Dog breeders in Bowden, Alta., have their hands full right now after their Bernese mountain dog Dakota gave birth to 15 puppies.

It's been a busy couple weeks for owners Roland and Denise Sidler.

Listen to the full interview on the Homestretch:

Denise says she previously considered 11 puppies to be a big litter, as Dakota has already given birth to large litters of eight and 11 pups.

"She was just huge," she said. "She had a huge belly and we thought she had a few, but never so many puppies. We were just shocked."

But two weeks ago, the Sidlers weren't sure the puppies and their mother were going to make it.

Owner Roland Sidler sits with proud parents Dakota, right, and Bronco. (Allison Dempster/CBC)

Dakota had to undergo a C-section after she gave birth to only two dogs, but stayed in labour for several hours.

"We didn't want to lose Dakota so we rushed to the Innisfail vet clinic," she said, adding Dakota is recovering well from surgery.

Denise says the pups are a lot of work, but Bernese mountain dogs are great family pets.

"They need lots of milk. So, yeah, we were busy," said Denise. "The mom, Dakota, and us for sure."

"You sleep an hour and then go back to the puppies," said Roland.

The Canadian Kennel Club told the owners it was unusual to have such a big litter.

While a litter of 15 healthy puppies is big, the world record for a litter born to one dog is 24.

The puppies will stay with the Sidlers until mid-December and the couple is currently interviewing prospective owners.

The puppies may be a handful but they're not without benefit. The Sidlers plan to sell them for $1,700 each.