During the Mating Process
Firstly, there are potential health problems with the act of breeding itself. If the size difference is significant, the male could potentially seriously injure the female when attempting to breed with her.
The breed of the female does matter – not necessarily just the size. Some petite females have sensitive spines and are prone to things like intervertebral disk disease (IVDD). While this isn’t an issue in regard to mating with a dog of a similar size (usually), it can be a problem with much bigger males. The male could potentially injure the female’s spinal column, causing pain and paralysis.
In most cases, the female won’t have to hold up the whole weight of the male. However, when the size is substantially different, this doesn’t always matter.
Some males are rougher during the mating process than others. There is often a lot of pawing and gentle biting going on. Usually, this doesn’t cause significant injuries to either dog. However, when the male is larger than the female, this pawing can cause injury.
It is also possible for the male’s penis to be much too large for the female. Attempts at mating could result in the female’s vagina being ripped or otherwise mutilated.
If the male successfully penetrates and forms a lock, the dogs must be kept very still. The weight of the female will not keep the larger male in place. He may very well decide to run around the yard, dragging the distressed female around with him. As you can imagine, this situation can be highly distressing for the female – and potentially even be fatal.
The male may also decide to lay down after the lock, potentially squishing the female if she is too small. It is unlikely he will turn around and navigate away from the female if she is exceedingly tiny.
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.
What is the oldest age a dog can have puppies?
Do you want to breed your female dog, but you wonder what age is too old? Up to which age can dogs actually get pregnant and have puppies?
The quick answer is that dogs can have puppies nearly for the entire duration of their lives. Dogs as old as 12 years or older can theoretically become pregnant. However, these late pregnancies are often associated with complications for both mother and pups.
Let’s look at why dogs can become pregnant so late in life, and how to know when it is too late to breed your female.
Dog Giving Birth To Puppy (CLOSE UP) // Helping The Teacup Parti Yorkie Give Birth To Puppy
Breeding dogs of different sizes may be challenging, or worrying even. Indeed, a smaller male may struggle to mount a bigger female; and a small female may be in utter pain with a much larger male. Although dogs are one and only one species, their huge disparity in appearance will raise some understandable questions.
First and foremost, when discussing how to breed two dogs of different sizes, it is important to know if the male is the smaller dog or not. If the male is much smaller than the female, you may require artificial insemination. On the contrary, if the female is much smaller, a c-section might be required as the puppies would potentially be too large for her birth canal. Read our article listing the top dog breeds going through c-sections.
Critical timings for a breeding of dogs of different sizes are the mating itself with the coitus and the delivery of the litter of puppies. However, do not underestimate the strain of the pregnancy that a smaller female would have to endure. Basically, puppies are an average of their parents for most traits, including size. The small female has a uterus designed to accommodate puppies from her breed and will, therefore, become uncomfortable with larger fetuses and whelps.