- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Dogs can have anywhere from one to 24 puppies in a single litter! Of course, the average litter size does tend to be much smaller.
A Neapolitan Mastiff named Tia, who had 24 puppies in one litter in 2004, holds the record for “Largest Litter of Puppies.” But the number of puppies in a litter typically ranges from one to 12, with an average of five to six puppies across all dog breeds, says Dr. Alex Schechter, founder of Burwood Veterinary.
The number of times a dog can have puppies—in a year and over her lifetime—can also vary. Below, get all the details on puppy litters, including tips for finding a reputable breeder and important things to keep in mind if you’d like to breed your dog.
What Factors Affect Puppy Litter Size?
Factors that can affect the size of a dog’s litter include:
Breed
“The size of the breed is probably the single greatest predictor of puppy litter size,” says Dr. Patrik Holmboe, Head Veterinarian of Cooper Pet Care. “The bigger the breed, the bigger the size of litter.” This is because larger dogs can safely carry and deliver more puppies.
Research exploring the litter sizes of purebred dogs found that miniature breeds like Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas have an average of 3.5 puppies. Giant breeds, like Great Danes and Bernese Mountain Dogs, have an average of 7.1 puppies per litter.
Age
Another strong predictor for litter size is the age of the mother at the time of pregnancy. A dog’s breed also plays a role in how litter size changes with age. Typically, large breed dogs, like German Shepherds, have smaller litters as they grow older.
Health
“Certain health conditions, such as infections or hormonal imbalances, can affect a female dog’s ability to conceive or carry a litter to term,” says Dr. Schechter.
Genetic diversity
In some purebred dog breeds, the lack of genetic diversity and resulting smaller gene pool can lead to smaller litter sizes.
Nutrition
“Adequate nutrition is essential for the health of both the mother and the developing puppies,” says Dr. Schechter. “Poor maternal nutrition can lead to smaller litter sizes, lower birth weights, and increased risk of developmental problems in the puppies.” Poor nutrition is an especially common cause of runts in the litter.
How Many Puppies Should You Expect In Your Prospective Pup’s Litter?
If you’re visiting breeders when choosing your puppy, it’s a good idea to take note of how many puppies are in each litter. Knowing the typical litter size for the breed you want can help you catch potential discrepancies.
For example, if a small dog like a Chihuahua has a litter of 12 puppies, this could be an exception. But it might also mean the owners have added puppies from other mother dogs to the litter. If a litter size seems unusual, ask the breeder for clarification—it’s certainly possible to have significant variations in litter size.
Always make sure to choose a registered breeder and know the danger signs of puppy mills. You can also take a few additional steps to help ensure the mother dog and puppies are in good health, including:
- Meeting both parent dogs
- Asking to see evidence of health testing
- Making sure they have clean facilities
- Visiting on-site, not meeting somewhere else
- Making sure no dogs have signs of poor health like sneezing, lethargy, or runny noses
Note: Most of the time, dogs have more than one puppy per litter. A litter of just one puppy is rare—and some anecdotal evidence suggests dogs born as single puppies tend to grow up more anxious and fearful and may have trouble socializing with other dogs. This is called single puppy syndrome.
How Many Times Can A Dog Have Puppies?
Most female dogs have a heat cycle every six months, though smaller dogs may have a heat cycle more often. In theory, a female dog can have over 10 litters during her lifetime, but Dr. Schechter says most dogs can’t produce this number of healthy litters and remain healthy themselves.
Overbreeding can have serious health consequences—not just for the mother, but for her puppies. Some of these negative effects, according to Dr. Schechter, include:
- Reduced fertility
- Increased risk of reproductive health problems, including uterine infections and mastitis
- Complications during pregnancy and birth
- Weakened immune system for mother and puppies
- Increased risk of behavioral issues, like aggression and anxiety, in puppies
- Malnutrition and hypocalcemia
- Increased risk of viruses and parasites
Most veterinarians recommend only waiting until your female dog is 2 years old to breed her, and then only breeding her once per year, at most. She also shouldn’t be bred over consecutive heat cycles.
Ideally, a female dog should have no more than three to four litters over her entire lifetime, according to Dr. Schechter. “After several successful litters, it’s important to consider retiring the dog from breeding to allow her to enjoy a healthy and happy retirement,” Dr. Schechter says.
Puppy mills force female dogs to have litter after litter, with little time to recover in between. Responsible breeders, on the other hand, will carefully assess how many times each female dog has a litter, and they’ll stick to vet-recommended limits. That’s why you might have to join a waiting list for your perfect puppy!
What The Laws Say About A Maximum Number of Litters
Currently, no laws limit on the total number of litters a female dog should have. Breeder legislation also varies from state to state, and only 26 states currently have laws regulating the activity of commercial kennels. Wide variations between these laws, however, mean puppy mill operators can easily move to a state with more lenient laws.
Considering the vet recommendations for ethical breeding practices, remember that even if a certain level of breeding is legal in a specific state, it may not necessarily be the best thing for a dog. Ethical breeders should willingly discuss their breeding plans and how many litters they intend for each of their dogs.
How Many Puppies Usually Survive In A Litter?
Sadly, not every puppy in a litter will survive—even with all the veterinary care you can provide, according to Dr. Holmboe.
A study with a large sample size of over 10,000 litters born across 224 different breeds found that 24.6% of litters had some stillborn puppies or puppies who died within their first eight days. Both older age of the mother dog and larger litter sizes increased the risk of death.
“There’s always the chance of puppies simply being weak at birth, making it difficult for them to survive,” says Dr. Holmboe. He adds that this is more likely to happen with a bigger litter, particularly since a larger number of puppies means more competition for the mother’s milk and attention.
But as a pet parent, you can take steps to help puppies thrive—beginning before they’re even born. “Ensuring the mother dog receives proper nutrition, exercise, and veterinary care during pregnancy can help improve the health of the developing puppies,” Dr. Schechter says.
Other important steps, according to Drs. Holmboe and Schechter, include:
- Creating a clean and safe birthing environment to lower the risk of infections and other health problems.
- Making sure the mother eats and drinks enough while nursing to help all puppies get the nutrients they need for optimal growth.
- Paying attention to signs of illness or distress in growing puppies. These signs might include things like lethargy, poor appetite, or breathing difficulties.
- Bottle-feeding any puppies who have trouble competing with siblings to get enough food.
- Scheduling regular vet check-ups for the mother and puppies.
What Prospective Breeders Should Know
There’s much more to breeding your dog than a pile of cute, wriggly puppies.
Breeding isn’t just a full-time job for the short term. It’s also a lifelong commitment to the puppies, should their prospective owners change their minds. You’ll also want to consider the health implications of keeping your dog intact for breeding. For instance, she’ll have an increased risk of certain types of cancer.
Finding the best stud for your dog will also involve some research, and you might end up needing to bring your dog to another city or state. And of course, before breeding you’ll also need to arrange for the pre-breeding procedures, including:
- Complete physical examination
- OFA hip and elbow certification
- Annual CERF eye certification
- Any breed-specific health tests
- A Brucella canis test one month before breeding
And finally, it’s essential vital to set aside enough funds to cover both scheduled and emergency care for the mother dog and her puppies. Raising a litter of puppies might look like fun—but it takes a whole lot of time, money, and dedication!
