Last Updated on October 26, 2021 by Marco C.
Are you feeling tempted to breed puppies from your Bulldog? It is important to know what to expect if you want a litter of English Bulldog puppies. So, how many puppies can an English Bulldog have?
Breeding English Bulldog puppies can be a difficult and complicated process. For this reason, most Bulldogs are bred only by experienced breeders. But if you are tempted to breed puppies of your own, you need to learn all about breeding Bulldogs before you start!
Can English Bulldogs Give Birth Naturally?
Breeding English Bulldog puppies is very difficult because this breed struggles to give birth naturally. In fact, the whole process is very difficult, from conception right through to rearing the puppies.
You may have noticed that English Bulldog puppies are very expensive, costing in the region of $1500 – $4000. This figure makes it tempting to breed your own litter, either if you want to expand your Bulldog family, or sell the pups to new homes.
However, the reason that English Bulldog puppies are so expensive is that breeding them costs a huge amount of money. Taking on the responsibility of bringing a litter of puppies into the world is a huge financial commitment. And, unfortunately, due to the risks involved you may not even get a single puppy.
So, put the temptation to one side for a moment, and think critically about your breeding plan. Firstly your English Bulldog bitch must be fit and healthy enough to breed from. She will need to have a series of health tests before breeding, which can be expensive.
Secondly, does your Bulldog meet the breed standard? Only the best examples of this breed must be used to produce puppies. Otherwise, you may rear a litter of puppies with significant deformities or health problems.
Learn more about: English Bulldog Breeding Age – Can Your Bully Breed?
So, now the difficult part – having a successful pregnancy and birth! Only one in five English Bulldogs is capable of mating naturally. For this reason, most English Bulldog pregnancies are as a result of artificial insemination. This is much more expensive and invasive than natural mating.
When it comes to giving birth, things are just as complicated. Over three-quarters of English, Bulldog pregnancies end with a cesarean section. This is a high-risk and painful procedure.
What Can’t English Bulldog Babies Be Bred Naturally?
Unfortunately, the reason that English Bulldogs cannot breed naturally is that we have made them this way. Just 100 years ago, the English Bulldog was an athletic breed that could reproduce naturally without any problems. So, what changed?
The fashion for breeding English Bulldogs has emphasized certain traits. Dog owners wanted them to have shorter legs and a larger, wide skull with a flattened muzzle. These features may be endearing, but they are not healthy!
Sadly, we have created a breed of dog so extreme that, without human help, they would now be extinct. The vast majority of English Bulldog pregnancies are only successful as a result of artificial insemination and a cesarean section.
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Artificial Insemination
English Bulldogs are unable to mate naturally due to their body shape. Their wide, stocky body, combined with short legs, means that a male Bulldog cannot physically mount a female. On some occasions, he may be able to mate with a female, but human assistance is normally required.
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Cesarean Section
So, what about birth – why can’t English Bulldogs give birth naturally? This problem is due to the shape of the puppies, as their wide skulls are too big to fit through the pelvic canal of the bitch.
Two factors have created this problem. Firstly, we have bred English Bulldogs to have larger and wider heads in proportion to their bodies. This means that English Bulldog puppies have abnormally large heads, and often get stuck in the pelvic canal as the bitch tries to give birth.
The second problem is that the body shape of the adult dog has also changed over time. The shape of the pelvis has changed, meaning that giving birth naturally is almost impossible.
If an English Bulldog mother tries to give birth without a cesarean section, the first puppy is likely to become stuck and may die. Without swift veterinary attention, the whole litter of puppies could die at birth.
How Many Puppies Do English Bulldogs Have?
If you’re still weighing up the pros and cons of having a litter of English Bulldog puppies, you’ll want to know this – how many puppies can an English bulldog have?
The average size of an English Bulldog litter is 3 or 4 puppies. This is much lower than the average litter size of 5 or 6 puppies for dogs in general.
So, when you take into account that the process of getting your puppies could cost up to $7,000, you will be able to see why English Bulldog puppies cost so much!
If you want to breed from your English Bulldog, she should not have her first litter until she is at least two years old. She also needs plenty of time to recover after each litter, particularly if she has had a cesarean section. You may need to assist her with rearing the puppies for the first few weeks.
Over your English Bulldog’s lifetime, she can only safely have two or three litters of puppies. The whole process is very debilitating, and the risks to her health increase more with every litter.
Overall, breeding English Bulldog puppies is probably best left to the experts! If you are tempted to breed a litter, it is vital to get expert advice and help. Speak to your veterinarian and local French Bulldog expert if you think this is the right thing to do for you and your dog.
Summary
So, as we have learned, an English Bulldog will normally have 3 or 4 puppies in each litter. You should not breed more than three litters from an English Bulldog bitch during her lifetime. Breeding English Bulldogs is a complicated process and should only be done by experienced dog breeders.
We would love to hear about your experiences with English Bulldog puppies – have you ever seen a newborn litter? Perhaps you are tempted to breed a litter of English Bulldog puppies but have a few questions you’d like us to answer? Add a comment below this post and we’ll get back to you!
Read more about: English Bulldog Feeding Chart
