Can a Litter of Pups Have More Than One Father?

We rescued a puppy from relatives who didn't seem to grasp the idea of neutering their animals. We chose one of the 4 black and white female puppies from the litter. They all looked very similar. The father of the litter was a Boston Terrier and the mother was a mixed spaniel. She was medium sized and very gentle laid back dog. (Who wouldn't be after being bred half to death?)

Lying on top of all of the little shorthaired black puppies was one large, longhaired golden bundle of fur. He was beautiful. He had one of the prettiest faces on a dog that I have ever seen. If he weren't going to be so big I would have taken him. I talked my friend into taking him instead. I asked the relative if there was another father to the litter or if he in fact came from another litter. She scoffed and said no that he was in fact the pup of the Boston Terrier. I was suspicious but did not argue.

There was a fenced in yard on the property that had two large German Shepherds living in it. I didn't question the possibility of the pup belonging to one of the males in the fence.

When I took Lydia to the veterinarian I asked him if it were possible for there to be more than one father to a litter. He told me that absolutely there could be more than one father to a litter. As long as a bitch is in heat, that she can be impregnated by more than one male. He also said quite slyly that she could have backed up to the fence to give the males in the fence opportunity to get to her. The mystery was solved, although it is possible that another male, such as a beautiful Golden Retriever got to her too.

We took our puppies home and began our lives with our littermates. Their personalities were completely different. Our Lydia is wild, high strung and very energetic. She loves to play tug of war and fetch. She pulls when you try to walk her and is pretty much an alpha female. When her brother comes to stay for vacations, she loves to try to muscle him around. She butts him with her hip and growls at him. He has to put her in line once in a while when he gets sick of her bossing him around.

He on the other hand is laid back, passive and very gentle. He doesn't like to play tug of war. He likes to lie around and look beautiful. He is a wonderful dog just like his sister but they are completely different in looks and in temperament.

If you have ever wondered about a litter of pups that look suspiciously different, yes a litter can have more than one father.