Is Litter Size An Inherited Trait In Dogs?

by James Glover
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Does the litter size that a female came from have any bearing on the litter size she may produce? (Wilma Snyder - West Virginia)

Litter size is a weakly inherited trait. This means that there is a small likelihood (approximately 10%) of a female from a large litter having a larger than average litter herself. Other factors such as the dogs breed (English bull dogs have litter sizes of 4-5), health and fitness, and nutritional intake prior to and during pregnancy also influence litter size.

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