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number of puppies

18 13:29:03

Question
QUESTION: does the amount of breeding in one heat determine the amount of puppies in the litter

ANSWER: Hi. No, the mother determines how many puppies are in a litter, she's the one that releases the eggs, the sperm will then fertilize them.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well, considering she could get pregnant possibly three times during one cycle and all three possibilities were met, then she could have a very large litter. How many eggs are released at a time? My female was breed by my stud 2-3 times a day for a week. What are your thoughts on that?

Answer
Hi. If she only releases one egg, then it's not going to matter how many times she was bred, she will only have one puppy if that egg was fertilized. As for how many do they put out, it depends on the dog, her age/breed/health. Look to her mom, how many pups did she have? This is just a guide, it's really hard to say for sure exactly how many eggs any dog will put out. She may have only one puppy her first time, then the next time she could have 10, I've seen it happen. As to how many times she was bred, no offense here, but that's overkill. Breeding the dogs that many times will not ensure a large litter. What you end up with are two very tired dogs, and a stud that didn't have enough time to replenish his sperm, and possibly a few premature pups. A male dog needs at least 24 hours to build his sperm back up. If he's bred that much, he may have not had enough time to do that, and that could also cause small litters.