Is it safe for my small dog to get pregnant by a larger male?

No this isn’t entirely correct. She does however have a greater chance of needing a C-section if the puppies end up being bigger than her birth canal. Which is why it’s best to have her examined by your vet and radiographs taken to look at the size of the fetuses. If they are too big to pass, then a simple C-section can be scheduled for the Mama dog. I hope this helps. Best wishes and take care.

Please consult your vet regarding your options immediately. If her eggs do become fertilized, this could be a very dangerous pregnancy for Coco, as she is so small and the male dog is so big. The puppies would likely be so big that she may need a c-section to give birth, and the pregnancy could be life-threatening.

Hello, I’m not sure if there was supposed to be a photograph of the male dog attached to this post or not. If you have a large male who breeds with a small female, there is always a concern that she will not be able to have the puppies and will need a C-section. Any small female dog who is having puppies should have radiographs done after day 45 to see how many babies are expected. If you do not want her to have a litter, I recommend calling the veterinarian and discussing getting her spayed ASAP. Some dogs can have a shot to stop the pregnancy but there can be some serious side effects to that. Getting her spayed will eliminate an accidental pregnancy in the future. Getting her spayed also has other health benefits and is recommended for any dog not intended for breeding. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions!

I would strongly suggest to keep her monitored during pregnancy as c-section may be needed to deliver the puppies. Radiographs at 40 days of pregnancy will be very useful to assess the size of the puppies and make sure they can be naturally delivered. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi, thabks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The size difference may or may not be a problem. If her litter is large the puppies will be smaller. If she only has one or two she’d be at more risk for needing a c-section. I would have your Vet take an X-ray at day 50 to confirm pregnancy and to count puppies. Write down the date she was bred. Dogs are pregnant 60-63 days. Starting at day 55 start taking her temperature daily rectally. Stage 1 labor tends to start 24 hrs once the temperature drops below 99 F. But your Vet can help you and go over concerns once we know she is pregnant and size of the litter. I hope this helps and good luck!

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This is a little bit of a predicament! I do share your concerns. While Millie may end up being just fine with this possible pregnancy, there would be concerns if she bred with such a big dog, and especially if she ends up with a small litter. Puppies tend to grow much bigger if there's only 1 or 2, and that coupled with the size difference could cause problems in Millie's labor. The safest option would be to have Millie spayed immediately, and that would remove all the variables of whether she'll end up with a dystocia (problems in labor) later on. This would be the safest option for Millie. If you do choose to let Millie proceed with this possible pregnancy, I definitely recommend touching base with your vet right away for guidance. I would absolutely recommend having Millie x-rayed later in her pregnancy so you know how many puppies you're anticipating (this helps us know when it's ok for her to be done delivering puppies, so we don't worry that there's still a puppy stuck in there!), and learn how to monitor her temperature to watch for the temperature drop that can signal impending labor. This will help you be on the lookout for the warning signs that her labor may not be progressing as it should, which could lead to a necessary C-section. I hope this helps, and feel free to request a consultation if you'd like to discuss this in more detail!

There are probably close enough in size to not have any issues, but it is difficult to say with any certainty. Being mixed breeds, it is possible there may be some possibility that the pups could be larger than the mother. If you choose to proceed, after vet checks of both dogs, have the mother x-rayed about a week before her due date. Your veterinarian should be able to determine litter number and size then may predict more accurately if surgical intervention will be necessary.