The age of the dog when breeding plays a key role in the size of the litter. The older the prey, the smaller the litter, especially in larger breeds. Mothers raised 2 to 5 years old tend to have the largest litters. Despite the age of the prey, the first 2 litters will generally be smaller than the later.
The best way to assess litter size is by radiography. This requires that the puppies' skeletons have been mineralized, so that they are visible on an X-ray. This mineralization process begins around 45 days of gestation. However, this method is not 100 percent accurate, since skeletons may be sitting on top of each other, making it a bit difficult to count.
However, this is the best method, since skulls can be easily counted once prey approaches delivery. For example, litter size may be based on the number of eggs produced by the dog's ovary during a given heat cycle. In the future, could more dog breeders leverage technology to predetermine the sex of puppies in a litter? Breed size, dog age, and mating method are three factors that work together to determine litter size. It's not one thing, it's the three things.
Knowing the factors that influence dog litter size can be helpful, but the only way to more accurately determine litter size in dogs is through a veterinarian. This study found that litter size was influenced by breed size, mating method, and dog age. So, while Pomeranian litters are likely to be much smaller than those of a wolf dog, Pomerania will have the opportunity to produce many more litters throughout its life. Just because my dog, who is a Jack Russell, Chihuahua and Boston Terrier, gave birth on his own to a litter of 12 puppies, but only 11 survived.
A decrease in average litter size of 0.4 puppies would be expected for litters conceived with AI with fresh semen and 1.3 for AI with frozen semen, both compared to natural mating. In such situations, puppy milk replacement formulas and feeding devices are quite essential to keeping the entire litter alive (and not driving the poor mother crazy). Large dogs tend to have larger litters, while small dogs tend to have smaller litters, most obviously because the size allows larger dogs to have more puppies safely. Determining litter size can help breeders know if the mother dog has given birth to all puppies and recognize early signs of possible complications, such as large puppies that may be difficult to transmit.
The characteristic of larger dog breeds having larger litters is not new; this phenomenon is consistent with other studies. When it comes to diet, it is important that dogs selected for breeding receive the right proportions of proteins and fatty acids essential to produce healthy litters. The average number of puppies in a litter of German Shorthaired Pointer ranges from 8 to 12 puppies, but smaller and larger litters are expected. Miniature breeds generally produce litters of 3.5 puppies, while large breeds generally produce 7.1 puppies per litter.
The smaller a dog's gene pool, the smaller its litters tend to be; conversely, dogs that come from more diverse backgrounds tend to have larger litters. For example, dogs of breeds that normally produce litters of five puppies can only produce one or two for their first litter. Dogs fall somewhere between these two ends of the spectrum, as the average litter size across all breeds is approximately five. .
