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Is a 15-pound male dog too large to breed with an 8-pound female?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 3 years and 4 months old | 8 lbs

Is a 15 pound male Too big to meet with an 8 pound female

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 14th, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Yes, I would say this is too big. You want the male the same size or smaller than the female. In addition, given that Ellie is only 8 pounds, having a male almost double her size will lead to an increase in puppy size and a much bigger risk of dystocia (difficulty giving birth). I do not recommend mating her with this male. I hope this helps!

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