# Dog Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-question/387016>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 7, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-question/387016 "2007-01-07T03:58:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ndtrainor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@ndtrainor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ndtrainor)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-question/387016/1 "2007-01-07T03:58:49Z")

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How many possible fathers can there be in a canine litter of puppies?

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**Author:** ![ndtrainor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@ndtrainor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ndtrainor)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-question/387016/2 "2007-01-07T04:13:21Z")

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Is this a dumb question?

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**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2007, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-question/387016/3 "2007-01-07T04:31:28Z")

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Maybe as many as the pups in the litter, but that would be pretty unusual. Still, dog litters can contain pups from multiple fathers, as can the litters of quite a few other animals which mate promisuously.