How Many Puppies Can My Dog Have?
When your dog gets pregnant, you may ask yourself how many puppies your dog is going to have. The answer depends on many factors. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about puppies. Also, we’ll answer any other questions you might have about your dog’s pregnancy.
How many puppies is my dog going have?
The answer to how many puppies a dog could have is based on the breed, age, and size of the dog.
- If your dog is small, it’s unlikely that she will have more than one puppy. However, there have been cases of toy-sized dogs having up to four puppies.
- A medium-sized dog could have between 6 to 8 puppies, sometimes even more.
- A big dog can have up to 14 puppies at a time.
- If your dog is already old, most likely she won’t be able to have more than one puppy. There is also a higher risk factor of older dogs dying after giving birth.
People say that the way to determine the number of puppies a dog is going to have is by observing the dog’s breast just before giving birth. However, this isn’t always relevant because sometimes the number of puppies vary due to some dying inside the womb. Either way, a female dog mom won’t be able to comfortably breastfeed more than 8 puppies.
Can dogs have twins?
Although there are some people who would love to hear that the answer is yes, unfortunately, there is no record of any case where a dog had twins.
Specialists explain that female dogs have very different physical makeup from human women. Their uterine system is divided into two. This means that when a dog generates embryos, they are always housed in different areas.
How can you recognize the beginning and end of a birth?
Sometimes owners think a dog has finished giving birth and leave the animal alone before she has finished giving birth to all the puppies. Therefore, it’s important that to know when a birth is about to begin and ends.
To recognize the initiation of them giving birth, it’s important to watch your dog carefully to notice changes in their behavior. Right before a dog is about to go into labor, they will be nervous and tired. They will make slow movements, looking for a safe, warm, and hidden place to take refuge, which takes place 60 to 65 days after conception.
On the other hand, when it comes to figuring out if a dog has finished giving birth you can also look at their behavior. A new mom will be relieved. She will begin to round up the puppies and start breastfeeding.
How old can a dog give birth?
As a general rule, experts don’t recommend that a dog has puppies after 9 years of age. This is because a dog is too old to do so at this age. This means their entire body is aging and her immune system is beginning to weaken.
Therefore, both she and her potential babies could have serious health risks. Due to her health declining after giving birth, she is more prone to contracting diseases, and physical and mental degeneration.
As mentioned earlier, everything related to your dog’s pregnancy, delivery and how many puppies they will have depends on several factors, such as health, breed, size, and age. However, to be sure of any risks, always talk to your veterinarian. They will be able to advise you about what stage of pregnancy your dog is at and they will provide with more information about the delivery.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Angulo, S. M. (2006). El parto de la perra. Profesión veterinaria, 16(63), 34-38.
- de Tejerina, J. C. D. F., Vega, F. J. P., & Llamazares, B. C. (1994). Parto y distocias en la perra y en la gata. Clínica veterinaria de pequeños animales: revista oficial de AVEPA, Asociación Veterinaria Española de Especialistas en Pequeños Animales, 14(4), 223-241.