by simply feeling your dog’s stomach.

This week is one of the most crucial weeks in the French Bulldog’s pregnancy calendar. It is also the time when puppies are at the greatest risk. You should be careful and limit her over-exertion.

Although the fetuses have begun to look like dogs, their spinal and facial regions are growing. The puppy fetus, however, is still just 1.5 cm in length.

A clear discharge from the vagina may occur in a Frenchie female. This is normal and not something to be alarmed about.

Your vet will advise you on whether your pet needs to be changed in diet or added nutritionally.

Week 5 (days 28, 35, and 29)

The fetuses become more sturdy at this stage, with claws, feet, and whiskers beginning to emerge. This is also when the puppy’s sex will begin, with the development of the genital area.

The female Frenchie will gain weight, and her food intake should be increased to support puppy development.

A vet can do a scan during this time to determine how many puppies are possible. Below is the average litter size.

Week 6 (days 34 to 42).

Your female will be noticeably larger and more pregnant. It almost seems like she is growing faster each day.

Her nipples will become darker, and the puppies will experience color changes as they develop their unique markings.

Mothers will be hungry, so make sure to keep her nourished. You can supplement her food with puppy food, and you may also want to consider adding supplements to the diet.

Week 6 on the calendar is a great time to get her ready for birth. You will need to find a quiet and secure place where she can feel at ease.

Week 7 (days 41 to 49)

Don’t be alarmed if you start to notice a lot more hair falling off your female now. As her stomach begins to shed hair, this is her body’s way of preparing for birth.

They are almost complete in their French Bulldog form.

You can now reduce the amount of puppy food and bring the mother back to her normal diet but in a larger volume.

This will allow the mother to store calcium in her system. Calcium will aid the puppies in their development.

Week 8 (days 49-57)

Some Frenchies can give birth so early that it’s not unusual for them to do so. So be prepared for anything! Let her be calm and don’t overdo it as it could cause her to try to give birth too early.

The mother will begin to nest properly, and you may even see movement in her belly when the puppies move about.

Week 9 (days 55 to 65)

Frenchie puppies are on the way! As she prepares for the birth, the mother will be quiet and may even stop eating as she prepares.

How to make a French bulldog conceive

Ah, the entire conversation between the birds and the bees…

Here is the full disclosure. I’m not a breeder. I love Frenchies and have one. You will find photos and videos of him elsewhere on the website.

He is not Romeo, and there is almost no chance of becoming pregnant by a woman (by design).

Breeders will inseminate the female (dam) even though the male is in the room. They don’t have much privacy, do they?

In most cases, however, the male will not meet the female. The semen is often frozen and shipped to the breeder.

It is a complicated procedure that involves timings, blood tests and temperatures. I’m not qualified to comment on it. I plan to interview a breeder in the future to provide more expert insight.

What is the average length of a dog’s pregnancy?

For almost all dog breeds, the gestation and pregnancy times are between 58-58 days. The average is 63 days.

This is about 2 months, and Frenchies are no exception.

What number of puppies are French bulldogs able to have?

Frenchies are a short-skull breed. Frenchies are a brachycephalic (short skull) breed that rarely gives birth to large litters.

French bulldogs usually have around three puppies per litter. The litter size will typically range from 2 to 4 puppies with rare litters of more than 5. You might occasionally hear about 7 or more puppies being born. However, this is extremely rare.

Comparing this to other dog breeds, such as the Golden Retriever, which averages 8 puppies per litter, or the Beagle who averages 6 puppies, it is easy to see why Frenchies can be so costly.

Below is some research on the most well-known worldwide dog breeds. It also shows how many puppies each one has on average.

A large French bulldog’s dam, so they don’t have enough space to house large litters. The chances of the puppies living are decreased if there is an abnormally large number of puppies born to one mother.

The puppies will likely be underweight. The weaker puppies will have a lower chance of survival within the first few weeks after birth. A larger litter can put undue strain on the dam, as she will have to provide more milk and feed them longer.

Are French bulldogs required C-sections every day?

Frenchies are often misunderstood to believe that they can only have a Caesarean section (or C-section) for birth. While this is true most of the time, it doesn’t always work that way.

According to estimates, around 80% of French bulldog puppies are born via C-section. This is because the puppies are very large and have narrow hips.

Vaginal births can seriously injure french bulldogs. Death is almost certain if a puppy gets stuck in the birth canal. Mothers may also be at risk for internal injury and damage.

C-sections for French Bulldogs are usually between $500 and $2,000 for a planned procedure. For very specialized or urgent Caesareans, it can cost up to $2,000 on average.

How often do French bulldogs get into heat?

People often refer to a dog in heat as being in the oestrus cycle. This is similar to when a female human gets her period.

Frenchie dams are on their oestrus cycle, which means they have gone into heat. She will then accept a man and may end up having a baby.

French bulldogs enter heat when they reach sexual maturity. Their oestrus cycles are usually every 6 months, but they can vary from one dog to another. A French bulldog can take up to 2 years to establish regular heat patterns.

Female French bulldogs can reach sexual maturity as young as five months old. If they start to have regular oestrus periods, they may be at risk of becoming pregnant.

They are still young at this age and may not be fully grown yet. This could pose a risk to both the puppy and the dog.

Keep your Frenchie indoors, on a lead, during heat, or spay her if you don’t wish her to get pregnant.

Wait, did I not say that natural insemination among Frenchies was rarer than it is now?

However, other frisky breeds won’t have the hip problem I will be discussing in a moment and could get your lady dog pregnant.

These are the stages of a French Bulldog’s pregnancy.

Here’s a breakdown of medical terms of the stages involved in the French bulldog’s pregnancy.

They go through four stages in their reproduction cycle.

1. Proestrus is the “getting ready” stage at which blood can be discharged – approximately 9 days
2. Oestrus, also known as estrus: the “mating” stage – approximately 9 days
3. Diestrus is the “pregnancy stage” – approximately 63 days
4. Anestrus the “recovery stage” – before the next oestrus cycle begins – can be six monthly

Are French bulldogs able to breed on their own?

Yes and no. However, in French bulldog breeding and ownership, it is not common for a French bulldog to the mat by itself, leading to pregnancy.

Why?

It is very difficult to mate because of their narrow hips and how humans engineered the breed. Natural conception is almost impossible because the male will not mount the female.

Artificial insemination will result in almost every Frenchie today.

It is very unlikely that you could breed French bulldogs naturally.

Final thoughts

Do your research and ensure that you only purchase a Frenchie from a well-respected breeder.

People often farm their females to have as many puppies as they can. It can be very stressful on their bodies and not fair.

Research is key to buying responsibly.