Is there anything cuter than a litter of golden retriever puppies? We may be biased, but we think not. Golden retrievers are absolutely adorable, and the puppies will steal your heart.
One of the questions we frequently hear from people who want to adopt a dog is how many puppies do golden retrievers have? Explore the answer below and learn a little more about what to expect when a golden retriever has puppies.
How Many Puppies Are in a Golden Retriever Litter?
The answer depends on the circumstances of the birth, whether the pregnant golden retriever has had pups before and the health of the dog before giving birth. You can typically find a range of litter sizes depending on those factors.
Litter Size for First-Time Moms
The average size of a litter for a dog that has never given birth before is eight. Not all the puppies live after the birth when it’s a first-time mom, though she doesn’t need any help from a human to give birth. Golden retrievers, like other animals, act on instinct and are perfectly capable of handling the delivery themselves.
Litter Size for Other Golden Retrievers
If your dog becomes pregnant again, she may not have eight puppies, but you can safely assume the number will fall somewhere between six and 10. Unless your dog has health issues, she will probably birth multiples. The more, the merrier and welcoming a half-dozen puppies into your home ensures a lot of merriment.
The Biggest Dog Litter of All Time
Of course, not every dog sticks to the average. Sometimes dogs have more than eight puppies — the largest litter size on record for any dog is 24 puppies. We can almost guarantee your golden retriever will not have 24 puppies, though if she does, at least you can get into the Guinness World Records!
Taking Care of New Golden Retriever Puppies
The average golden retriever pregnancy lasts for 63 days. If you have a pregnant dog, you may wonder how to know when she is ready to give birth. A golden retriever’s temperature drops when she draws close to delivery. The dog’s hunger levels will decrease, too, and you will see the puppies moving around more in her belly. She will become restless and walk around a lot, too.
Once the golden retriever has delivered, she still has quite a job ahead of her nursing all eight — or however many — puppies. You should clear a place for the mom and babies to sleep and offer the mom as much food and water as she needs to encourage milk production. Most puppies are ready to wean by six weeks, though some go up to eight weeks.
Adopt a Puppy Today
If you’d like to add a golden retriever puppy to your family, we have a dog perfect for you. Contact us today to learn more about our dogs and available litters.