Stella, a Maremma Sheepdog (a breed of livestock guardian dog from Italy), gave birth to a litter of 17 puppies at Napa Grass Farmer, a holistic, regenerative farm in California’s scenic wine country. This is thought to be the largest litter of puppies ever born in the state of California.

As adorable as these little bundles of fur look, none of the puppies will be a family pet. All will eventually make their way to farms around California and be trained as working livestock guardian dogs just like their mom Stella.

Maremmas look like the fluffy sheep they are bred to protect from predators. In fact, the puppies are often raised in barns with the livestock they will be guarding, forming a stronger bond with them than with their humans.

Want more cuddly cuteness? Check out this video about the puppies from CBS News in the San Francisco Bay area HERE.