According to the American Kennel Club, "A normal litter size can range from 1 to 12 puppies, with 5-6 puppies being average across all dogs." On June 19, 1944, Lena (an American foxhound) gave birth to 23 healthy puppies in Ambler, Pennsylvania.
Two dogs later tied her record, but not all of their puppies survived. A St. Bernard gave birth to 23 puppies in 1975 and nine of them died, and a Great Dane gave birth to 23 puppies in 1987 and only 16 survived.
The Guinness World Record for the largest litter today is 24 puppies, all of whom were born in 2004 to a Neapolitan mastiff named Tia in the UK. They were born by Caesarean section. One was still born and three died in the first week.
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| Lena with her healthy 5 month old puppies |
Today, Lena is known for having had the largest litter of puppies to survive.
