How Much Bigger Can A Male Dog Be Than The Female?

We see it every day.

Hybrid dogs are bred from differently-sized parents. Some are inconceivable. For instance, a LhasoApso and Pitbull cross. Or a Greyhound Chihuahua mix.

How two dogs of staggering size differences came together to mate is mind-boggling.

Assuming the female dog is the smaller one in the equation, it is a miracle that the pregnancy and birthing happened safely in the first place.

When it’s time to reproduce, dogs don’t choose their mates. As soon as the female is in estrus, she will look for any available dog to mate with—size notwithstanding.

 The same goes for the big boys. Any female on heat is worth mounting. Due to the raging desire to mate, he will not be bothered about the size of the female.

While it is possible to breed dogs of varied sizes, it is not always a good idea. This is true especially when the size gap is massive with the female dog being the smaller in size.

So, how much bigger can a male dog be than the female? We have a detailed guide for you.

Can A Big Male Dog Mate With A Small Female?

In the canine world, mating can happen with anyone. Dogs don’t have the mental capacity to tell which mate is right for them and which is not.

So yes, a big sire (male dog) can mate with a dam (female dog).

The whole process is hectic and hazardous, to say the least. Without considering the size of the dam, the sire will mount the former.

Even if he is 200 pounds and the dam less than 20 pounds, he will mount her.

The strong will of nature will make the female stay and endure the torture.

Of course, having a super large doggie on top of her back is very risky.

The Danger Of Breeding A Big Male with A Small Female

Breeding a tiny dam with a much bigger sire is never a good idea. So many things can go wrong throughout the process.

1. Mounting challenges

For one, a large male dog breeding a small female can injure, or worse, kill the petite animal.

 Imagine a Great Dane trying to climb onto a Pekingese or a Dachshund.

 The weight of the sire in itself can crush the dam.

Sure, the male doggie doesn’t necessarily put all his weight on the dam but he does exert a considerable amount of weight on her.

If the boy is five times the dam’s weight, less than a third of his weight can be overwhelming to the dam.

Related Post: Great Dane Chihuahua Mix: The Realities of Breeding a Chi-Dane-Dane

2. Pawing injuries

Even if the sire manages to mount the dam, peril is never far away. The mating process is not a smooth affair.

There’s a lot of biting, pawing, and aggression that goes on before and after mating.

The size of the sire in comparison to his mate can cause injuries on the dam.

3. Rupturing of the vulva

Bigger males naturally have large penises. Small bitches, on the other hand, equally have smaller vulvas.

As the big dog tries to forcefully penetrate the female, rupture of the vagina is bound to happen.

Some cases are really bad that the girl will be mutilated in the process.

4. Locking of the penis

If there’s a lock during mating, the poor girl will be dragged around by the frustrated male.

Due to her size, things may go south fast. Ideally, when a lock happens, both dogs should be kept still until the process is over.

However, dogs have the habit of running around while still bonded to their mates.

 Dragging a yelping dam around can hurt her really bad.

5. Failure of the sire to turn around

During a lock, the male should turn away from the dam.

However, when the difference in size is huge, the sire will have a hard time turning away. 

This means that he will stay on top of the small female the whole time.

Naturally, he will get tired and may lie down ultimately squashing the dam on the floor.

6. Pregnancy and birthing risks

Even with all these dangers, sometimes successful mating occurs and the girl becomes pregnant.

 Now, this is the worst thing that can happen to any petite female dog.

Her uterus is built to accommodate a particular size of fetuses. If these grow beyond a certain level because of dad’s genes, her womb may rupture.

Assuming she carries the pregnancy to term, she will not be able to push the babies by herself.

If she does, things can become fatal. Often, she will need a C-section to remove the young ones.

In short, having big dogs mate with small dogs is never recommended. If you own a toy or small female pup, have her spayed for her safety.

If you have to breed her, get her a sire from a small breed. Better still, look for her breed.

What Is The Solution?

Because of all the above risks, dogs of approximately equal sizes are better bred together.

Here, the dam can handle the weight exerted on her during mating.

No matter how long the sire stays on her back, the risk of damage to the spine amidst other injuries is much lower. 

Since both dogs weigh around the same, there will be fewer damages in case biting and pawing happen.

Additionally, a sire that is about the dam’s size is not likely to damage the dam’s vagina. This is because she can handle the size of his penis much better.

If locking happens, the sire will turn away from the dam with relative ease. If either dog chooses to pull the other during the lock, they will not inflict much pain on the other. They will essentially be in a fair tug of war game until the end.

If mating is successful and the dam gets pregnant, she can comfortably fit the fetuses in her belly no matter the number.

Additionally, she can push them through her birth canal unless there’s a complication.

While it is safer to mate dogs of the same weight and height, they can be of different sizes as well.

Just let the difference be reasonable. Ideally, big females mating with smaller sires doesn’t cause many problems.

As long as the sire can mount the dam and turn around when a lock occurs, it is safe to breed.

Else, for small females, keep the difference reasonable. Toy dam breeds should mate with other toys and small breeds.

Medium breeds need not mate with extremely huge dogs. Bigger boys should stick with bigger girls.

Closing Thoughts

While your small female pooch can mate with any sire, she is not designed to handle big sires. Her body is not made for something like that.

Give her a mate her size or bigger by a small margin. This way, she will be safe as she gives life.