A video has gone viral showing the remarkable night a black Labrador went into labor and safely delivered nine puppies—all with the help of her owner by her side.
Sabina von Essen, of Stockholm, Sweden, documented the events of November 5, 2023, and the days that followed to reminisce about the moment her dog, Hjördis, became a mother. It started late in the evening when the Labrador, now 4 years old, started panting heavily and her water broke, making it clear that she was ready.
Throughout the entire sleepless night that ensued, von Essen was right by her dog’s side, offering her support and helping her through the process. She told Newsweek that it was “the most incredible experience” to witness and be part of.
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“The most important thing was to be there for her, comforting and reassuring her,” von Essen said. “I believe she was quite surprised, being a first-time mom, and didn’t fully understand what was happening.
“Hjördis was very surprised when the first puppy arrived. She didn’t quite understand what it was, but after a minute, she started licking it and her maternal instincts kicked in.”
@vonessendogs / Instagram
Hjördis delivered nine puppies during 16 hours of labor, however the first and last ones were born unresponsive. With the first pup, von Essen called a breeder who helped guide her through what she needed to do, and fortunately the pup was fine. However, the same couldn’t be said for the ninth pup, as von Essen and her partner Lucas revived her, but she was very weak and refused to drink any milk.
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As a result, they packed up Hjordis and her litter and took all of them to the vet so they could be kept together. After four hours in the vet’s office, the puppy’s body temperature finally increased from 89 degrees Fahrenheit to the more appropriate 95 degrees.
“Hjördis was utterly exhausted after 16 hours of labor, but you could see the worry in her eyes when we tried to save Eva’s life,” von Essen said.
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Delivering Puppies Safely
Dog pregnancies usually last for 62-64 days, varying depending on the litter size and breed. As the delivery approaches, they enter the whelping stage, when they start preparing for the birth.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests that owners should get a whelping box where the puppies can be delivered, plenty of towels and newspaper, a thermometer to check the mom’s temperature, dental floss to cut the umbilical cords, and a heat lamp above the whelping box.
Puppies are born enclosed in their placental membrane, and the mother will usually lick it off straight away. However, if that doesn’t happen, owners should do it quickly because puppies cannot survive more than a few minutes before their oxygen supply runs out, according to the AKC. The same goes for the umbilical cord as the mother should do it, but human support is needed if she doesn’t.
All puppies should immediately be placed on the mother’s belly, and owners should watch them to ensure they all get to nurse within the first few hours.
Despite the “incredibly distressing” moments towards the end, the entire experience was overwhelmingly beautiful. The puppies were kept with their mother for the first eight weeks until finding homes, but not the last puppy, who built such a close connection with Hjördis and the pair couldn’t be separated. She has since been named Eva, and von Essen loves seeing their mother-daughter bond every day.
@vonessendogs / Instagram
She said: “It’s beautiful to see how Eva brings out the best in Hjördis and vice versa. Hjördis has become more playful, and Eva is becoming calmer and better behaved thanks to her mom.”
Sadly, one of the puppies was subsequently diagnosed with a heart condition and passed away. Von Essen said this was “the hardest thing” she’d ever been through, and for that reason, she implores others to thoroughly consider whether they’re ready to breed puppies as it certainly isn’t easy.
The Social Media Reaction
Von Essen regularly shares videos of Hjördis and Eva on Instagram (@vonessendogs), including a video capturing “the most dramatic day” when the puppies were all born. The video has gone viral with over 2.9 million views and more than 199,000 likes on Instagram so far.
While most of the reactions were positive, von Essen explained that she also faced a lot of criticism for breeding her Labrador.
“The majority of responses have been very positive and loving, and many were fascinated by the birth since they haven’t seen anything like it before,” von Essen said.
“Some of the criticism we’ve received is about how much we helped Hjördis during the birth, but that was necessary since she didn’t react to the first few pups. Others criticized breeding itself, as there’s a big problem with stray dogs. Regardless, this was a one-time experience, for which we are incredibly grateful.”
At the time of writing, the viral Instagram video has already gained over 940 comments as many people marveled over the natural process.
One comment reads: “How beautiful to witness puppies being born.”
Another Instagram user wrote: “I’m in awe of you all—so beautiful to witness. Thank you for sharing this.”
“I can’t imagine. I was so stressed just watching that video for all of you. You did amazing, all of you. Beautiful momma and babies,” added another social media user.
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