Health Concerns When Breeding a Larger Male with a Smaller Female
Whether it was purposeful or not, several problems often arise when a small female is carrying the puppies of a substantially larger male.
Can A Dog Be Too Small To Birth Puppies From A Big Dog Father?
In cases where there’s an extreme difference in size between the female and male dog, then the resulting fetuses may be too large to fit through the mother dog’s birth canal. If the father dog is very large, then the fetuses are likely to grow larger than the female dog’s body is naturally capable of handling.
When the fetuses are too big for a mother dog to give birth naturally, they’ll need to be delivered via c-section from a vet. Without this operation, the mother dog and her puppies won’t survive the pregnancy or attempted birth.
How much bigger can the male dog be compared to the female?
There is a comfortable area where the size difference is safe and usable as far as mating is concerned. The two main areas of concern when it comes to the female’s body instead of the male’s body include:
It sounds obvious, but many don’t think about this! Her reproductive organ (more specifically, her vagina) will only be able to withstand so much stress and force. So, a male dog’s larger size will do damage if she isn’t big enough to accommodate her.
A male dog who is considered too big in this sense could cause tearing in her and create discomfort, injury, permanent damage, and even cause internal bleeding. It’s important to consult a vet or another expert to help you determine whether natural insemination is the best way to go.
In most cases, professionals will recommend artificial insemination so that Mom isn’t stressed out about her organs. This promotes comfort and accuracy in the fertilization process.
The other consideration is the size of her womb. If a large male dog is mating with her and she only has so much space in her womb, it will stunt the growth of the puppies to accommodate the space needed for all of them. It can also easily lead to abortions, miscarriages, and stillborn puppies if there aren’t enough resources available for mom-to-be to go around.
Even when there is only one fetus growing, the puppy will be a mixed breed of Mom and Dad, and it will be automatically larger than Mom’s natural ability to deliver. A c-section is often the best approach for those situations so that the Mom isn’t stressed out with the delivery.
No matter how you look at it, a male dog can only be a certain amount larger than a female dog to have successful fertilization, pregnancy, and delivery of a litter of puppies. As far as maximum size difference, the actual numbers themselves will vary depending on the two breeds, their health, and other individual factors. Professional breeders and vets will be able to tell you more.