How Many Puppies Do Shibas Have? Explained!

Shiba Inus being the cute breed, you might want to breed yours to multiply your fur friends. Unless you’re planning to spay your Shiba, you might want to know the litter number to expect. So, how many puppies do Shibas have?

Female Shiba Inus give birth to an average of three puppies at a go. Besides, your pooch friend can even have 5 puppies at once. Shibas go into heat every six months and thus can have two litters a year. They take approximately 63 days to give birth, the gestation period.

Shiba Inus don’t usually get many puppies due to their small body size. The maximum your pooch friend can get is 5 puppies.

Let’s find out more about the Shiba Inus process of getting puppies.

How Many Puppies Do Shibas Have?

Shiba Inus usually get between 2-5 puppies in a single birthing period. The maximum Shiba Inus can go is 5 puppies; they hardly go past that.

Therefore, if you’re planning to breed your Shiba Inus, you know what to prepare for. In rare cases do Shibas get a litter with only two puppies. They often begin from 2 going upwards.

The number of puppies your Shiba Inus gets depends on your Shibas breed. Also, you can go for a scan when they’re pregnant to know what to expect.

Shiba Inus are ready for breeding from at least one year. Two years are good as well. The latter is good since your Shiba is fully mature to handle the pregnancy.

Thankfully, Shibas hardly have issues when giving birth. They’re generally healthy hence a soft pregnancy and delivery process.

Nevertheless, providing proper diet and nutrition is necessary. Poor diet gets your pregnant Shiba Inu stresses, thus can affect their pregnancy.

In addition, another thing you need to do is occasionally visits the vet for checkups. When your Shiba is pregnant, they’re vulnerable to many complications. So, frequent visits to the vet wouldn’t hurt.

How Often Can Shiba Inus Have Puppies?

Shiba Inus have puppies after every six months is mating happens. Since they’re receptive twice a year, they can only make to have two litters in a year.

You ought to know the number of times your Shiba Inus can have puppies. With this information, you stay ahead of the game. You can plan when to breed and when not to.

Although Shibas can have puppies twice a year, I wouldn’t advise you to go for both. If you’re using your fur friend for breeding, do it once a year.

The more your Shiba Inus has puppies, the more they wear out. Research shows that Shibas lifespan reduces as the number of breeding times increases.

So, limiting the number of times your Shiba gets puppies is suitable for their health. You can keep your Shiba strong and ready for the next breeding.

Of course, if you’re not planning to breed your Shiba, ensure to spay them early. This can be after your fur friend turns 1 year.

How Often Do Shiba Inus Go into Heat?

Since Shibas have two litters in a year, they go into heat after every six months. That’s the period they take to experience estrus.

If you’re not ready to mate your Shiba Inus, keep them away from males when they’re on heat. Also, ensure you have a fence around your yard.

Remember, Shiba Inus are escape artists. So, your female Shiba can easily sneak out, especially when they’re on heat. So, you can make them stay in their crate for the period they’re in heat.

In addition, when going for a walk and your fur friend is on heat, don’t go near males. Avoid any males you see around. Besides, ensure you have the leash held tight onto your hand.

If your female Shiba gets any chance to sneak to a male, they’ll quickly do so. When Shibas are receptive, they deeply crave a male to mate.

It’s not hard to realize that your Shiba is on heat. First, you can’t miss seeing the shinny discharge usually from your Shibas vulva.

Also, you’ll observe that your Shibas vulva is swollen. They’ll also lick you constantly and appear lazy and laid. All these are signs that your canine friend is on heat.

Of importance, if you’re not planning to breed your Shiba, ensure to spay them in time.

Here is our post on, the Shiba Inu heat cycle. Check it out!

How Long Are Shiba Inus Pregnant For?

Shiba Inus are pregnant for approximately 63 days from the day of conception. The period is slightly above two months.

However, it is hard to know when exactly your Shiba Inus will give birth. You can do a rough estimate, though.

Sperms can live for several days in the female Shibas, while eggs remain fertile for up to 48 hours. However, you can still make a close estimate of when your pooch friend is going to give birth.

In addition, your vet can assist you in knowing the date by measuring your Shibas hormones. This is the only way to tell the exact time frame for giving birth.

Also, there are vaginal smears that assist vets in telling when you should expect your litter. The exact day isn’t that important. You need a clue of the timeframe so that you make necessary arrangements in time.

Further, breeders also use blood tests which help them tell when their Shiba is giving birth. These tests monitor the Shibas reproductive hormones.

How To Take Care of Your Pregnant Shiba Inus?

1. Proper Nutrition
2. Regular Exercise
3. Regular Vet Visits

What’s more;

1.     Proper Nutrition (How Many Puppies Do Shibas Have)

One of the best forms of caring for your pregnant Shiba Inus is ensuring proper nutrition. This includes feeding your Shiba good quality food.

If you always use high-quality food for your Shiba, there’s no need to change. Let them feed on what they’re already comfortable with.

You shouldn’t increase the amount of food you feed your Shiba when they’re pregnant. Maintain the usual amount. Increasing the amount can make your bitch obese.

The weight of your Shiba Inus must increase towards the last weeks of pregnancy. However, if they ask for more, you can gradually increase the food.

During pregnancy, feed your Shiba Inus food in small proportions. You can have frequent meals but in small proportions.

The concept is to avoid feeding your pregnant Shiba large quantities of food. Large meals cause discomfort in Shibas, especially pregnant ones.

2.     Regular Exercise (How Many Puppies Do Shibas Have)

Don’t let your Shiba Inus turn overweight when they’re pregnant. You should maintain the usual exercise schedule. Maybe you can reduce the intensity.

However, during the first two weeks, you can limit exercise. Vets believe limiting your Shibas exercise during the first two weeks increases the chances of implantation.

After the first two weeks, you can resume your normal exercise schedule. Stick to the usual schedule until your Shiba belly starts to enlarge.

Exercise shouldn’t be strenuous when your Shiba gets to the last trimester. You can have shorter but more frequent walks. Frequent walks are necessary to prepare the mother to be for her pups.

3.     Regular Vet Visits (How Many Puppies Do Shibas Have)

You should book regular appointments with the vet towards the final trimester.

The vet helps you diagnose any health issues with your pregnant Shiba. It’s probably the most important.

You should visit the vet even before breeding your Shiba Inus. Ensure your Shiba has a prenatal checkup. This determines possible health conditions before breeding.

Before and during the pregnancy, you can recommend a fecal exam. It identifies any intestinal parasites. However, you can simply deworm your Shiba before the pregnancy instead of the exam.

Also, during the pregnancy, you can deworm your Shiba with an appropriate de-wormer like Fenbendazole. This should start from the third trimester at the 40 gestation day.

Deworming your Shiba during their pregnancy reduces the number of roundworms. Besides, it also eliminates hookworms in their new puppies. As such, it allows your puppies to grow healthy.

When the vet confirms your Shibas pregnancy, recommend them to check for any anatomical issues. These issues can prevent your Shiba from having a normal whelped litter.

Also, discuss with your vet if you want a normal birth or cesarean. If the pregnancy was a mistake, consult the vet for future precautions.

Ask them about spaying to avoid future surprise litters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Shiba Inus a Rare Breed?

Although Shiba Inus are the most common dogs in Japan, they’re still rare in most parts of the world. Besides, they’re currently gaining popularity in America.

Shiba Inus became a national treasure in Japan in the 20^th century. This resulted from nearly becoming extinct in the 1940s during World War II.

How Much Is a Shiba Inu Puppy?

Shiba Inu puppies are somewhat expensive, costing between $1400 and $2200. It varies depending on the breed.

Shiba Inu pure breed puppies are more expensive. They even go up to $3000. The breed has become popular in recent years, making it more expensive.

Can You Have Two Shiba Inus?

It’s possible to have two or more Shiba Inus. Although they’re not friendly to other dogs, Shibas do well with other Shibas.

However, ensure your Shibas are of the opposite sex. Shibas can be aggressive to one another if they’re of the same sex.

How Can You Tell If a Shiba Is Pregnant?

When pregnant, Shibas increase weight, have more or less appetite than usual, have a swollen belly, and start to nest.

Also, Shibas become more affectionate when they’re pregnant. They do this by wanting to lie beside you all the time.

Can You Hold a Newborn Puppy?

You can hold newborn puppies when they pop from the mother’s womb. A gentle hold will not hurt your Shibas puppies.

However, be cautious as some Shibas might be aggressive with their puppies. Also, you need to give your Shiba some time to bond with her puppies after birth.

Why Does My Shiba Inus Keep Licking Her Puppies?

Shiba Inus keep licking their puppies in an attempt to clean them. This is what they do to puppies after birth to clean them.

You should allow your Shiba to lick her puppies after birth. Apart from cleaning them, they create a motherly bond.

Conclusion, How Many Puppies Do Shibas Have?

Shibas usually have 3 puppies, but this number can go up to 5. It depends on the individual Shiba breed.

When your Shiba is pregnant, you should provide good nutrition and diet. This ensures the healthy growth of her puppies. Also, it keeps your Shiba healthy and ready to give birth.

During your Shibas pregnancy, you need to ensure maximum love and care. So, provide good quality dog food. Also, ensure they sleep in a cool place.

Of course, vet visits are a must before, during, and after your Shibas pregnancy. Vet visits are necessary to ensure your Shiba is in their best and healthy condition.

Pregnancies usually come with some complications. However, your vet will help you through this time. They’ll offer solutions to any health issue with your canine friend.