Dachshund gives birth to huge 'record breaking' litter of 11 puppies: 'Adorable'
Watch: Sausage dog gives birth to huge litter of 11 puppies
A sausage dog has given birth to a potentially world record-breaking litter of 11 puppies.
The three-year-old dachshund Winnie bore the mass brood at home near Leicester on 6 November.
Another canine of the same breed, Cheesecake, gave birth to 10 puppies in September 2021, making headlines then too. But now Winnie has trumped this with her own 11-strong litter, and owner Rayma Jones, 23, suspects it may be a world record.
"I was amazed [by the litter]. I just kept counting them over and over," says the stay-at-home dog mum.
"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.
"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.
"She never wants to leave them, and if she hears another dog she's right there next to them.
"She's the best mum ever."
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Jones' family bought Winnie at seven months, when her first owners were moving abroad.
Jones decided her pet was ready to be a mum (it's important to check what age is safe for your breed) and found a dad around three months ago, with a scan at 35 days of the nine-week pregnancy showing six puppies in her belly.
The average number of puppies in a dachshund litter is between one and six due to their small size, so Jones could never have expected what was to come.
Winnie started 'digging' and 'stamping about' on her bed on 5 September, 5 days before her due date.
Jones diligently set an alarm to check her pet in the middle of the night when she went to bed, but heard a squeaking noise coming from the spare room at 11.30pm.
Much to her surprise, Winnie had already birthed her first pup, so she sat with her and supported her. The second came at 1.30am on 6 September, followed by four more, 20 minutes apart.
And then, there came even more. Numbers seven, eight and nine arrived around seven minutes apart, followed by a 40-minute gap until number 10. Jones went to bed at 6:30am after a long and exciting night, believing Winnie had had all her pups.
But when she checked in on her four hours later, she couldn't believe there was yet another new addition.
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"I thought 10 was amazing. She'd stopped panting and lay down feeding them. I really thought she'd finished," Jones recalls.
"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."
It's understood Guinness World Records does not keep records for individual dog breeds.
However, the largest litter of puppies ever is 24, all of whom were born on 29 November, 2004 to Tia, a Neapolitan mastiff, in the UK.
Jones adds, "Winnie's colour is really 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."
The puppies will be ready to leave mum after they turn eight weeks old (puppies and kittens should never be sold under this age). Looking after that many of them would understandably be quite the handful.
"I'll have to sell them, but I'm not sure of the price yet," says Jones.
"I can't live with 11 puppies or I'll become the crazy dog lady!"
While Jones hasn't yet set a price, dachshund pups are typically listed online for anything between a few hundred pounds to £2,500.
If you're buying from a dog breeder, it's crucial to make sure the puppy you're buying is healthy and happy and that you're buying from an ethical and licensed breeder. Visit the RSPCA's website for tips on working out whether you're buying from a responsible breeder or one solely interested in profit.
For those who are able to, 'adopting not shopping', is also a great way to give a dog a loving home.
Additional reporting SWNS.
