If you’ve been following our adventures with Sweets, our lovable (and occasionally mischievous) German Shepherd, you might want to sit down for this one. Just four weeks ago, we brought Sweets home from the AWOL Center, thinking we’d have plenty of time to get to know her. Little did we know, she had a puppy surprise in store—six of them, to be exact!
This week, Sweets turned our world upside down—in the most adorable way possible—by giving birth to six healthy puppies! Here’s how the wild ride of puppy parenthood began and how we scrambled to prepare for her big night.
Wait, Puppies?!
When we adopted Sweets, we had no idea she was pregnant. Sure, she was a little rounder than most German Shepherds we’d seen, but we chalked it up to her love of treats and maybe a little extra kibble at the shelter. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t the kibble.
About two weeks in, Sweets started acting… different. She became extra cuddly, spent more time lounging, and insisted on sneaking into our closet every chance she got. At first, we joked that she was claiming the closet as her “dog cave.” Turns out, she was scouting a delivery room!
Scrambling to Prepare
Once we realized puppies were on the way, we went into full-on prep mode. We raced to the store and picked up old blankets and towels to make a soft, cozy nest. A plastic kiddie pool became our last-minute (but surprisingly perfect) whelping box.
And, of course, there was the matter of location. Sweets had made it abundantly clear that she wanted the closet—our closet—to be her birthing suite. No matter how many comfy spots we set up elsewhere, she always ended up back there, giving us the side-eye like, “Really? This is the best you can do?”
So, like the pushover dog parents we are, we caved. The kiddie pool went into the closet, layered with blankets, and we resigned ourselves to the fact that our wardrobe would now share space with a canine maternity ward.
An All-Night Puppy Surprise Party
Sweets went into labor late one evening, and the next 12 hours were a blur of squeaks, wags, and happy chaos. She brought six perfect little pups into the world, one by one, and handled the entire process like a seasoned pro.
By sunrise, we were bleary-eyed but overjoyed. Sweets, now a proud mom, was curled up with her puppies in a cozy pile of fur, while we sat nearby, overwhelmed by how incredible she’d been through it all.
Four Weeks In, and Already a Family of Nine
It’s hard to believe that just a month ago, Sweets was settling into her new life with us. Now, our closet has been transformed into a bustling puppy nursery, and our days are filled with squeaky yawns, tiny paws, and Sweets’ unwavering devotion to her pups.
We’re letting her take the lead as she bonds with her little ones, but it’s hard not to sneak peeks (or photos!) every chance we get. And while our house is definitely noisier and messier, it’s also filled with more love than we ever expected.
If you’ve ever been caught off guard by a surprise litter—or just want to share tips for surviving the puppy chaos—we’d love to hear from you! Drop a comment below and let us know how you’ve managed life with a growing furry family.
