Whether you’ve just discovered your Corgi is pregnant or you’re considering breeding your Corgi (a decision not to take lightly), her litter size will be an important consideration when planning the next few months.
As well as this, it’s also key to understand how often Corgis can have puppies, and how many litters they can have without complication or stress. First though, here’s how many puppies can a Corgi give birth to.
Corgis can have between 5 and 8 puppies in a litter, The average Corgi tends to normally have 6 puppies in their first litter. The record litter size for a Corgi was a massive 15 puppies. This is almost unheard though, and most will give birth to 6 in a litter.
But do bear in mind that every Corgi is different, meaning how many puppies a Corgi will have can typically range between 5 and 8 in a litter. The good news is that an ultrasound can reveal exactly how many puppies your Corgi will have in a litter in about week 5 of pregnancy.
Below are some important aspects that can influence a Corgi’s litter size, what you should consider before breeding your female Corgi, facts about a Corgi’s pregnancy, and more.
Corgi litter sizes
Corgi puppies are nothing but pure sweetness! When staring into those darn cute eyes, you can’t help but wonder how many sisters and brothers your adopted Corgi puppy has out there.
And if your adult female Corgi is expectant, curiosity can get the best of you. You’ll be eager to know how many new canine family members to anticipate.
Several factors can dictate the number of puppies a Corgi will give birth to. These include.
- Health: A pregnant Corgi with no medical issues will likely deliver more than six puppies. An unhealthy Corgi, on the hand, will have a small-sized (and unhealthy litter). Medical conditions also increase the possibility of a Corgi having a stillbirth.
- Genetics: Genes play a huge role in how big or small a Corgi’s litter size will be. For instance, if your adopted Corgi’s parent has a pregnancy history of small litter sizes, expect your Corgi to deliver less than six pups.
- Weight: An expectant Corgi that’s obese or underweight will give birth to fewer puppies.
- Age: A pregnant Corgi that hasn’t reached adulthood (is less than a year) is likely to have a small litter.
- Diet: A Corgi that’s been put on a high-quality diet during pregnancy will have a bigger (and healthier) litter size. But if the diet is poor, the litter size and the newborn’s health will be affected. Your vet can develop a diet chart for your pregnant Corgi.
The Corgi heat cycle and how it relates to breeding
Choosing when to breed your female Corgi is a huge decision. It can make or break your breeding goals.
Remember, there’s more to breeding than simply wanting to populate the dog world with as many cute Corgi puppies as possible.
A lot can go wrong if you breed your Corgi too soon. While the ideal Corgi breeding age is still a hot topic of debate, I will go with expert opinion on this.
As a rule of thumb, it’s best to avoid breeding any female dog when they enter heat for the first time. Corgis are no exception.
On average, Corgis go into heat when they’re between 9 to 11 months old. However, some have their first heat when they hit six months.

There are Corgi owners who assume the first heat cycle means they should immediately proceed with their breeding plans. That’s far from what you should be doing.
When your female Corgi experiences their first heat ever, it’s an indication her sexual maturity is kicking in. But even so, she is still too young to be bred.
When a Corgi hasn’t fully matured, both sexually and physically, they’ll have many health issues when they get pregnant in the first heat.
Reason? Their reproductive system isn’t fully ready to carry lots of puppies. And if they do get pregnant at this time, the newborn Corgis will also suffer health complications.
How old should a Corgi be to breed?
I advise you wait until a female Corgi completes her third heat cycle before breeding them. By this time, they’ll be at least 18 months old (a breeding-appropriate age). But as usual, always seek your vet’s opinion before breeding your female Corgi.
There are also two other important reasons why you shouldn’t breed your female Corgi when she is under one year:
- She is still growing: Give your Corgi a chance to finish “growing up” before making them a mother. If you breed them as soon as they start their first heat experience, the outcome will be a classic case of “a kid taking care of other kids.”
- You’ll have time to discover whether your Corgi has any inherited disorders: Some medical problems don’t not manifest until adulthood. Even breeding–related medical screening may fail to identify the condition if a Corgi is still young.
So, when you breed your under-one Corgi, they might transfer their genetic health issues to their offspring.
But you also shouldn’t wait for them to be “too mature” because the pregnancy and nursing process can be quite exhausting for an older Corgi. This explains why most breeders often choose to completely stop breeding a female Corgi when she starts getting older.
As for the male Corgi, they should have hit one year before making them the breeding partner to a female Corgi.
On average, a Corgi’s lifespan is around 12-15 years. Diseases like Von Willebrand’s disease, degenerative myelopathy, hip dysplasia, epilepsy, and dystocia can make Corgis victims of premature death. But a healthy Corgi can live for more than 13 years.
Something else.
Breeding a female Corgi every heat cycle isn’t recommended. That’s overworking their bodies and can lead to complications. Female Corgis need time to fully recover before carrying another pregnancy.
For the sake of their health, it’s best to wait at least 18 months before getting started on the next breeding plans.
Also, the recommended number of pregnancies a female dog should carry throughout their lifetime is 3 or 4. So, anything beyond this will put a female Corgis’ health at risk.
How long is a Corgi’s pregnancy?
Corgis roughly have the same gestation period as other dog breeds. That mean a Corgi’s pregnancy lasts about 59 to 65 days. When a Corgi’s pregnancy is at week 4 or 5, you can touch their belly and feel the puppies moving. How exciting is that?
Most Corgis undergo cesarean sections since their birth canals are too small to allow normal delivery of their large-head puppies.
That’s why it’s important to take your Female Corgi for an X-ray in their third trimester (which starts at around day 45) for your vet to confirm the exact size of the puppies.
If they’ve gotten bigger, your vet will arrange a C-section. But if they are small-sized, they can give birth the normal way without vet assistance.
When you discover the number of puppies your Corgi is expecting, prepare a spacious whelping box (with comfortable beddings) that will accommodate her and the puppies.
Make sure to place this box somewhere quiet in the house. Female corgis start nursing their newborns right after birth, and the nursing phase lasts around 3 to 4weeks. You should also keep in touch with your vet to get timely guidance in case of any concerns.
If you have no plans to keep all the puppies, please find them a good home. They’ll thank you later.
FAQs about Corgi litter sizes and pregnancy
Now I’ve explained how many puppies Corgis have in a litter, I wanted to also share with you some aspects that a very important too.
Corgi pregnancy signs
The first signs your Corgi is pregnant are below.
- Change in mood: While this differs depending on the dog, your dog will often have a change in moods; either becoming more affectionate or more irritable. Some dogs seek company and extra attention, while others isolate themselves and do not want any attention, even if they are a normally friendly dog.
- Appetite change: The appetite of a pregnant dog can change and fluctuate depending the how far along the pregnancy is; having a decreased appetite early on but needing more food later in the pregnancy. This can vary from dog to dog and is caused by their rapidly changing hormones.
- Vomiting: Along with a decreased appetite, some dogs experience nausea and vomiting. However, this usually only occurs around week 3 of the pregnancy and will not stick around for long. Sometimes though, the throwing up could mean something altogether different.
- Lack of activity: Your Corgi may become less interested in physical activities and play, which usually occurs around week two. Over time, your dog will most likely become used to their condition and become more willing to interact and play.
- Breast growth: Dog’s nipples and breasts only grow once a pregnancy occurs, with the milk glands developing to prepare for nursing at around two weeks. The nipples themselves may also change color, becoming redder than their normal pinkish gray thanks to the increased blood flow.
Corgi labor signs
At around week 8 of the pregnancy, your Corgi will begin to show signs of preparing for labor, often called ‘nesting behavior’. This is often shown through restlessness, making, and remaking their bed and losing their appetite.
Once labor properly begins, your dog will begin to start to pant, as well as begin to pace and move around. Keep an eye on her and regularly check her temperature with a rectal thermometer.
Once the temperature drops from 100°F to around 98°F, this is a sign that the delivery is due within the next 12 to 24 hours. If you are going to the vet for delivery, this is when you should set off.
How old do Corgis have to be to be bred?
A female Corgi should have hit the 18-month mark before being bred. A male Corgi, on the other, should have attained one year.
How long do Corgi puppies live?
Corgis generally have a 12 to 15 years life expectancy, but certain diseases can shorten their lifespan.
Conclusion
If you are thinking about breeding a Corgi, please don’t do it as a money-making exercise. Now you know how many puppies a Corgi has, think very carefully about whether you can re-home them successfully to a caring family.
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Image in header via https://pixabay.com/photos/welsh-corgi-pembroke-dog-puppy-3097215/