Determining how many puppies a dog will have

Question
What determines how many puppies a dog will have?

Answer
If I understand your question correctly, you're asking what factors contribute to actual litter size? If so, many things come into play; first, almost all breeds have an average litter size so obviously genetics plays a huge role. For example, while Miniature Schnauzers may normally have an average litter size of 3 to 5 puppies, if the bloodline of both dam & sire tend to have larger than average litters then those may too. Also the quality of both the female's eggs & the male's sperm play a part -- if both of are high quality & also the animal's health is excellent, the probability of a larger litter is more likely. Normally nature sets the standard for litter size so while some dogs may have smaller than average litters others of the same breed may have larger ones. From my experience, one of my females almost always has 3 to 4 puppies per litter yet a female I owned years ago always had 8 to 9 puppies -- both had perfectly healthy puppies with no problems, same breed & approximately the same size. If you have any additional specific questions about this subject I'd be happy to try to lend my opinion if you'd like.