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because our dog has 6 nipples and my brother was wondering if every nipple would be used.

2007-03-11 06:51:00 · 13 answers · asked by maplecutie1 1 in Pets Dogs

13 answers

A general rule of thumb is that a mammal will produce half as many offspring as the number of teats on the mother. This rule is altered in domesticated animals since larger litters are often favored for economic reasons and in dogs, particularly, the great range of sizes and shapes plays a role in how many healthy puppies a female can carry. An average litter consists of about six puppies, though this number may vary widely based on the breed of dog. Toy dogs generally produce from one to four puppies in each litter, while much larger breeds may average as many as 12 pups in each litter. The number of puppies also varies with the mother's age and health, the father's sperm count, the timing of the breeding, and many other factors.

Some breeds have been developed to emphasize certain physical traits beyond the point at which they can safely bear litters on their own. For example, the Bulldog often requires artificial insemination and almost always requires cesarean section for giving birth.

Since a mother can provide nutrients and care to only a limited number of offspring, humans must assist in the care and feeding when the litter exceeds approximately eight puppies.

2007-03-11 07:27:55 · answer #1 · answered by Jessica♥sRRidgebacks 3 · 1 0

It depends on the breed. Larger dogs tend to have more puppies. Smaller dogs tend to have fewer. But there are exceptions. Litters of 4 to 6 are very common in the medium sized breeds.

Dogs may have 3, 4 or 5 pairs of nipples depending on the breed. All of the nipples are used in most cases, because even if there are only a few pups, they will use different nipples each time. When there are more pups than nipples it means some have to wait and weaker puppies may not get their fair share. Rarely is it necessary to bottle feed pups, but once in a while it does happen. And some breeders being overly concerned may assist the mom with bottle feeding just to be sure.

2007-03-11 06:57:55 · answer #2 · answered by Behaviorist 6 · 0 0

No one can really answer that question..Depend entirely on the female dog. Common sense will tell you that larger dogs will have more puppies than a smaller dog. Other than that this isn't a realistic question. That is funny you should mention the counting of the nipples.. When i was a kid we all thought the same thing.. if it had six nipples then she would have six puppies.. duh@us back then lol.

2007-03-11 06:56:32 · answer #3 · answered by china 4 · 1 0

My mom is a activity breeder. She has 2 lady shih tzus. It relies upon on how previous the pregnant dogs is or maybe if it truly is her first muddle. First litters have a tendency to be fewer in determination (2-3) fantastically if the mother is lower than a year previous herself. everyday for shih tzus determination from dogs to dogs. one among my mom's lady had 2 her first littler and has had 4 each muddle because the first. Her different lady had 4 her first muddle, 6 her second and third litters, and then 5 her very last 2 litters. She is now spayed. My mom stated 5 pregnancies is sufficient for all individuals! the biggest muddle of shih tzus I particularly have ever heard is 9 and they had to help with the feeding. reliable luck

2016-12-01 20:17:18 · answer #4 · answered by philipp 4 · 0 0

It depends on the size of the dog - Large dogs such as St. Bernards can have 14 pups, while little dogs, such as chihuahuas have 2-3. The number of nipples has nothing to do with it.

2007-03-11 06:56:25 · answer #5 · answered by Yo LO! 6 · 2 0

It all depends on the dog itself. It doesn't even matter on the size of the dog. It has to do with the amount of eggs that the ***** releases and how often she is bred it each heat.

I have had a Rottie that only had 4- 5 pups per litter, and a Shih Tzu that has 7 - 9 per litter. It is all in the dog.

2007-03-11 07:19:20 · answer #6 · answered by Katslookup - a Fostering Fool! 6 · 0 1

depends on breed, ive had a dog have 8 once. o theyll fight for those nipples.

2007-03-11 06:59:01 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Depends on the dog, some have had like around 20!!

2007-03-11 08:06:23 · answer #8 · answered by bsjokerkid 4 · 0 2

it all depends on what kind of dog you have i have seen a pit have ten and a pug have 1

2007-03-11 07:00:15 · answer #9 · answered by douglas R 3 · 0 0

the amount on nipples does not matter,

2007-03-11 06:59:35 · answer #10 · answered by Axel 3 · 0 1

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