pregnant dogs

Question
Hello, My husband said he heard that a dog can be pregnant
by multiple dogs at the same time,  do you know anything about this? My neighbor's dog was recently in heat, and they have caught a couple neighborhood dogs on her. Is there any rule about this?  Thanks!

Answer
Hi Janine,

Yes,  it's true! Just like cats, dogs can have multiple fathers or sires within one litter.

Because dogs (and cats) have litters of offspring, the female produces several eggs per cycle. If she mates with more than one male, some eggs may be fertilized by one father and other by a different one. So, each puppy (or kitten) can have a different dad. That's why in a mixed breed unplanned litter, all the pups can look different.

I hope that helps!

Patti