Phantom Pregnancy in Female Dogs: What Owners Should Know A phantom pregnancy — also called a false pregnancy or pseudopregnancy — can occur around 6–8 weeks after a season , causing a dog to behave and feel as though she is pregnant even when she isn’t. This is a natural hormonal response and is surprisingly common in un-spayed females. Why Does It Happen? After every season, female dogs produce pregnancy‑related hormones whether they were bred or not. These hormonal shifts