How Many Puppies Can a Dog Have?
Toward the end of your dog’s pregnancy, your vet will likely be able to palpate the mom’s tummy or take an x-ray to determine an “exact” number of puppies in her belly (although it can be easy to miss one of the puppies, so you’ll never know for sure until the little wigglers start coming out).
This is the only way you’ll be able to know how many puppies your dog may have. And to be honest, that’s probably what you care about anyway.
But there is some value in knowing a ballpark number to expect, even if your pregnant dog mom isn’t far enough along for your vet to determine how many little cuties she’s carrying.
A pretty exhaustive study of the topic was published in 2011. The researchers analyzed over 10,000 litters representing 224 breeds and found that the mean (average) litter size in this group was 5.4.
However, there’s a fair amount of variation at play. Miniature breeds typically produced litters of 3.5 puppies, while large breeds typically produced 7.1 puppies per litter.
What’s the Largest Litter Ever Recorded?
In 2004, a Neapolitan mastiff named Tia became the mother of the largest litter ever documented, when she delivered 24 puppies via Caesarian section.
This is obviously quite the anomaly, as most dogs produce much smaller litters than this. In fact, Neapolitan mastiff litters typically number between 6 and 10 puppies.
A few other notable cases involving huge litters include:
There are a number of different things that can influence the size of a dog’s litter, and we’ve detailed some of the most important ones below. It is difficult to empirically determine how much these various factors influence litter size, and it is likely that the various factors influence each other to some degree.
A dog’s breed is one of the most important factors influencing litter size. Simply put, larger breeds produce larger litters. That’s why Shih Tzus, Pomeranians and Chihuahuas have litters typically ranging from one to four puppies, while Cane Corsos, Great Danes, and other giant breeds often give birth to eight puppies or more.
Within a given breed, individuals with larger body sizes (in terms of build, not weight) typically give birth to larger litters. For example, a 45-pound Labrador retriever may produce a litter of only five or six puppies, while an 85-pound Lab may produce a litter of 10 or more.
While dogs typically remain fertile for their entire lives, they are most fecund during early adulthood – usually between 2 and 5 years of age. However, a dog’s first litter is generally smaller than subsequent litters.
Dogs in good health are more likely to produce larger litters, and they’re also more likely to produce healthy puppies. In fact, it is imperative that any female slated for breeding trials be in perfect health to ensure she and the puppies will survive the birthing and whelping process.
Diet likely has a strong influence on litter size. Feeding your dog a nutritious, well-balanced diet will likely yield larger litter sizes than feeding a homemade or poor-quality food.
The smaller a dog’s gene pool is, the smaller her litters will tend to be; conversely, dogs who come from more diverse backgrounds tend to have larger litters. This means that dogs from lines that have been inbred extensively will slowly develop smaller and smaller litters.
Dogs are all individuals, who vary in countless ways; sometimes, this can include litter size. This is very difficult to predict, but dogs who produce large first litters and likely to produce large second and third litters, assuming all other factors remain constant.
Note that most of these traits relate to the dam (female) rather than the sire (male). However, the sire does have some influence on the litter size. His health, age, and individual genetic makeup will partially determine the size of the litter he sires.
Does Breed Determine a Dog’s Litter Size?
The breed of dog is the biggest determinant of litter size. Generally, big dogs have larger litters because, biologically, they’re able to safely carry more puppies.
Here are a few breeds and their estimated litter sizes:
While the norm is that larger dogs have larger litters, it’s not always the case. For instance, the Pekingese, weighing in at just 7-14 pounds, may give birth to as many as 10 puppies.
Big litters can be dangerous to the mother dog (dam) due to delivery problems, especially in smaller dogs. Some of the puppies may be delivered stillborn, and the dam may become exhausted during delivery.
HOW MANY PUPPIES Can a Dog Have?
Is your dog showing signs of pregnancy? Whether she’s pregnant or you’re having random thoughts in the middle of the night, you might be asking yourself how many puppies can a dog have. Well, the number of puppies a dog can have depends on its breed and size. If you’re currently raising a pregnant dog, then knowing the litter size could help you prepare in advance before the time comes.
In 2011, researchers studied 224 dog breeds and over 10,000 litters. With over 10,000 litters analyzed, the average came out to be 5.4 puppies per litter. You shouldn’t immediately expect the average amount. Instead, concentrate on your dog’s breed and size and estimate from there.
For instance, miniature dog breeds have an average of 3.5 puppies per litter while larger dog breeds have an average of 7.1 dogs per litter. Whether it’s a Mini Goldendoodle or a Standard Poodle, sizes does make a difference when it comes to the number of puppies they’ll produce. In this guide, “How Many Puppies Can A Dog Have,” we’ll go a little more in-depth to this question. Before we get to that, here are some shocking stories of puppy birth that’ll surprise you.
The number of puppies born from a single dog depends on several factors: type of dog breed, size of the dog, its age, health situation, diet, gene pool diversity, and other individual genetic factors.