If you’re thinking about raising Bernedoodles and having a litter of puppies, you’re probably wondering what you can expect in terms of size. Unlike horses, cows, and other animals, dogs can have more than one baby at a time, sometimes even more than a dozen!
Before you get concerned about having more pups than you can handle, the average litter size for Bernedoodles is typically seven to ten puppies. However, while this is the average, litter sizes can be anywhere from a single puppy to 12 or even more.
While luck and circumstances are factors when it comes to Bernedoodle litter sizes, there are things you can do to impact it. This article will explain how to ensure you have a large litter of puppies as well as concerns to watch out for when it comes to the health of your pups and their mother.
What affects litter size?
Although there are no guarantees when it comes to how big or small your litter of Bernedoodles will be, it’s not entirely up to luck. There are things you can do to affect litter size but genetic and environmental factors play a role too.
Size classification of parents
One of the biggest factors is the size of the mother and father. As a general rule, the bigger the dogs are, the more likely you are to have a bigger litter. Here’s a quick rundown of the average litter sizes based on whether you are breeding standard, medium, or mini Bernedoodles.
- Standard: 9-12 puppies
- Medium: 9-12 puppies
- Mini-medium: 8-12 puppies
- Mini: 6-8 puppies
- Micro-mini: 4-6 puppies
Food and diet
In addition to genetics and the size of your doggy parents, what you’re feeding them and how much they’re eating will also affect litter size. If you want a large litter of healthy puppies, it’s essential to feed the mother healthy dog food and ensure she maintains a healthy weight.
As with people, a pregnant dog is no longer eating just for herself – she’s also eating to provide supplements to her unborn pups. Unlike a human who is typically only eating for one extra person, a dog may be eating to sustain 6 to 12 extra lives, which means they need a ton of food!
On top of helping them maintain a healthy weight, it’s also important to wait to breed your dog until they are at a healthy weight. Allowing your dog to get pregnant while they’re underweight can result in a smaller litter and lead to health problems for the mom and pups.
Health
Your dog’s weight and the type and amount of food you’re feeding them are the biggest health factors that affect Bernedoodle litter size. However, you can further boost their health by giving them supplements. Giving your dog NuVet supplements while they’re pregnant will help keep them happy and healthy, which goes a long way in ensuring a large litter of pups.
Age of parents
How old your dog is will also affect how many puppies they can have. In general, the prime breeding age for Bernedoodles is from 2 to 4. They will have their largest litters during these years. They will also be able to provide the highest level of care for their pups at this age, which ensures a healthy litter.
Once your dog turns 5 and 6 years old, their litter sizes often begin tapering. This is true for all Bernedoodles, regardless of size, weight, and health. While they can still have puppies, the litter will usually be smaller, and there’s a higher risk of complications for the mother and her pups.
At Fawn River Doodles, for instance, we typically stop breeding our dogs when they turn 5. In addition to ensuring the health of the mothers, this also allows them to enjoy the majority of their lives running, playing, and simply enjoying life to the fullest.
Is a dog’s first litter its smallest?
You may have heard it said in certain corners of the Internet that a dogs first litter is often their smallest. However, at Fawn River Doodles, we’ve actually found the opposite to be true. In most cases, if litter sizes change from one pregnancy to the next, a dog’s first litter of puppies is often their biggest.
Litter sizes typically get smaller as the mother ages. To that point, one of our most fertile dogs had an average litter size of 13 puppies, with her largest being 15! However, by the time she had her last litter, it was down to 8 puppies, which was a surefire sign to us that it was time for her to retire.
What’s the biggest litter born at Fawn River Doodles?
What’s the smallest litter ever born at Fawn River Doodles?
Although we’ve had a lot of luck when it comes to litter size, we’ve also had a few litters that didn’t fair as well. The smallest litter we’ve ever had was a single puppy, which happens on rare occasions.
The most likely reason for a litter of one pup is that we simply bred the mother at the wrong time. Combine this with the fact that her second litter had 5 adorable puppies, and you can almost certainly chalk it up as a one-time fluke.
Are there health concerns with extra large or extra small litters?
While extra large or small litters can be dismaying, depending on the size you were hoping for, it typically doesn’t affect the health of the mother or puppies. Having said that, however, there are a few things to watch out for.
Health concerns for mom
Here are a few health concerns to watch out for with the mom of an extra small or large litter:
Whelping
The primary concern to watch out for with mothers of extra large or small litters is that they can become disoriented or confused. When this happens, they tend to be rougher with their puppies and can even neglect them. To prevent confusion and disorientation, also known as whelping, we recommend supplementing the mother dogs diet with calcium.
If you don’t have calcium supplements on hand, you can simply feed your dog a bowl of ice cream. Ice cream is packed with calcium, and should do the trick of supplementing their needs.
Labor problems
Another concern for mothers is when they have very small litters — for example, one or two puppies. When this happens, it can take longer for them to go into labor, often resulting in a late-term birth. Late-term births increase the risk of having a stillborn, which means you may need to induce birth if you and your vet are concerned about this possibility.
Exhaustion
Lastly, it’s possible for mothers of large litters to become physically exhausted.
When this happens, they struggle to provide basic care for their puppies and may produce less milk. Large litters can also put extra strain on the mother during delivery, which can lead to complications and stress.
Health concerns for puppies
As with the mother, there are a few health concerns with puppies that are part of an extra small or large litter. The primary thing to be aware of is that the mother may not be able to produce enough milk for all her pups. Or just as likely is that some laid-back pups may get elbowed away from the nipple and not get enough milk.
If this happens, you may need to bottle feed any pups in larger litters that aren’t getting enough nutrition on their own.
On the other hand, it’s possible with extra small litters that the puppies will overeat and get too much milk. While this will result in some chubbiness, overeating as a pup doesn’t have any serious long-term health ramifications.
It’s interesting to remember that the size of a litter doesn’t determine the size of the puppies in the litter. They will grow to their normal size as long as you feed and care for them.
What are concerns for puppies of extra large or extra small litters?
In addition to health concerns, it’s also possible to have general behavioral concerns about puppies of extra large or small litters. For instance, if a pup is born in a litter of one, it can be harder to train. This is because puppies take visual and verbal cues from one another and essentially train each other. As such, if you have a puppy born alone, it’s important to socialize them early and often with pups of a similar age.
Final thoughts
As you can see, the size of a litter of Bernedoodle puppies can vary wildly depending on the mother’s size, nutrition, weight, and overall health. It’s important to do everything you can to keep the mother happy and healthy before and during pregnancy.
It’s also important to be aware of the potential issues that come with having an extra large or small litter. These include behavioral issues for small litters, under-feeding for larger litters, and potential birth complications for large or small litters.
Luckily, you can avoid these potential issues as long as you’re aware of them and ensure your dog receives regular vet checkups. Your vet can induce labor to avoid birth complications while also ensuring your pups and their mother receive the care they need.