Looking after one dog is hard enough, but looking after a whole litter of puppies is a full-time job. One dog owner has had her hands full after her German shepherd gave birth to five tiny puppies, named Pink, Pearl, Emerald, Ruby and Sunshine.
In a video posted to the page @babysheps, the puppies can be seen snoozing in a basket as their owner tries to spill them out on to a blanket. Eventually they all roll out, some still fast asleep.
The video has attracted more than 3.5 million views and Newsweek has contacted @babysheps via TikTok for comment.
“Nothing can shake these guys out of a nap,” reads the caption.
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An advertisement posted to the Canadian ad list site, Kijiji shows that the puppies are on sale for $1,000. It lists them as three-quarters German shepherd, and one-quarter Belgian Malinois, and says that the owners are: “Looking for homes for these puppies, needs to have someone look after them (preferably a two person home).”
Finding a reputable dog breeder can be difficult as unfortunately some people see dogs as a goldmine rather than an animal, and use them to make money, mistreating the dogs in the process, although there is no suggestion of anything untoward in the case of the five puppies in the video.
“Before COVID, many breeders required potential puppy buyers to visit their home or kennel as part of their screening process,” according to the American Kennel Club. “Today, these introductions may still take place via Zoom. Pay particular attention to the environment and the dogs themselves. Does the house or kennel look clean? Do the puppies appear to be in good weight, lively, and vigorous?
“The breeder should be asking you as many questions as you are asking, in order to determine that their puppies are going to a responsible and loving home.”
With a responsible breeder, “expect lots of questions about previous dogs you have owned, the number of people in your household and their ages, your work schedule, where the puppy will live, and how it will be trained and socialized,” the AKC say. “Breeders whose first questions are about how soon you can leave a deposit are giving you a very clear signal of their priorities.”
You should also be very aware of breeders to who are willing to sell puppies before they are eight weeks old.
“Maturing puppies need this time with their littermates to learn proper canine manners. Because of slow maturity rates, Toy dog breeders will often hold their puppies back for as long as 12 weeks,” add the AKC.
Users on TikTok loved the cute video of the five puppies.
“I want a basket of baby german shepherds,” commented one user.
“A puppy would solve all my life problems,” said another.
“I love them! So cute, miss when my puppers was that tiny,” wrote a third.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.