The cry of the male stops the female's movement, at which point the male licks her genital area. This pattern is repeated over some time. The male mounts the female by laying his body over hers and copulation takes place. The gestation period is 6 to 9 months, and females give birth to one young a year. Due to the presence of four mammae in the females of this species, researchers suggest that they are capable of larger litters.
Water chevrotains give birth to precocial young, capable of standing within an hour after birth.
Females spend most of their day apart from their young and meet only to suckle them. The female has a smaller home range than the male, approximately 13-14 ha in area. Males are solitary, occupying temporary home ranges of 20-30 ha. This range usually overlaps the home range of 2 females. Males only occupy a home range for at most a year, after which they are replaced by another male.