How Many Puppies Will My Dog Have? Litter Size by Breed

How many puppies will my dog have? For most dogs, around five, but the real answer depends on her size, breed and age. The biggest study we found, of 10,810 purebred litters registered with the Norwegian Kennel Club, recorded an average of 5.4 puppies, from about 2 in the smallest toy breeds to about 9 in Rhodesian Ridgebacks.

Below are the averages by size and breed, the factors that change the number, and how to plan for the count with our dog pregnancy calculator.

Average litter size by dog size

Borge and colleagues (2011) grouped breeds by adult weight. Bigger dogs had bigger litters, up to a point:

Breed size (adult weight)	Average litter size
Miniature (under 5 kg / 11 lb)	3.5 puppies
Small (5–10 kg / 11–22 lb)	4.2 puppies
Medium (10–25 kg / 22–55 lb)	5.7 puppies
Large (25–45 kg / 55–99 lb)	6.9 puppies
Giant (over 45 kg / 99 lb)	7.1 puppies
All dogs	5.4 puppies

Source: Borge et al., Theriogenology 2011. Pounds converted by us.

Notice that giant breeds barely beat large ones. A 2026 study of 115 breeds in Danish Kennel Club records found the same curve: litter size rises with body weight, but the very largest and smallest breeds have fewer puppies than a straight-line trend would predict.

How many puppies by breed?

Averages for common breeds from the same Norwegian data:

Breed	Average litter
Rhodesian Ridgeback	8.9
Golden Retriever	7.5
Rottweiler	7.4
Great Dane	7.1
Labrador Retriever	6.9
Boxer	6.6
German Shepherd	6.1
Border Collie	6.0
Beagle	5.5
French Bulldog	4.7
Pug	4.2
Shih Tzu	4.2
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	4.1
Yorkshire Terrier	3.5
Chihuahua	3.2
Pomeranian	2.4
Toy Poodle	2.4

Source: Borge et al. 2011. These are breed averages; individual litters vary widely.

What affects how many puppies a dog has?

• Body size. The strongest factor, as the tables show.
• Skull shape. The 2026 Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica study found brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds such as bulldogs and pugs had litters about 25% smaller than expected for their weight. Short legs (as in dachshunds and corgis) made no difference.
• Litter number. In the Borge data, first litters averaged 5.7 puppies, and later litters tended to be smaller, down to about 4.2 by the sixth.
• Age. Older large and giant females had smaller litters than younger ones.

When can a vet count the puppies?

An ultrasound can usually confirm pregnancy from about day 25–30, but for counting, vets generally use an X-ray from about day 45, when the puppies’ skeletons show up. Knowing the number matters: during labor it tells you whether she is finished or whether a puppy is still to come. Not sure yet whether she’s pregnant? See how to tell if your dog is pregnant.

Worked example: planning the X-ray date

Your dog was bred on October 5, 2026. Enter that date in the dog pregnancy calculator with “Breeding date” selected. It returns:

Milestone	Day	Date
Ultrasound can usually confirm pregnancy	Day 25	October 30, 2026
X-ray can count puppies	Day 45	November 19, 2026
Set up the whelping box; start temperature checks	Day 56	November 30, 2026
Most likely due date	Day 63	December 7, 2026
Possible whelping window	Days 58–72	December 2 to December 16, 2026

The window is wide because a breeding date isn’t the same as the day of conception. Cornell notes due dates are 63 ± 7 days from the first breeding, but much tighter if your vet times ovulation. Our dog pregnancy week-by-week guide explains what happens in each stage.

How should I prepare for a large litter?

• Feed for the litter. Energy needs climb in late pregnancy and peak while she is nursing, especially with a big litter (Merck). Ask your vet about switching to a growth or all-life-stages food; the dog calorie calculator gives her normal adult baseline to start from.
• Know the labor timeline. With 7 or more puppies, labor can run for many hours. Our post on how long a dog is in labor covers what’s normal and when to call.
• Plan for the puppies’ first months. Our puppy weight calculator helps new owners estimate adult size, and how often to feed a puppy covers meals after weaning.

Is a small litter a problem?

Not in itself; toy breeds average fewer than 3 puppies. But Cornell’s guide to dystocia (difficult birth) notes that small breeds with very small litters can have puppies too large to pass easily, and that very large litters (more than 8) can tire the uterus out. It also says more than half of births in brachycephalic breeds such as bulldogs and pugs may need help. Tell your vet the X-ray count and plan ahead, including whether an elective C-section makes sense.

When to call your vet

During pregnancy, call your vet if your dog:

• has bloody, foul-smelling or green vaginal discharge before labor starts
• stops eating for more than a day, or vomits repeatedly
• seems weak, has a fever or is in pain
• passes day 70–72 from breeding without labor starting

During labor, call immediately if green discharge appears with no puppy within 15–30 minutes, if strong contractions go on for 20–30 minutes with no puppy, or if more than 2 hours pass between puppies and you know more are coming. The X-ray count is what lets you know that.