Baby Dog in Basket

In breeding circles, a male canine is referred to as a dog, while a female is called a bitch. A group of offspring is a litter. The father of a litter is called the sire, and the mother is called the dam. Offspring are, in general, called pups or puppies, from French poupee, until they are about a year old. The process of birth is whelping, from the Old English word hwelp. The term "whelp" can also be used to refer to the young of any canid, or as a alternative to "puppy".  Source