What is it that dictates the number of puppies? Is it the bitch? Or the dog? Or is it a lottery?

just wondering out loud really :)

bitch, there are millions of sperm, but only a limited number of eggs, which will be reduced by the environment in the bitch.  they need the correct hormonal levels ans psce evnly along the uterine hornes.  tehn the placentas have to be efficient etc to nourish the developing cells and fetuses.

As males produce millions of sperm my money would be on the females ability to produce ripe eggs and safely implant them.

Unless the dog is a 'Jaffa' ;)  I assume that dogs can have fertility problems like men?

Old saying.

'Dogs determine the sex, bitches determine the size'.

Surely it must be all 3

A Bitch will only produce a certain number of eggs

However a Dog will only produce a certain amount of spearm that is strong enough and healthy enough

Also it must be a lottery, as spearm can live a certain amount of days, and a bitch is only fertile for a certain number of days it must be possible for different eggs to be fertilised on different days, therefore also explaining the reason of most breeders wanting two or more matings.

However most of the time there will be more spearm then eggs. :)

Of course there will ALWAYS be more sperm than eggs - not all of them will reach the eggs in order to fertilise them.

Sperm are male ......did you ever know a male who will ask for directions ???? :D

Margot

:D

:-D Margot!! But yes, it must be the bitch because males produce millions of sperm, and even allowing for the ones that get lost / don't live long enough, they must outnumber the number of eggs. :-)