Oh it’s actually true, dear readers. For those out there that care for their pets a great deal, this piece of news perhaps won’t sound as odd as it would to someone who has never cared for an animal or had a bond with a little bundle of furry joy like a cat or dog, much less a Bernese Mountain Dog, but as it turns out, Laurie Jansen from Alberta, Canada knows just what it’s like and has committed to caring for a rather large litter of puppies.
As it would turn out, Jansen’s gorgeous Bernese Mountain Dog who goes by the name of Freya, gave birth to an astounding 17 puppies, as CTV News in Calgary reports.
Jansen told CTV that she was fully aware that her dog was pregnant; in fact it was planned. Proud poppa, Max, a poodle, was considered a proper suitor for Freya, but she had no idea how many puppies would come from their union—the vet said “about 10,” apparently.
"“I think it was at ten … And then thirteen, then fourteen, then fifteen…We went to bed that night, woke up the next day and, boom, another one… and then one more. So 17 total…I love helping mom and I love providing, and I love pups, but I love providing people with such great dogs…There’s a lot of cleanup and still looking after Freya…”-via CTV (link above)"
If you think caring for a newborn human baby is hard—just one—imagine 17 puppies!
"“It’s like newborns in the middle of the night…The plan of course is to find them their forever home. That is absolutely the plan…”-via CTV (link above)"
According to the American Kennel Club, the Bernese Mountain Dog is a strong dog, but it is exceptionally calm and good-natured. A size of litter such as this is apparently not common at all.
Now, for those of us raised on films such as Disney’s 101 Dalmatians, this seems like nothing at all, but to separate from the land of make-believe, for those that are unimpressed with this number and are jaded by the fictional realm of that aforementioned Disney film (no matter how cute it is), caring for anything over 8 puppies and a mother pup that just gave birth is incredibly taxing, but judging by Jansen’s comments, she’s more than ready for the seemingly insurmountable task at hand.
The Bernese Mountain dog does exceptionally well in cold weather, so it’s good that this happened in Canada, but she seems to be open to anyone who is passionate about the breed, as she stated. She stresses that people do their research into the specific dog breed, though.
For those interested, a Facebook group was started and if you’re thinking of adopting a pup and can care for such a dog, they are really good around kids. Just be sure that you can commit long-term. Check out the aforementioned Facebook group, HERE.
Ever heard of anything like this? What’s the biggest litter of pups you’ve ever heard about? Let us know.