Chihuahuas are such a tiny breed of dog. So, if you want to breed your female Chihuahua, you might wonder how many puppies can a Chihuahua have?
It’s a genuine worry for parents of dogs so tiny that something goes drastically wrong during the birth. Being so small, the female will not carry large litters. The average size of a Chihuahua is only five pounds.
It’s normal for there to be only three to five babies. However, it’s not always the case. Some Chihuahua moms have had much larger litters, in one case a mommy Chihuahua gave birth to a litter of 10 babies.
The mommy’s name was Coco and in 2011 gave birth to 10 puppies, each one weighing just about 2 ounces. At that size, they would have had more in common with mice than puppies. In fact, Coco’s name proudly went into the Guinness World Records.
In 2018, a Chihuahua from Kansas broke that record by delivering 11 puppies. Well, records are there to be broken.
How Many Puppies Do Chihuahua Have First Time?
It’s quite normal for a pregnant Chihuahua to have a lower number of puppies the first time she gives birth. Probably only one or two. There’s nothing that says she can’t have more, but it’s widely accepted this is the case with most breeds.
Every time a Chihuahua is pregnant it’s a worry for her parents, but the first time is the worst. It’s true that Chihuahuas have birth issues, and quite often the puppies need to be born by Caesarean section rather than a natural birth. To prevent this as much as you can, it’s better to choose a male that’s smaller than her. Even then, it’s not a guarantee that her puppies will be small enough to deliver naturally.
You might also check on the parents of both dogs, because if there are large Chihuahuas in either dog’s genes, then it can happen that a larger than average puppy can come along.
The more information there is about their respective families, the better it is. You’ll breathe a sigh of relief if both families seem to breed smaller dogs. It’s super important because it relates back to the health of your little girl, and if you need to have your vet on standby for an emergency C-section.
When Your Chihuahua Is Giving Birth For The First Time?
Chihuahuas will give birth within 60 days of conception. Normally at the 45-day stage of her pregnancy, you can request your vet to take an X-ray and determine the number of pups your Chihuahua is having. It can also give you an approximate size of them. Best to know in advance if any of them look a lot bigger than the others.
We suggest you have your vet’s emergency number handy when your girl goes into labour. You want to know they will be prepared to accept your Chihuahua if something goes wrong.
When the time is almost here, your Chihuahua will want to be alone, evading your family and try to find somewhere quiet and where she feels secure.
Chihuahuas normally give birth to one pup every 50 to 60 minutes. She will have to push to deliver her babies, but that should only happen for about 15 minutes or so for each birth.
If your girl is pushing and straining for longer than this (upwards of an hour) or she’s not delivered for up to four hours, then check if there are more pups to be born, if there are you need to speak to your vet and ask for advice.
How Many Puppies Can A Teacup Chihuahua Have?
A Chihuahua is a tiny dog, but Teacup, Toy or Micro Chihuahuas are even tinier. They will grow to be less than four pounds. They are not officially recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club) but they are extremely popular.
From a tiny Teacup Chihuahua expect a litter of one or two puppies on average. The procedure to establish the number and size of her puppies is the same for a normal size Chihuahua mommy.
Some Chihuahua Pregnancy Facts
A female Chihuahua can become pregnant in her first heat cycle. For breeds the size of Chihuahuas, this can be when the female is only four to seven months old.
Even if there’s no ‘Tie’ a Chihuahua female can still become pregnant. This is a natural occurrence after copulation, the two dogs become locked together for up to 30 minutes.
It’s not good to try to separate them during this period because it can injure the male. And even if you managed to separate them, it’s probably too late because the male will have already ejaculated.
A Chihuahua can become pregnant by two different males. Female dogs have more than one ova which remain available even if one has already been fertilized. So if a second dog comes along, it’s feasible for the dog to impregnate her again.
A Chihuahua can become pregnant by a much larger dog breed. Of course, this is highly dangerous for the Chihuahua. If the dog is too large, the Chihuahua might not survive the pregnancy.
Chihuahua False Pregnancy
This can happen to any female dog, not just Chihuahuas. Sometimes there is some kind of chemical imbalance going on inside the dog. Her body in effect tricks into believing she’s pregnant. In fact, all the physical signs of pregnancy are there, swollen tummy, breast tissue will grow and even produce milk.
The good news is that everything should return to normal within a month.
Summary – How Many Puppies Can A Chihuahua Have?
A Chihuahua should never have more than one litter in a year. If she’s unfortunate and been through a C-section, she really needs time to heal properly. In fact, it would be kinder to the dog to wait even longer than a year.
Every time a Chihuahua has a litter, there’s a danger to her health. The most litters a girl should have is maybe four. If you are considering a Chihuahua puppy for yourself, then check with the breeder how many litters the mother has had. If it’s more than four, it would be better to avoid the breeder.
