Button's 18 pups prove to be spot-on
Now, however, she has produced a litter of 18 – leaving her owners stunned.
The three-year-old dog, who belongs to the Morley family, of Somerby, near Melton, came close to knocking spots off a British record with her latest bumper delivery.
All 18 of Button's pups were born alive by caesarian section at Chine House veterinary surgery, in Sileby.
The pups were delivered on December 23, as Adam and Nicola Morley and their three sons prepared for Christmas.
The couple and their older son, Michael, 17, have been working on a 24-hour rota helping an exhausted Button feed and deal with all her pups.
Mr Morley said: "She was gigantic and the vet said he didn't think she would be able to deliver them naturally. There were 12 boys and six girls.
"They were one big squirming mass of white.
"She can only feed eight at a time, so we've had to split them into three groups and rotate them.
"It is getting a bit easier for her now because they tend to feed for about 10 minutes and then have a sleep.
"It was what you could call an interesting Christmas and the heaviest pup now weighs about a kilogram. They were all between 300 and 400 grams at birth."
There is a number of family and friends interested in taking the pups and they will sell some to cover vets' bills, including the £700 caesarian section, and plan to keep one for themselves.
Mr Morley said: "We thought she would only have the usual seven or eight pups this time.
"Their spots are coming through now and they have started opening their eyes and are walking about. There have been some great moments, but when you're up in the small hours you think you're insane."
The latest delivery is a further boost for their youngest son, Thomas, seven, who has learning difficulties.
Mr Morley said: "It brings Thomas out a lot. When the pups are here, he's very outgoing and he blossoms."
Brother, George, nine, has also been enjoying the new arrivals.
Being in the spotlight is in the genes for Button as she is the daughter of one of the dogs which appeared in Disney's 101 and 102 Dalmatians films.
Two of Button's pups, from her earlier litter, have landed film roles with one appearing in an episode of Taggart, while another has a modelling contract.
The family said that after 34 pups Button's breeding days are now over.
A Dalmatian owned by a family in Middlesbrough gave birth to 19 puppies in 2006.
Shelagh Stevenson, secretary of the British Dalmatian Club, said of button's litter: "This number is unusual, but not unheard of."
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