Last Updated on January 31, 2022 by Marco
How many puppies can a Chiweenie have? If your pet is the adorable Chihuahua-Dachshund mix, you will need to know the facts on their pregnancies and births!
If you have plans to breed your Chiweenie, you want to plan out your expectations from your beloved pet. After all, pregnancies are great, but they can also take a toll on the mother. You need to plan out when you would like to have puppies. You will need to straighten out all the other details to ensure your dog will have a safe delivery.
Are you wondering about the possible litter of your Chiweenie? Read on to learn more about the topic!
What Is A Chiweenie?
A Chiweenie is a mixed breed, crossing a Chihuahua and a Dachshund. This cross between two adorable breeds brings a designer mix that is popular all over the world.
Both the Chihuahua and the Dachshund are hugely popular breeds that are placed in the top breeds loved in the USA. In fact, in the 2020 annual survey done by the American Kennel Club (AKC), Dachshunds and Chihuahuas placed 10th and 34th, respectively.
It’s no surprise that Chiweenies have become a popular and in-demand breed. Ethical cross-breeding is something that is important to a lot of dog owners as well, so if you plan to get your Chiweenie pregnant, you should pull out all stops to ensure a safe and healthy process.
Chiweenie puppies are really cute and feature the best of their parent breeds.
Learn more about: Do Chiweenies Shed? Best Guide To Grooming
Chihuahua and Dachshund Pregnancy Facts
Here’s what you need to know about the two breeds and the female’s pregnancy.
The two dogs do share some similarities due to their size. Small dogs tend to go into sexual maturity much faster than big dogs, so you could start thinking about whether you want your female pet dog to get pregnant soon or not.
However, experts advise that your dog should not get pregnant during its first cycle of maturity. A general waiting time upheld by some people is waiting a year or 12 months before breeding to make sure that the body of the dog has developed to its fullest and healthiest state.
Chihuahua Pregnancy Facts
The average size of an adult female Chihuahua is 5 to 8 inches in height, and they reach a maximum of 6 lbs of weight.
So, how many puppies do chihuahuas have the first time? It has been recorded that a litter of 1 to 3 is the average for a Chihuahua’s first-time birth.
Due to the small size of Chihuahuas, there are times when the puppies are more prominent than they were expected. Cesarean section surgery is a necessity for safe delivery. There is a chance that the puppies can get stuck in the birth canal, and thus intervention is required.
Dachshund Pregnancy Facts
The average size of an adult female Dachshunds is 8 to 9 inches in height and grows to 16 to 32 lbs in weight.
Dachshunds usually have 1 to 6 puppies in their litter, but this also depends on the size of the dog.
How Many Puppies Can A Chiweenie Have?
Since Chihuahuas have a record of 1-3 puppies and Dachshunds have 1-6 puppies, the outcome for a Chiweenie mother should have an average of the two litter. The range can be opened to 1-6 puppies for a Chiweeniethe stud might also introduce some changes.
How Many Times Should A Chiweenie Have Puppies?
Many dog breeds have a litter of puppies twice a year or every six months. This is the length of the gestation period, which is tracked from the moment of conception up to birth.
Due to this, you can think of Chiweenie mothers in the same range.
It is also best to plan each pregnancy carefully, for the benefit of the Chiweenie’s body. Pregnancy and delivery are both strenuous processes. While the dog’s body can take it, there are some complications that may become more common if your dog gets pregnant and gives birth too often.
Why Do Smaller Dogs Have Fewer Puppies?
It has been observed that large breeds generally mean larger litters. In fact, the current holder of the Guinness World Records for the largest litter ever birthed was by a Neapolitan Mastiff in 2004. She delivered a whopping 24 puppies through the Caesarian section and continues to hold the world record until now. The most recent case of a large litter was in January 2022, when a German Shepherd guide dog gave birth to 16 puppies in one go.
So why do these giant breeds seem to have huge litters, while small breeds produce so little in comparison?
The most obvious reason is the size of the anatomy. The average size of a newborn German Shepherd is twice that of the average newborn Chihuahua. Despite this, the sizes are still comparable when you factor in the size of the birth mother.
It is observable that Chihuahuas aren’t built to have litters that are too big – and the same goes for the Dachshund. It would be expected for their mix.
This size phenomenon is also true within the breed. This is based just on the build of the dog and has little to do with its weight. A bigger Chiweenie is expected to have a bigger litter than a smaller Chiweenie.
Aside from the breed of the dog, age also becomes a factor. Older dogs tend to have smaller litters as well. So if you have an old and small dog, you shouldn’t expect a record-breaking litter upon delivery!
Conclusion
For a Dachshund-Chihuahua, how many puppies a litter should an owner expect? You can expect the range to be between 1 to 6 puppies, more or less.
The Chiweenie is a small but tough dog that is sure to bring a lot of happiness into your home. Imagine what more joy it will bring when it gives birth to a cute litter?
Do you have or have you had a Chiweenie? If not, would you like to have one in the future? Tell us how you feel about this mixed breed in the comments below!
Read more about: How Big Does A Chiweenie Get?