Many factors go into how many puppies a beagle can have including age, health, and litter size.
The average litter size for a beagle is six puppies, but this number can range from one to ten depending on the individual dog. Litters of ten or more are not unheard of in this breed.
In general, the older a dam is, the smaller her litter will be. A beagle that is three years old or older may only have one or two puppies per litter.
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At What Age Can a Beagle Get Pregnant
A beagle can get pregnant as young as 8 months old according to American Kennel Club, however, many experts in the field advise waiting until she’s at least 2 years old. This gives her body time to develop before it has to deal with the strain of pregnancy.
The first heat usually occurs between six and twelve months old, though it can happen sooner or later. If you’re not planning on breeding your beagle, make sure she’s spayed before her first heat.
How Long Does a Beagle Stay Pregnant?
A Beagle’s pregnancy lasts an average of 63 days, though anywhere from 58 to 70 days is considered normal. After about two weeks, you may be able to feel your dog’s abdomen getting larger as the puppies begin to grow.
But don’t worry if you can’t tell until closer to the end of her pregnancy; some dogs carry their litter high and close to the chest, making them appear smaller than they really are.
During the last week or so, your dog will probably start looking for a place to build her nest and may become more restless than usual.
How Many Times Can a Beagle Get Pregnant?
The maximum number of times a Beagle should be bred by a responsible breeder is two or three. Also, there needs to be a minimum of 18 months between each pregnancy.
When this amount is exceeded, the dog’s health begins to deteriorate. Excessive breeding, according to some Beagle owners, can have psychological consequences as well.
Factors That Can Affect The Size of Litter
Seeing a beagle pregnant is an amazing and unforgettable experience, regardless of how many times you’ve done it before.
Some of the potential influences on your beagle’s typical litter size are listed below.
Beagle’s First Pregnancy
Every subsequent litter from your beagle will look like the first. If her first pregnancy resulted in a small litter, the future pregnancies are likely to produce similarly small litters.
For example, if your beagle typically has five puppies per litter, you could potentially get six from her future pregnancies.
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Age of Parents
Your beagle’s litter size may also be affected by the age of the parents. A beagle’s litter size is likely to be less if she is young or old. Ideally, beagles should be bred between the ages of two and five.
After menopause, the number of litters typically decreases even further.
Health Conditions
Preexisting health issues in a female beagle increase the likelihood that she will produce a small litter. There could be further difficulty to the pregnancy if she suffers from any chronic illnesses or is otherwise not in tip-top shape. You must keep a close eye on her throughout her pregnancy to guarantee the safety of her and her puppies.
Common Signs When Your Beagle is Pregnant
She will experience the same signs and symptoms that a human female would due to hormonal shifts. This list of symptoms includes:
- Fatigue
- Reduced appetite
- Exhibiting nesting behavior
- Weight gain
- Increased affection
- Enlarged or discolored nipples
- Bodily discharges
How to Know if my Beagle is Pregnant?
By keeping an eye out for certain indications, you can determine when your female beagle is ready to have puppies. The average gestation period for a beagle is 63 days, or roughly 9 weeks. Interestingly, like people, beagles have three trimesters, each of which lasts 21 days.
Taking Care of the Newly Born Puppies and Mother
Clean the mother and her puppies gently with warm water and a washcloth once she has finished giving birth.
Unless your vet tells you to, avoid using cleaning products like soap and disinfectant. Wet newspaper and used bedding should be removed from her whelping box.
Dim lighting will make mom feel more secure, so keep it that way. If a mother dog isn’t happy with the surrounding area, you’ll notice that she moves her litter to a new location.
I can imagine how tempting it will be to spend as much time as possible with the puppies once they have been fed, watered, and otherwise cared for. However, you should hold back.
Because of their tiny size (a few ounces), they are also quite delicate. Moreover, if you don’t already have one, you should invest in an electronic scale to track their development. This bonding time between mom and puppy is crucial.
Things to keep in mind;
Keep in mind that a mother’s instinct to care for her child is honed over many years of experience; your function is merely that of an assistant whose job it is to make sure everything is okay.
Keep track of your puppies’ birth weights and following weekly gains, and share this information with your vet at your puppies’ checkups.
Keeping Mother Healthy
It’s likely going to be challenging to persuade the mother out of the whelping box for anything more than a quick trip to the bathroom. She may put up a fight, but if that doesn’t work, try luring her out with a leash.
During her trips to the bathroom, she has a few moments to herself without the distraction of her puppies. It also gives you time to tidy up and make sure the puppies are okay.
Be sure there is no bleeding, discharge, or abnormalities before reintroducing the mother to her puppies. Breast inflammation and infection are referred to as acute mastitis.
Taking Care of Beagle Puppies
In the unfortunate event that your puppy is malnourished, you will need to give it puppy-safe milk via baby bottle. Even at night, this must be done every two hours. It’s best to do this for a month or more, until the puppy is ready to eat solid food.
But there are additional ways you can aid the mother in the crucial task of puppy-rearing. It is important for her and her litter’s health that she get a healthy food, some form of exercise, as she may be feeling very fatigued from caring for her puppies, and that they are kept in a comfortable environment.
Puppies will suffer malnutrition if their mom is unable to produce enough milk or if she has an infection. If a puppy isn’t given enough milk, it will constantly cry and won’t put on any weight.
Things are rather dire right now. A whole litter might be wiped off in as little as 48 hours. Indeed, the situation is that dire. Therefore, you should schedule an appointment with your vet as soon as possible, and ask them to provide puppy milk replacer products that are nutritionally complete.
What is the Largest Litter of Puppies?
A total of 24 puppies were born in the largest litter ever. When Neapolitan Mastiff Tia gave birth to 15 male and 9 female puppies in 2009, she set a new world record for the largest litter ever recorded.
Source: American Kennel Club
Conclusion
Beagles are relatively small dogs, so they don’t have very large litters. A typical beagle litter size is six to eight puppies, but some may have as many as 10.
Beagles, like other dogs, are strong and self-reliant. It’s good news for breeders and happy-accident owners alike because beagles may successfully give birth on their own, though they’ll still need your support during this time with things like food and shelter.
