Watching a dog become a new mom is one of the most beautiful things in life. Many dogs are great mothers and love to care for their new babies. We rounded up 10 interesting facts about dog motherhood.
1. The gestation period for puppies is only about 9 weeks (instead of 9 months like humans!)
We’re sure some human mothers are reading this and very jealous as those last long months of pregnancy can be rather uncomfortable. This short pregnancy is an evolutionary miracle as it puts significantly less stress on the mom’s bodies.
2. Pregnant dogs need more calories and can generally eat as much as they want.
Even the Association of American Feed Control Officials classifies gestation and lactation as life stages that need a little extra nutrition. The extra calories help mom have the energy to carry, nurse, and care for her babies.
3. The average dog mom gives birth to 5-6 puppies
Dogs get to have a shorter pregnancy than us humans and they usually have multiple babies, around 5 or 6 per litter to be precise. Some dogs only have 1-2 babies at a time and others can have larger litters. However, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the record for the largest litter ever was a total of 24 puppies born to a Neopolitan mastiff named Tia in 2004.
4. Dog moms have to do everything for their babies
The shorter gestation period does not leave time for the puppies’…
