The Pomeranians breeding line can influence the size of their litter: some lines have larger litter than others.
So, how many puppies can a Pomeranian have?
While the range is between one and three puppies per litter, certain breeds can birth up to six in a single litter.
This article will help you understand the breeding cycle of a Pomeranian, especially when it comes to the correct number of puppies she should birth.
How Many puppies Can A Pomeranian Have?
Suppose you’re considering breeding dogs, or you’re an ardent dog lover who is always curious and ready to learn more about different dog breeds.
In that case, talking to a seasoned dog breeder or veterinarian is essential.
Knowing the size of a Pomeranian litter is good for you and your furry friend.
A healthy Pomeranian should birth one to three puppies in one litter.
However, several factors may affect the number of puppies your Pomeranian will birth, such as:
1. Size of dog
Bigger dogs (in terms of size and build, not weight) are often able to produce larger litter.
It is difficult for a Pom to have a big litter of puppies, as they are very small.
Pomeranians with larger frames may have slightly bigger litters, but that would only be a minor factor, given how little there is to differ between their sizes.
2. Age Of The Bitch
As the dam grows older, litter size gets smaller.
Even though the litters you get from the dog are smaller than those that follow, you can still expect to get one or two more puppies when you breed again.
It’s not advisable to let your Pom get puppies once it has reached seven or eight years old because the health of the dam and the puppies is risky at that age.
In general, Dogs should be spayed long before that, if possible, to ensure they are healthy.
3. Age Of The Stud
The litter size will be affected by the father of the litter, as well.
However, the impact is not as significant as that of the mother.
Even a perfect female can produce numerous puppies, but there will likely be fewer puppies in a litter than you might think because semen quality begins to decline at 5 or 6 years old.
Sometimes it is necessary to use artificial insemination to aid in breeding older dogs, so it is better only to breed when the animals are young.
4. The Health Of The Mom
Dogs will live long lives if their mother is also healthy.
Before allowing a female dog to get pregnant, it is very important to take care of its mental and physical health, ensuring it gets lots of love, exercise, and mental stimulation.
The level of nutrition also affects the number of puppies you should expect from your Pomeranian.
To increase the chances of having a larger litter all year round, the dog should be fed a high-quality, protein-rich diet.
Smaller litter sizes are produced when dams have unhealthy diets and mainly when dams are overweight.
5. Litter Where Mom Came From
It’s interesting to note that the litter your Pom is from influences the number of puppies it births.
If she came from a large litter, there is a likelihood of having a large litter as well.
On top of that, you can generally expect that your Pomeranian will have a very small first litter if she was born in a small litter.
6. Type Of Breeding
How you breed dogs can affect the number and quality of puppies you get.
For instance, excessive inbreeding can compromise the quality of puppies the male sires.
The puppies will quickly get sick and have a shorter life expectancy; they’ll be at a greater risk of developing genetic diseases.
It is also more likely that problems will develop as the bond between the two dogs grows tighter.
Linebreeding aims to maintain genetic diversity while still preserving the best genes from a line of dogs. It is, therefore, often a more secure way of breeding dogs.
7. Time Of Breeding
Dams are likelier to have a larger litter size when they are near ovulation.
This period is after estrogen is gone, and the Luteinizing hormones start triggering ovulation.
However, since we could not find any research supporting this theory, we cannot confidently say that it is not that important.
What Is The Best Age To Breed A Pomeranian?
So now we have addressed the question of “how many puppies can a Pomeranian have?” lets look at when is the best age for breeding.
Some Pomeranians can technically start reproduction after they have gone through their first heat cycle.
However, doing that is not a good idea.
The heat phase for a female Pomeranian usually occurs around 6 to 9 months (sometimes it even occurs at four months old!), which is too young to start reproducing.
To allow your Pom to have enough time to mature sexually and gain sufficient weight, it is recommended to wait until she has at least two or three heat cycles before breeding her.
Breeders who are responsible will wait until a dog is at least two years old to breed them because the dog would have undergone all the necessary medical checks by then.
Since a female Pom doesn’t experience a period of menopause, she can continue giving birth for the better part of her lifetime.
However, as a breeder, it’s essential to know that pregnancy at a senior age of about eight years often doesn’t end well for both the puppies and the dog.
So, once your dog reaches six years, you should retire her and don’t allow her to get pregnant.
In some cases, if your Pom experiences difficult whelping, it should be spayed, even the dogs, in only two years.
How Many Times Can You Breed A Pomeranian?
If you want to breed a female Pomeranian, you’ll want to know how many times she can give birth.
Now we know how many puppies can a Pomeranian have, lets look at how many times they can breed.
Most breed clubs advise you to start with a female when she’s about two years old and to stop using her between the ages of 5 and 6.
This is normal.
However, the amount of times that a Pomeranian can breed is dependent on her health.
You should ensure the mother is healthy to avoid risking her life and the expected puppies.
While the female can weigh more than the male, the breeding standard in terms of weight for both males and females is 3 to 7 Ibs.
So, when you think about how many times your Pomeranian can breed, consider checking her weight.
While some breeders argue that you should let your Pom get pregnant naturally during every heaty cycle, that could lead to life-threatening exhaustion on your small friend.
In general, the three main options you have to include:
- Breeding her during every other heat cycle
- Breeding her during two heat cycles consecutively and letting her rest for one
- Breeding her in every heat cycle
Giving your Pomeranian some time to rest between breeding seasons helps her recover and regain the strength she requires to raise another litter.
Furthermore, The American Kennel Club only accepts litter once from a single Pom yearly.
Even though you don’t care about the AKC regulations, at least be mindful of your dog’s well-being by evaluating her overall health to determine the right breeding frequency.
For instance, if your Pom underwent a caesarian section will require enough rest to recover and carry another litter safely and thoroughly.
You should be cautious if your dog experiences complications, such as bacterial infections and raising puppies in the last pregnancy.
It’s wise to seek professional help from a vet to make an informed decision on how to breed your Pomeranian.
An experienced vet will consider everything, including checking the dog’s weight, before advising on how to proceed.
Final Thoughts
So how many puppies can a Pomeranian have?
A healthy Pomeranian should birth three puppies in a single litter.
However, since Poms can get pregnant very comfortably without risking her life for most of her life, it’s pretty challenging to say how many times she can give birth.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) standards advise breeders to have a limit of up to four litters per female Pom.
But if your Pom is healthy and strong, she can have even up to six.
