How Many Puppies Can A German Shepherd Have And More Info In This Post
German shepherds are guard dogs that attain a height ranging from 25 to 26 inches to their weight which ploughs up to ninety five pounds, (41kg). These canines are normally well structured in the physical aspect and this makes them go through a very wide range of activities.
These dogs can also be trained as sport, and hunting dogs because of their body structure and jaw grip. The fact that it has the ideal dog body, with resemblance to iconic breeds like the Siberian Husky makes it stand out in comparison to other dogs.
German shepherds possess broad, well structured heads, which forms a sharp type muzzle at it’s face front. It also possesses big and erect ears. It is a very level and well outlined dorsal font like every other dog it’s type, and it’s back is very muscular. It also possesses a bushy tail which tends to bend towards the floor.
This tail it normally wags when showing various emotions. It has a coat/ body fur that is very thick and coarse. We normally see German shepherds with black, brown or grey coat color. The German Shepherd normally have coats that have medium lengths, but on rare occasions it is possible to see some with very long coat hairs as it is in humans, where some tend to possess more.
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How Many Puppies Can A German Shepherd Have
The German Shepherd dog has an average lifespan of about ten to twelve years, infact they are one of the longest living dogs in present day existence
These canines are usually very acquainted with children and other household pets if they were raised together in the same environment. Based on the fact that these dogs are guard oriented in an instinctive level, they are always weary of strangers and are always alert when in company of something they are not familiar with.
These mammals are also very smart creatures as they learn an accumulate things at a very fast rate. This makes training sessions very easy, as you don’t need to stress your self to train it. If your German Shepherd is not properly bred, they can get very agitated and easily triggered.
Socialization is also a must when training these dogs, as lack of adequate socialization, could mean trouble as your dog will hardly get comfortable with lots of things and other living creatures, this can make it overly cautious, and prone to very aggressive attitudes towards other living creatures in the environment.
Owning a German Shepherd also means you need to be very energetic and active, as they need daily exercises for proper training and development.
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Breeding in German Shepherds
These dogs are very great mothers, as their loyalty comes to play in own they take care of their young. A female German Shepherd dog, may weigh up to thirty to thirty five kilogram and have a vertical height of about twenty two to twenty four in height. After birth, they tend to produce quite a large litter number as the average litter size is about eight puppies in number.
This means that some Shepherds may birth less or even more if there is a resulting increase in fertilized eggs. Based on fact that this is a big breed, the amount of puppies they give birth to tends to get higher than other smaller mutts. This happens because these dogs can comfortably house these babies, without much body harm or effect. German shepherds, may be known to produce large litters, but some complications might make their number of litters.
Let’s say the dog mates during it’s first estrus cycle, or has medical complications, these things are part of what may contribute to its giving birth to smaller litters.
How does the litter number affect the size of pups?
A German shepherds litter size does not affect the size of various pups, as the birth of quadruplets do not affect the weight of a human baby. If the litter your mutt carries is a big one, it’s offspring will most likely be average size wise. A big litter is lot’s of work, as the pups will stress out the mother the same way human babies do.
You might want to aid your German Shepherd in taking care of these runts as lots of stress, might cause several complications to your dog health wise.
German Shepherd’s pregnancy
These dogs tend to go through their pregnancy phase, from fertilization to delivery, within sixty three days. Just like humans, the bulging stomach doesn’t just show up, as various symptoms usher it in. During the first days of your dog’s pregnancy, it may start losing appetite and also start vomiting. Then within the 15th and 16th day, your dog would start showing changes in color and body size as it’s body fur might reduce in size.
When it’s month end, it is possible to listen to the female Shepherd baby’s heartbeat, providing you are in possession of a good stethoscope. Although this does not actually confirm the amount of baby it carries, but it gives some kind of closure that assures you of the unborn pups safety. Then your Female Shepherd’s stomach bulges out within the climax of the pregnancy as their abdominal area tends to get bigger and denser.
During this time, the dog’s breasts starts redeveloping as it tends to get bigger and firmer. This phenomena varies as not all dogs undergo this transformation. The shepherd then starts looking for a home for it’s puppies based on instincts. You should help in providing a nest for it, so it can successfully take care of it’s puppies.
You could provide a nice large and cozy box, for it to take care of it’s self and it’s pups. Chipping in some materials like towels could help in bed making for the new babies too. Providing a good and comfortable place for birth, will ensure that your female Shepherd does not hide in give birth to it’s young in search of comfort as this can induce lots of stress to the mother and her young ones.
Within the 45th to 50tg day, the unborn pups starts to cluster in the womb in preparation for childbirth. The dog’s abdominal area gets firmer during this phase and continues increasing in growth. This might affect it’s appetite, as changes in it’s body structure would trigger the target hormone needed to carry out a function, and these hormones have side effects.
In the 50th day, some dogs might be delivered on their babies, this might also stretch up to the 70th day, so don’t falter and continue providing your female Shepherd with lots of food for nutritional purposes. After the 70th day, it is advisable to check with your vet doctor to ensure your dog and it’s unborn children are still okay.
How to feed the puppies
Two weeks before childbirth, the pregnant shepherd begins lactation as this is also hormonally triggered. Then after her children is born, she continues to produce milk up to 8 weeks after childbirth. Breastfeeding your little pups could be very difficult especially if they are a large litter.
A way to make it easier is by differentiating the puppies with a tag or ribbon. This will make it easier to control the feeding activities of your little puppies, and also make sure none of them is malnourished. Making sure they all get their mother’s milk is very essential.
If their mother doesn’t produce enough, you could aid by making puppy formula milk food and bottle feed the pups. Make sure all of them gets their mother’s milk though, as that’s where the needed body nutrients are. You should also purchase this puppy treat from the right source to prevent the infection of diarrhea.
Always keep the temperature around the pups up to 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit because they cannot regulate their own body temperature. You should be aware of this if the litter is too large. Getting a thermometer to monitor the temperature, is a very good thing as this will help you know the temperature of that room.
You should also isolate the lactating mother and her young from other pets. Keeping them away is a very good idea as many problems might arise from their interactions with other pets.
Complications that come with childbirth in the female German Shepherd
Some things might actually go haywire when your German Shepherd is pregnant, or delivered of. Examples are;
- Continuous regurgitation
- Increase in temperature due to mastitis
- Milk fever
- Reduction in appetite level etc.
Taking your dog to the vet to ease the action of these symptoms on your pets body system is something you must do as a good dog owner.
The largest German Shepherd litter ever recorded
The largest German Shepherd litter ever recorded, was in Burnettsville Indiana. The dog was a female Shepherd named, Mosha and she gave birth to a whopping 17 young pups. 8 hours was all it took for her to be delivered of those babies, and unfortunately three of those pups did not survive the birth. It is very rare to get this type of litter number so you don’t need to worry much.
CONCLUSION – How Many Puppies Can A German Shepherd Have
German shepherds have served several humans in modern times that their importance is very essential. And just like how we regard our pregnant women, we should also do the same for these dogs when it’s time for childbirth. Premium antenatal and postnatal care should be made available. You should also ensure that you love and take care of the young pups, thereby aiding the mother whether it be a single pup, or they be ten in number.
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