I have a confession to make, I am a very curious cat (or should I say dog?), Especially since I got a puppy a few weeks ago. I’ve already shared my dilemmas and questions with you like is it normal for puppies to sleep a lot and when do puppies calm down. However, I haven’t told you that my sister also got a dog, a female Chihuahua, and let me tell you she is tiny! So tiny that I actually wondered, how many puppies can a Chihuahua have?!
Well, I did some research and I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t share my findings with you! So instead of learning more about my troubles with my new puppy, you’re going to learn more about Chihuahuas.
Before we start, I’d like to remind you that on The Goldens Club website you can find a lot of useful information all around dogs:
- How Do I Know If My Puppy Will Survive Parvo?
- Can dogs have jalapenos: Here’s the truth
- When To Switch Puppy To 2 Meals A Day?
- How to pick a puppy from a litter: Our advice
- Why Is My Female Dog’s Private Area Swollen
How many puppies can a Chihuahua have?
Chihuahuas are a brachycephalic breed (just like French Bulldogs!), Basically, a brachycephalic breed is every breed that has a shortened head, short nose, and flat face.
This means that not only Chihuahuas are a brachycephalic breed, but so are Pugs, Shih Tzus, Chow Chows, Pekingese, Lhasa Apso, Bull Mastiffs, and English Toy Spaniels.
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Now, what’s important to know about these breeds is that they are not only smaller in size, but their litter size is quite small too. Chihuahuas for example only have three puppies in one litter.
Complications during birth
Knowing how many puppies a Chihuahua can have in a litter is actually very important if you own a female Chihuahua. Especially if she is pregnant.
Because Chihuahuas are so small in size pregnancy can be a bit difficult for them (I don’t want to say dangerous).
On average Chihuahuas will give birth to three puppies. How little this is you’ll realize when I tell you that large breeds, like a Golden retriever for example, usually have eight puppies in a litter.
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Due to their size and many complications that can happen during birthing, it’s usually advised that Chihuahuas give birth via a cesarean section. This is simply to avoid risks associated with natural birth.
How many puppies can a Teacup Chihuahua have?
While Chihuahuas are already small, Teacup Chihuahuas are even smaller! Grown-up Teacups weigh no more than four pounds! That’s how tiny they are!
So, given that this breed is so small, how many puppies do they have? Well, generally speaking, a tiny Teacup Chihuahua can have a litter of only one or two puppies on average.
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I also need to say that Teacup Chihuahuas are not officially recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club) however they are extremely popular.
Teacups experience the same risks during giving birth just like the regular Chihuahuas, so you need to be very careful if you own one.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the answer to the question of how many puppies can a Chihuahua have is around three puppies in one litter.
Chihuahuas are a very small breed and in addition to that they are also a brachycephalic breed, meaning naturally they will have a smaller litter.
Also, keep in mind that they are more likely to experience complications during giving birth.