However, a dog’s first litter is generally smaller than subsequent litters. With artificial insemination, not all of the harvested sperm survives and fewer sperm to fertilize the eggs can result in a smaller litter. I have had litters of just 3 pups to litters of 13 pups, the larger litters start out with smaller sized pups, than what a small litter would consist of, but in the end, when everyone grows up, given the proper diet & exercise, they all catch up in size, and bone structure. Most of the small breeds, notably the toys and terriers usually produce very small litters. Another consideration for litter size is the method of fertilization. Without sufficient food, the puppies will not reach appropriate size and may suffer health problems. A dam that is fit and healthy prior to mating and throughout her pregnancy will be able to give her pups the best … As the male dog ages, the quality and count of his sperm decreases. You can have unhealthy puppies in a large litter as well. In general, smaller dog breeds have smaller litters because their body size does not allow them to carry large litters. In fact, there is more variation in the potential litter size of large dog breeds than small dog breeds. What kind of dog do you want: big or small, long haired or short haired, pure bred or sweetly mixed? When the dog is physically healthy and looks happy you can try to analyze their temperament as soon as you make contact. The parents' genes, the puppy's breed, and the mother's health and nutrition determine the puppies' size at birth. Do you know how to pick just the right pup from the litter to call your very own? Since someone in the thread asked for clarification of what a small litter is and what a large litter is, for discussion purposes lets say a large litter consists of 8 puppies, and a small litter consists of 4 puppies. These sperm are better able to reach and penetrate the female’s eggs. Premature Puppies & Litters — Health, Care, Preterm Birthing & FAQ. The recorded largest litter had 24. Little dogs have small litters, medium-sized dogs have mid-size litters, and big dogs tend toward large litters. Even though litter size does not impact puppy size, large litters can cause problems for the mother dog and her new babies. She is also an amateur dog trainer. Puppies learn a whole lot from their littermates in the first couple of months of life, and if they don't have any littermates there's only so much their mom can teach them. About the Author Amy Jorgensen has ghostwritten more than 100 articles and books on raising and training animals. Laura Payne has been freelance writing for several online publications in her free time since 2006. Breeding dogs after the age of 7 years increases the chances of having a single puppy litter. Talk to the owner. Assuming that the average litter size is 7 puppies, one female dog and her babies can have as many as 67.000 new puppies in just 6 years. A larger dog will produce more pups. The runt is the smallest puppy of the litter, but that doesn’t mean it is the most submissive. Ask about appetite and eliminations. The female dog’s age also can influence her litter size. ReferencesAmerican Kennel Club; "Breeder's Handbook: Variables That Influence Litter Size; Bretaigne Jones'Litter Size and Singleton; Dr. Carmen L. BattagliaWhite Fire Great Pyrenees; Whelping the Litter; Catherine de la CruzGuinness World Records: Largest Litter - DogVCA Animal Hospitals: Did You Bring Home the Runt of the Litter?American Kennel Club; The Care and Feeding of the Breeding Bitch Part One; Kathleen Hefner. She has also written more than 200 blog posts, articles, and ebooks on wedding and party planning on behalf of professionals in the field. So a small but healthy puppy is by no means guaranteed to become a smaller than average dog. When a single puppy litter occurs, the one puppy that’s in the uterus has access to all the nutrition that comes from the mother, and none of the competition that comes from littermates. With this in mind, if your furry friend came from a single-puppy litter, you'll need to put in a little extra work to … On the other hand, theoretically speaking, males can sire a limitless number of litters. For instance, When a female dog is not bred until the age of four years, chances are that her litter size will be smaller than if she had been bred early on. The puppies will be most likely bigger at birth and might be fatter. In its first few weeks, a healthy puppy should gain 5 to 10 percent of its birth weight each day. By the time a bitch has had three litters, the breeder will know if her puppies tend to be healthy. It is particularly common in Scottish Terriers. On the other side, some dogs will go into heat every year. Breed type also impacts the size of the newborns. Research shows older mother dogs have smaller litters than younger canine moms. Because the unborn puppies share the nutrition she takes in from her food, she needs an ample diet to properly nourish the puppies. Of course, you shouldn't judge a dog's temperament on a day they're feeling a bit down. Not every litter will have a runt, but this puppy is the smallest one of the litter. Health. Dams with less than healthy diets, including those that are overweight, yield smaller litters. But, all thing being equal, by the time they mature they will be the same as if the litter was the normal size for this breed; size the pups will be is decided by their genes. I think I do need to go back and re-ask about your views in regard to large vs small litters and competition for food. Usually, the size of a dog litter is mainly based on the dog’s body size — simply because biologically, bigger bodies are able to carry a larger litter size than smaller bodies. Size – even within a particular breed, a smaller dog will produce fewer pups. It also is possible for a dog to give birth to just one puppy, called a singleton. On the other hand, while larger dog breeds are capable of carrying larger litters, and often do, size alone does not guarantee a large litter. This can lead to a pretty big singleton. While litter size can impact many aspects of whelping and raising puppies, it does not actually impact the size of the individual puppies. If she is unhealthy before or during pregnancy, the number of puppies in her litter tends to be smaller. Some dogs, especially in small and toy breeds, will go into heat every four or five months. On the other hand, while larger dog breeds are capable of carrying larger litters, and often do, size alone does not guarantee a large litter. Additionally, nutritionist Russ Kelly found that adding extra protein supplements to a female dog’s diet during pregnancy actually decreases the odds that she will have a large litter. The dam’s health. Small-breed dogs, such as Chihuahuas, do not have room in their bodies for large litters, therefore they tend to produce only two to four puppies per pregnancy. Have you located a litter of available pups? While accurately predicting the size of an expectant mom's litter is difficult, some other factors do contribute. Things that didn’t matter. Mothers health – The health condition of a female pup is important when it comes to litter size. Managing Females – A Dog's First Litter First time mommas are a handful, mostly because they can't call their mom and ask if this is normal! not at all.. all dogs have different sizes of litters, usually small dogs have smaller litters, while as a large dog will have large litters. Depending on the breed, a healthy newborn puppy can weigh between 4.2 and 22 ounces (120 to 625 g). She holds a Master of Arts in linguistics from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Oakland University. VCA Animal Hospitals: Did You Bring Home the Runt of the Litter? Small-breed puppies are typically several inches smaller than large-breed puppies, regardless of the number of dogs in the litter. It depends on the size of your dog and how well she was bred. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. When a small population of animals becomes cut off from other animals of the same species, health issues begin to rise ... And for an individual litter of puppies with a low (for the breed) COI. Even with the best knowledge and scheduling, you can end up with a small litter…or even a singleton…but having an understanding can also increase your odds of a healthy litter; both in size and overall health of your puppies. (Sorry!) While 101 dalmatians may be quite a stretch, the size of some dog’s litters can be upwards of 18 puppies. Instead, their size can usually be traced back to the health and nutrition of the mother dog before and during her pregnancy. Getting a puppy? Number of Pregnancies – first time pregnancies tend to produce fewer puppies. Unusually small puppies are not a result of large litters. But in the larger breeds there are wide variations in litter size ranging from 1 to 21 and in a some instances they have been larger. A veterinarian can do an ultrasound to estimate the size of the litter so the household can prepare adequately for the new arrivals. 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