Guide Dogs Australia shares pictures of first litter of 2023

A labrador has given birth to the first litter of puppies for Guide Dogs Australia this year, with the organisation releasing photos of the sleepy animals.

Febe gave birth to six healthy pups over New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day – two boys and four girls, three of whom are yellow and three black. But naming the puppies proved to be a difficult task.

Each guide dog litter has all its puppy’s names begin with the same letter, with the team running through the alphabet as each new litter arrives.

The puppies were born on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. (Guide Dogs Australia)

The puppies will stay with their mum for two weeks before starting their training. (Guide Dogs Australia)

Febe’s puppies were due to start with X, as per the naming system, but no guide dogs can have the same name and Xanthe and Xia had already been taken.

Instead, staff named the puppies Beau, Rocket, Soda, Honey, Joyce and Jina.

Beau, Rocket, Soda, Honey, Joyce and Jina are the names of the six puppies. (Guide Dogs Australia)

Guide dogs whelping adviser Leah Willet said the mother and pups had a strong bond.

“Febe is an absolute natural at looking after them, they are currently four weeks old, and starting to explore the sights, sounds and smells of the world around them,” Willet said.

The pups will spend two months with their mum before they begin their two-year journey of becoming guide dogs.