17-Puppy Litter will be German Ridgeback's Last

The dog in Germany that gave birth to 17 puppies will soon be neutered.

Owner Ramon Wegemann, who fed the puppies with a bottle for several weeks because their mother's nipples couldn't cope with the demand, made the announcement Thursday.

Wegemann says the 26-hour labor of the eight female and nine male puppies was very tiresome for the purebred Rhodesian Ridgeback and she does not want to endanger the animal's health with another pregnancy.

Wegemann added caring for the puppies in her living room "turned out to be a full-time job."

Etana gave birth to the puppies on Sept. 28 in Wegemann's house in Ebereschenhof near Berlin. The owner says "all the puppies are well" and that "we play with them in the snow and start teaching them how to sit still."