interesting breeding question.

J

JessicaR

Forums Enthusiast
I have been thinking of these things for a while and thought I would see what other breeders think.

1. I read somewhere (cant remember where) that litter size is genetic. That in general a b!tch will have around the same number of pups as her mom did. Which is interesting because Belle had 4 puppies and she came from a litter of 4. Do you find this to be true?

2. Can you influence the sex of you puppies? When my husband and I was trying to get pregnant for my 3rd child I wanted a girl since I had 2 boys. My nurse midwife said to have sex a couple of days before my ovulation time if I want a better chance at a girl. (btw I had a girl) Why? Well she said due to the fact that sperm carrying the x chromosones are slower because they are bigger than sperm carrying the y chromosone. So in theroy do you think you could breed your dog at certin times to get what sex you want in puppies?
 
JessicaR said:
1. I read somewhere (cant remember where) that litter size is genetic. That in general a b!tch will have around the same number of pups as her mom did. Which is interesting because Belle had 4 puppies and she came from a litter of 4. Do you find this to be true?
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And this is why I spayed my Collie. We bred her once, she had a false pregnancy, and that was it. She was from a litter of 12. :eek2: what would I have done with TWELVE Collie puppies in a second floor apartment??? No thank you!

Her dam had a total of like 27 puppies in three litters, that fertility obviously didn't pass down. My Collie had had three silent heats out of her last four, with two false pregnancies.
 
From discussions with breeders I do think genetics will have some effect on litter size as fecundity is known to be inherited, however, the environmental aspects such as nutrition, health, and age etc of the parents will have probably as much of a bearing if not more. Frequently used studs tend to produce healthier litters as the sperm is fresher, but if over used this goes down.

The sex of the puppies is interesting. I don't know if it has any basis in science but some breeders swear mating on different days in the season will make a difference. I think it is earlier matings for girls. I'm sure I've seen a moon chart thing for dogs somewhere as well. I'm looking forward to reading other posts on this interesting topic:yes:
 
I don't know about 1. I don't have enough experience. Ember and Diva have the same grandma and great grandma. It went 2 ggranddam then 4 granddam then 5 and 6(littersister) and then 5 and 3(Ember and Diva) We are expecting atleast 4 from Diva(xray coming sat). No really pattern here.

But number 2. The normal sex ratio in dogs is 55% male:45% females. There was one study that showed breeding 2 days after ovulation produced more girls. But the ratios were all over the broad during so it is not known how true that is.

I know lady that centerfuges the sperm to seperate it. She says the female sperm are heavier and go to the bottom and the male sperm are on top. She claims she has gotten more females this way. I have never done it so I don't work if it really works.:smile2:
 
seashel said:
From discussions with breeders I do think genetics will have some effect on litter size as fecundity is known to be inherited, however, the environmental aspects such as nutrition, health, and age etc of the parents will have probably as much of a bearing if not more. Frequently used studs tend to produce healthier litters as the sperm is fresher, but if over used this goes down.
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Yes I think these factors along with genetics all influence litter size.
 
thanks for your input! I was just curious on whether or not their was truth to any of it. I love learning new things about breeding :smile2:

I have heard enviromental factors play apart in fertility. I wonder if something was wrong with my parents great danes then? They bred them against my advise. She had 15 pups only 6 lived, 8 were still born, 1 she layed on and crushed.

When I bred Belle she was mated once on day 14 and she had 3 girls and 1 boy. I wonder if that was just a coinsadince, or if it was from a late mating?
 
JessicaR said:
2. Can you influence the sex of you puppies? So in theroy do you think you could breed your dog at certin times to get what sex you want in puppies?
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that bitches don't ovulate all at once - that's part of why one does multiple breedings. She may release one egg, then two a day later, then one more a day after that. Add to that the fact that sperm can survive up to 24 hours (indeed, by the time they actually make it to the eggs [if there are any available], many hours will have passed), and it seems it would be very hard to try to time x/y sperm to meet up with eggs when eggs are available, etc.

On litter sizes, I think it also has to do with how the breedings were timed... if you do only one breeding, or a series of breedings too early (when only one or two eggs are available) or too late (after most of the eggs have "gone by"), you end up with a very small litter.

I don't know if I would necessarily chalk up a mother and daughter both having litters of four to genetics, though... average litter size for Shelties is 4-5, across the breed. (Although of course that's Sheltie-wide genetics at work!)
 
I do believe genetics influence litter size.

Bacca's line is a wonderful line. He's my second of this pedigreee. But from what I've been following of this line, the litters are very small. Sometimes as little as 1-3. Never going to Janet's grandiose 9+
 
Genetics do play some part in litter size, but I recently read a study on 1500 dogs(usually it's 500 for a study) that feeding Eukanuba performance blend produced on average 2 puppies more per litter. Not sure if this is just because it is a premium food or what the other food was that was being fed.
 
I feed Eukanuba Preformance and my last 3 litters were all of 5.
We do go on the theory of the daughter following the litter size of her dam. But really, only in relation to small, 1 or 2. Or large 5 or more.
Also many people have knocked around the theory that if you want females, breed her late. That is VERY tricky. There's late.....and then TOO late. We use a microscope to check for cornified cells, or if it is a very important breeding (for many different reasons) we use progesterone testing.
 
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