You seem to be a happy parent of an expecting poodle. No matter this is your first experience or you have been breeding dogs for years, every litter of puppies is an exceptional experience.
If we talk about poodles, you might be a lot of questions popping out in your head. Like, how many puppies can a poodle have? Or how many times can a poodle get pregnant? Right?
On average a standard poodle can have 7 puppies. On the other hand, a miniature poodle and a toy poodle can have up to 5 and 3 puppies respectively. AKC shares the story of a standard poodle named Crystal Diamond RD who had the record litter of 16 puppies in 2016.
Keep calm! This article is all about poodle pregnancy. It will cover all of those popping questions and there is so much more. So, without further ado, Let’s get prepared for precious poodle babies!
How Many Puppies Can a Poodle Have? All Litter Sizes!
The number of puppies your poodle will have depends on the size of the parents. Generally, large breeds have a large number of pups as compared to the smaller breeds.
We know poodles are officially classified in three basic sizes. So, the number of puppies in the litter varies among all of them.
1. Standard Poodles:
If you have a standard poodle mommy, you can expect almost 7 puppies.
According to AKC in the year 2016, a standard poodle named Crystal Diamond RD gave birth to the largest litter of 16 pups. That’s quite a lot of puppies!
2. Miniature Poodles:
If your medium or miniature poodle is pregnant, you can expect 5 puppies from the poodle mum.
3. Toy Poodles:
Toy poodles are the smallest of all poodle types. Hence, they will have the smallest number of puppies in one litter and that is up to 3 puppies. Most commonly, toy poodles have only a single pup in a litter.
How Can You Tell If Your Poodle Is Pregnant?
If you want your poodle to get pregnant, she should be in the heat and around a male poodle. It depends on you whether you select a purebred poodle daddy or any other breed.
If you have already done that, you possibly can’t wait to see your poodle mommy getting pregnant and to have cute little doodle babies.
If you want to get a confirmation of your poodle’s pregnancy, you should take your dog to a Vet between 20th-22nd day from the day of conception.
Like humans, a Vet will do an ultrasound of your poodle and tell you whether your poodle is an expecting mommy or not.
The 20th-25th days are the most crucial after conception. There are various hormonal tests for dogs that measure pregnancy hormones. All of them are performed by a Vet in these days.
If you do not want to visit the Vet, there is no possible way that can tell you that your poodle is pregnant until the pregnancy gets 5-6 weeks old. After 5-6 weeks of conception, pregnant poodles visibly start to gain weight and display cuddling and lethargic behaviors.
How to Take Care of a Pregnant Poodle?
Now that you know how many puppies can a poodle have, you might also be wondering how to look after a pregnant poodle.
Below are some tips on how you can take care of an expecting poodle mommy!
- Regular Checkups and Blood Tests
- Ultrasound Scan on day 28 to check fetal heartbeats
- X-rays for fetus growth
- Do not stop a little bit of physical exercise and avoid intense workouts (walking is recommended)
- Offer her well-balanced healthy food
- Eggs and cottage cheese is good for pregnant poodle
- Do not give extra artificial supplements without a Vet’s advice
- Keep the surroundings of your pregnant poodle peaceful and friendly to rest
How to Prepare for the Delivery Process?
Pregnancy duration for bigger dogs is approximately 63 days while for smaller dogs a bit earlier about 56-59 days.
As the delivery time approaches, you should keep in mind some of the preparation elements.
Miniature and toy poodles in most cases go through a cesarean section. The deliveries of standard poodles are successful without any complications most of the time.
One cannot be as careful as a Vet. You should have a thermometer, sheets, floss, thread, clean newspapers, a suction bulb, a cardboard box, a canine bed as a whelping box, and a heating pad. If possible, have an assistant with you!
Poodle Pregnancy Problems
You should immediately contact a Vet if,
- Pregnancy stays more than 65 days
- When there is no birth even after a 24-hour labor
- Poodle mum is having ineffective strong contractions for more than half an hour
- The time interval between one puppy delivered and the other is longer than an hour
- Foul-smelling discharge
- Vomiting
- Low energy during delivery
- A lot of bleeding
After-Labor Checks:
- Take puppies and dam to the Vet
- Dam’s poop will stay softer than usual on the first few days
- Puppies are fed through the dam’s breast
- A small amount of pink discharge for a couple of days
- The next cycle should be avoided if the bleeding remains
Poodle Pregnancy FAQs:
1. How Long Do Poodles Stay in Heat?
The usual heat period of a poodle is about 3-4 weeks long. However, in the initial 10-12 days, poodles do not appear to be fertile.
A poodle can only be able to conceive puppies after 1-1/2 weeks of heat period.
During the heat period, poodles have a lot of dreaded discharges. To keep your floors and furniture clean, you can choose some good doggy diapers for your poodle.
A female poodle will not go into heat she is spayed as her uterus and ovaries are removed.
2. How Many Days Poodles Stay Pregnant?
The gestation period of most dogs is almost around 63 days or 9 weeks. It can vary 2-3 days more or less.
For smaller dogs like a miniature poodle or toy poodle, the gestation period is a bit short. They can give birth to their puppies even between 56-59 days.
You should take your pregnant poodle for regular check-ups especially when the whelping date is near. A vet can take X-rays and plan a smooth process.
3. Do Female Poodles Have Periods?
All dog breeds including female poodles do not have periods that you can compare with the human menstruation cycles.
Dogs are fertile twice a year after every six months and that period is known as the “heat period” or “season”.
4. How Many Litters Can a Toy Poodle Have?
No matter what poodle size you have, you should not breed them more than four to five times. Breeding your poodle more than five times pose risks of post-birth injuries and unhealthy pups.
If your poodle is healthy enough and properly checked up, it can easily be bred up to five times. It all depends on the poodle’s mum’s health and age. Make sure that she is healthy after every litter.
Even if your poodle is old, you shouldn’t breed her after four litters. Especially, if you have a smaller poodle. The bodies of smaller dogs are delicate and very sensitive when it comes to pregnancy.
5. How Much Do Standard Poodle Puppies Weigh at Birth?
A puppy of a standard poodle usually weighs between 2.5 oz to 2.75 oz at the time of birth. By the end of the first week after birth, little doodle will gain weight up to 4 oz.
6. What Affect the Litter Count of Poodles?
The size of your poodle’s litter not only depends on the size of the parents but also the age of the mother, her health, and the timing of breeding your poodle.
Grown-up poodle mums tend to have small litters as compared to the young ones. If you breed your female poodle at the perfect time of conception during her heat period, you can expect more pups.
Bottom Line:
How many puppies can a poodle have? It depends on the size of your poodle. A standard poodle can have up to 7 puppies in a litter. While miniature and toy poodles can have up to 5 and 3 puppies in a litter respectively.
The size of the poodle litter doesn’t only depend on the size of the poodle, it is also dependent on the health and age of the mother and the breeding time.
The pregnancy period for most dogs is around 63 days. Make sure not to breed your poodle more than four times as it leads to injuries and unhealthy puppies.
Taking care of your pregnant poodle, birth, and raising the puppies are wonderful experiences. You must gather appropriate knowledge about your dog’s pregnancy. Happy parenting!
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