Cuteness overload! A guide dog has given birth to a record-breaking litter of 16 puppies — the largest sight-loss charity Guide Dogs has seen during its 60-year-old breeding programme.
The German Shepherd-Golden Retriever puppies, who are now eight weeks old, were birthed by a three-year-old German Shepherd in the care of the Guide Dogs. Despite it being her first pregnancy, she impressively delivered a litter over twice the size of the average for German Shepherds, and over three times the size of the average litter across all breeds.
All 16 of the puppies have come into the Guide Dogs National Centre near Leamington Spa, before being placed with volunteer Puppy Raisers around the UK. The charity hopes these beautiful crossbreeds will have the loyalty and drive of the German Shepherd, as well as the friendliness of Golden Retrievers.
"A litter of sixteen is incredibly unusual, but such a gift. The pandemic has had a detrimental impact on our charity's breeding programme and how many litters we can have, so these puppies are even more treasured," says Matthew Bottomley, Head of Breeding Operations.
"Our staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly to ensure all the puppies have thrived and they are now ready to start their journeys to becoming life-changing guide dogs for people with sight loss."
Need a mood-boost? Take a look at the beautiful images below...
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12 dog winter coats to keep your pups cosy
Keep your pup snug and secure with this thick quilted dog jacket from H&M. Perfect for a winter's walk, it has quilted seams, a stand-up collar with an open front, and a belt with a hook and loop fastening at the back.
Designed to resist whatever the weather throws at you, this waterproof dog coat is ideal for older pups with joint problems or less fur and has a particularly warm inner lining.
Keeping warm and snug just got a whole lot easier thanks to this gorgeous waxed coat from Joules. In olive green, it has a tweed lining and beautiful bee prints.
In a gorgeous white, this pocket-detail faux shearling dog jacket has been designed to add an extra layer of warmth during those cold winter days. It has two small holes for their legs, as well as a zipped pocket on the back.
This thermal dog coat is excellent for winter walks, thanks to its self-heating technology.
"Our reflective technology lining, combined with a hollow fibre core maximises the dog coats thermal properties," say petslovescruffs.com. "The thermal dog coat has a fleece collar and chest pad to provide greater comfort, improved fitment and allow unrestricted movement."
A warm pet coat is great to ward off the chill during winter. Not sure which one to pick up? We love this technical dog parka, which has been specially developed for short-haired dogs and dogs without an undercoat.
In olive green, this luxurious Barbour coat is ideal for dogs who like the finer things in life.
On the hunt for a warm knit jumper? To keep your furry friend extra cosy, why not pick up this Barbour jumper. Boasting a unique design with a roll neck for elite comfort, it's perfect for them to wear on a Christmas Day walk.
READ MORE: The Barbour Christmas advert 2021 stars Paddington Bear and his heart-warming family
Made from super-soft fleece fabric, this blue fluffy coat has teddy bear ears attached to keep your dog warm and cosy. It also has a stretch jersey fabric, making it easy to pull on and off.
William Morris fans will love this adorable reversible dog coat in the brand's classic print. With a water-resistant, waxed cotton outer fabric, it also helps to keep rain off.
OVER GLAM Medium faux leather sleeveless dog jacket
This sleeveless dog jacket looks so cosy! It has small holes for their legs and black poppers to keep them cosy.
In vibrant blue, this microfibre dog coat is light and absorbent to offer protection from getting cold. It has a click fastener on the back and openings for legs and tail.
