A dachshund has given birth to what could be a world record litter for her species—11 puppies at one time.
Three-year-old Winnie bore the huge brood at home near Leicester, England in September.
Also known as a wiener dog or sausage dog, the short-legged but long-bodied hound normally gives birth to a litter of between one and six babies, due to its small size.
Another dachshund, Cheesecake, gave birth to 10 puppies in September 2021, which made headline news. But Winnie has beaten that number and her owner thinks it may be a world record, although Guinness World Records does not keep records for individual dog breeds.
“I was amazed by the litter,” said stay-at-home dog mom Rayma Jones. “I just kept counting them over and over.”
“I was so surprised that I kept expecting her to pop out another one when I wasn’t looking.
“She’s such a great mum. I’m overwhelmed that she could have had a world record number of puppies. I looked online and I couldn’t believe it.”
A scan at 35 days of the nine-week pregnancy showed six puppies in Winnie’s belly.
The super dog birthed her first pup at 11:30pm, so Rayma sat up with her. The second came at 1:30am followed by four more, 20 minutes apart. Numbers seven, eight and nine then came around seven minutes apart, followed by a 40-minute gap until number 10.
Rayma went to bed at 6:30am believing Winnie had all her pups. But when she checked in on her four hours later, she couldn’t believe her eyes.
She said: “I thought 10 was amazing. She’d stopped panting and lay down feeding them. I really thought she’d finished, but when I came back I counted them and there were 11.
“There was no mess, she’d just washed it and lined it up with the others. She’s so clever.”
“Winnie’s a natural. She even has ten nipples so she can nearly feed them all at the same time. It’s very sweet to watch.
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“She never wants to leave them, and if she hears a dog she’s right there next to them. She’s the best mum ever.”
Winnie has been with Rayma’s family since she was seven-months-old, when her original owners were moving abroad.
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Winnie’s color is reportedly rare for a wire-haired dachshund.
“She’s silver dapple and five of her puppies are completely silver with black spots. Another three are chocolate, and three are black and tan.”
Rayma admitted she will have to sell them. “I can’t live with eleven puppies or I’ll become the crazy dog lady!”
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